In Your Creative Element: The Formula for Creative Success in Business

About the Book

SHORTLISTED: CMI Management Book of the Year 2018 - Innovation and Entrepreneurship Category

In Your Creative Element helps readers identify a personal creativity formula for success, and kick-starts the creative journey. It provides personalized insights so that readers can develop their knowledge and skills and their own formula to unlock creativity and apply it in any context.

In Your Creative Element is an original work on one of the hottest topics in business written by a creative director who has made it her business to unpick how and why creative ideas are born, develop and survive or die. The author has identified 62 elements that affect creativity and has created a unique 'Periodic Table of Creative Elements'. This simple framework adds logic and science to the concept of creativity and can be explored by anyone to find which creative elements are most important to them and to transform their approach to creativity.

Highly practical and packed with case studies and tips from creative experts and organizations including Google, Netflix, Pixar, the NHS, the United Nations and Twitter as well as some of the world's most successful advertising agencies, In Your Creative Element provides inspiration and practical advice for readers who recognize that creativity is essential for business success but who do not know where to begin to unlock their creative potential.

Table of Contents:

• • Chapter - 01: Values - What Are Your Creative Values and How Do These Affect Your Approach to Creativity?;
  • Chapter - 02: Characteristics of Creative People: What Makes Us Creative and Can We Change Our Behaviour to Enhance it?;
  • Chapter - 03: Characteristics of Creative Companies: How to Develop a Creative Culture;
  • Chapter - 04: Purpose - Why Does Creativity Matter? What Do We Do It For?;
  • Chapter - 05: The Creative Process - Ten Elements Which Can Instantly Transform Your Planning Process Forever;
  • Chapter - 06: The Creative Toolkit - 20 Never-Fail Creativity Tools, Whatever the Problem;
  • Chapter - 07: The Creative Mind - Neuroscientist Ben Martynoga’s Whistle-stop Tour of Your Grey Matter to Find an Optimal State to Create;
  • Chapter - 08: Criteria - How to Spot the BIG Idea and Make it Work;
  • Chapter - 09: Putting It All Together - Your Creative Experiment – Unlock the Potential of Your Personal Formula and Learn How to Use it

About the Author :
Claire Bridges is founder of the UK's leading creative training consultancy, Now Go Create, whose philosophy is 'that everyone can be creative'. At 32, Claire was one of the youngest ever Managing Directors for a global PR agency, part of the world's biggest advertising and media company WPP. Bridges is one of only 55 people globally to hold an MSc in Innovation, Creativity and Leadership. She has 20 years of front-line experience working in the creative industries, training over 10,000 people, with clients including Starbucks, Unilever, Kellogg's, Danone, Sky Media, Save The Children and ASOS.

Review :
"People and businesses who achieve breakout results in anything - whether it's music, sport or business - are the people who don't necessarily just do the safe things or the basics really well. That gets you a lot of the way but you need to challenge yourself, you've got to be inspired by what others are doing and you've got to react quickly to changes. In Your Creative Element neatly consolidates academic research, practical experience and the latest business thinking to help equip individuals and companies with the know-how to leverage creativity for business advantage." "Claire demystifies the chemistry of creativity with practical tools & advice in this book. By openly sharing her own experiences, Claire gives inspirational tactics & exercises to unlock creativity in everyone. She lifts the bonnet on creative thinking, and shares the secrets of today's creative masters. She democratises the power of creativity, and makes us all experts in original thinking & ideas. Need encouraging & empowering advice to get started on new idea generation? This is the book for you." "Here's an interesting fact. Creative solutions are more effective and creative companies are more successful. Therefore all organisations should be creative but of course it's not that easy. The way forward is 'talent' and In Your Creative Element should be regarded as the new corporate bible. For those at the top to develop their talent and create a culture that breeds creativity, and for young talent to feel their creativity is wanted, received and valued. Claire has created the 21st century 4P's with her Periodic Table of Creative Elements." "

This is a great book for really democratising creativity. From Punchdrunk to Google to the NHS and Pixar - these are really different companies with differing staff and cultures, and the book proves that anybody, any organization, can up the game in terms of creativity.

Running a business and succeeding is not just about having great ideas yourself but about really understanding how to scale creative thinking - and that's hard. The book offers a great toolkit for managing creativity and building creative thinking systematically into an organization and its culture. In terms of business value this book proves that creativity can truly add value to the bottom line and improve employee satisfaction.

" "I honestly can't fault this book. The whole area of creativity is misunderstood by the majority. But what enlightened CEOs and MDs realise is that creativity is no longer some exotic, optional extra. It's a strategic issue. I've read many books on creativity and In Your Creative Element is the most refreshingly original yet. It provides accessible, down to earth and practical tools to unlock individual and company creative potential. It's for anyone who believes in the power of creativity to drive the bottom line. " "I believe that we all have the ability to be creative - it is a muscle that can be exercised and as such all people have creative ability if they try. This book is almost a toolkit - or perhaps personal trainer - for accessing that creativity. The use of the Periodic Table as an analogue of creative elements is original and brings science to the often felt "wooliness" of the creative process." "Claire brings a fresh voice and a brilliantly eclectic mix of personal insights and diverse perspectives to the question of creativity in business." "A comprehensive toolkit for fine-tuning your creative engine. Wherever you may consider yourself to be on the creativity spectrum, from inexperienced novice to seasoned pro, you will find something in here to spark a thought, prompt a reflection or motivate a change." "Over the years I've learnt that creativity is essential, not just about the talk of ideas but equally how to make them happen. This is what this book does, it creates possibility and a belief everyone is creative. As well as my story, the book is packed with dozens of practical examples about how individuals and businesses can raise their game in relation to this important topic. I'm particularly pleased to add to the dialogue about purpose and hope that by sharing my personal story others will be inspired to dig deep and explore their own values in relation to creativity, and other important areas, to really find meaning and satisfaction in their work and life." "I'm always looking for a quick fix but it's not something you can normally attain when you're trying to expand your mind and improve your skillset. This is a fascinating read and a breath of fresh air because you can read the whole thing or dip in chapter by chapter for a quick fix. The author takes an in-depth look at creativity in a way that's enriching as well as educational and with a wonderful lightness of touch that keeps it accessible and user-friendly. Bridges deftly distils an impressive body of research and insights into each chapter with helpful case studies and provocative questions thrown in along the way to keep readers on their toes. It's also funny, which is such a rare quality in a business book. This book has filled me with inspiration, practical tips and confidence - and now the hard part, putting all that into practice!" "Creativity in business - the Holy Grail of success and so often noticeable mainly by its absence. This will quickly become the go-to book on the subject, vital as it is to the future of my industry, and of so many others." "Creative thinking seems to have been regarded as one of the inexplicable dark arts by many senior managers. This book demystifies creativity, showing - practically - how your brand can walk the walk while so many others merely pay the topic lip-service. Don't believe what some 'creatives' might tell you - your own creative instincts cannot only be honed but mastered over time using the nuggets of insight within. Read it, Love it, Do it!" "A great practical guide designed for those who wish to delve deeper into the creative process, understand and evaluate the nature of personal practice and discover fresh solutions to nourish the creative culture of their professional environment."