I talk often with computer users who say their system is just a tool for getting work done. No more.
I also hear people (and often the same people) say that they feel the Mac is “just for creative types”; in the design, multimedia, or fashion industries.
It’s almost like these things are mutually exclusive. People use their computers for work, as a functional tool, just to get things done. OR, they use their computer as a medium of expression, a means to be creative, through leisure and play.
Spreadsheets versus slideshows, kinda thing.
I will ask you this: Can an accountant be creative? Can a real estate agent or mortgage broker be expressive? Can any person in any industry do their work in a leisurely and playful manner?
I think a few things need to be in place before people are excited at the opportunity to be creative with their computer (be it Mac or any other platform).
- They’d need to want to do more (and work differently) than their competition. Whatever that is for them.
- They would need to be willing to put some more effort into developing the “creativity muscle”.
- The Mac would need to be setup in a certain way that fits their style. It needs to feel like a warm, comfortable, welcoming home. It’s tough to be as creative in an office cubicle with fluorescent lighting as we are in a lakefront cottage with a view of the mountains.
- They need to know how to use it, how to navigate, how to use all the relevant applications.
- They need to be inspired or passionate about their work, wanting to take it to the next level.
- They’d need a sense of daring and adventure, willing to play with ideas that might just flop.
In whatever work we do, I think great results come from leveraging our thought muscle in the face of any project – even if we have done that work before. Actively and consciously trying to think of new ways to look at something, new angles or approaches to take in a presentation, a new spin on an old issue.
The problem: People tend to take the well-worn path of least resistance in almost everything they do. They avoid the unknown.
For me, if I need to come up with some new piece of marketing for my company, I will sit in front of a blank TextEdit window and type whatever comes to mind. Several times during that process I’ll find I have the impulse to check my email, check Facebook, grab some water, eat carrots, text a friend, etc. ANYTHING other than focused creative thought.
It’s easy to pull the parachute and say “I’m not creative, someone else should do this.”
However, the longer I sit in front of the blank window, focusing my thought and attention on the issue at hand, the more the great ideas start flowing.
It takes courage and resolve to stare at a blank TextEdit document when no ideas are coming to mind readily, persisting in your thought efforts, forging into the unknown.
Once those doors open, however, you might find that your accounting work is a little more creative, and your Mac feels more like a friend.
