The New York Times has found people to be hesitant toward creativity – contrary to popular belief. A study on April 16th had found that creativity subconsciously brings us feelings of doubt & certainty, “Research has found that we actually harbor an aversion to creators and creativity; subconsciously, we see creativity as noxious and disruptive, and… this bias can potentially discourage us from undertaking an innovative project or hiring a creative employee.”

I believe to many, this is obviously concerning. Creativity is what fuels innovation, and innovation fuels newer and better things that improve the quality of business, technology, and life. Creativity is boasted to be the secret weapon of sales.

Yet somehow, I believe this research has a degree of truth to it. Both empirically and anecdotally. There has been some link between stress and creativity, a study from Columbia University had three groups complete separate tasks, with the third group having to switch up tasks at intervals, causing a break in rigid, critical thinking and their brains hit a wall. The ability to reset your thinking and problem-solve a solution from a different angle is what the creative process is all about – but this is ultimately a tiring and stressful thing for the brain.

Group three was the most original team, according to the study: “‘People actually have strong associations between the concept of creativity and other negative associations like vomit and poison,’ said Jack Goncalo, a business professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the lead author on the new study. ‘Agony was another one.’”

In personal experience, the more fun, creative, out-of-the-box solutions have always been elusive, or hard to accept when suggested by a friend in group projects or a co-worker in a writers’ room or brainstorming with a marketing team; there is an overall hesitancy to bank on creative ideas. 

I always considered the reason was due to the boom-or-bust nature of creative ideas. The highs are higher and the lows are lower. A “blander”, more conservative approach would often be more consistent, and more secure for people in positions of leadership to fall back on. At least in my previous positions of leadership, I even felt reluctant trusting certain ideas brought to me. 

While the situation would always “depend”, if I felt there wasn’t enough faith that an idea would pan out with a desired outcome. As much as I like to challenge the status quo, sometimes that status quo is there for a reason. “If ain’t broke, don’t… well, you know.”

I mentioned in my storyboard blog how the creative process was different for everyone, but there is one constant for everyone’s creative process: success is uncertain. 

In an era of stats, trends, and algorithms, there is a reliance on what’s proven and certain, yet at the end of the day, those stats, trends, and algorithms are only started first by someone or a team of someones who believed in something and took a risk.

This bit of research should be in consideration by leaders and employers, to understand our reluctance toward innovative workers is brought by our own feelings of uncertainty, and those feelings don’t make an employee’s ideas and suggestions any less valid.