According to the World Economic Forum, creative thinking is among the key workplace skills for 2030. But how do you apply it if you don’t have a creative background?

I believe everyone is creative. With a Master of Fine Arts and an MBA, I love bridging creativity and professional goals. Let me start with a personal story.

The spark

When I launched Pigment in 2005, I was buzzing with energy. As a graphic designer, I combined creativity with tight deadlines. Winning new projects felt great. After five years, though, my creativity dipped. Revenue was fine, but the flow of ideas slowed. How could I rekindle that original spark? And how could I balance the pressure of adult life with the playfulness creativity needs? (I was renovating a house and had a young daughter.)

Creativity requires releasing the grip of “it must be fast” and “it must be perfect.”
I noticed my creativity flourished when I eased off those demands and surrendered to the process: first let impressions in—purposelessly—then sit down to design.

Creativity Snacks

Before you throw out your calendar and goals: too much aimlessness leads to drifting—relaxing, but rarely productive.

Original ideas emerge when the brain allows chaos to dance with structure.

Balance is the key. My answer: Creativity Snacks—a simple method to weave creativity into busy days. With timeboxing, you schedule moments where you decide: now it’s time for creativity. Ten minutes a day already takes you far. In those 10 minutes, use four ingredients. Mix them all, or focus on one:

• Wanderlust – Stimulate your senses with something different, stay open to new inputs, and capture what you notice. 
• Observation – Look around with a beginner’s neutral eye. 
• Pigment – Add your own flavour and personality. Be authentic. 
• Play – Take small risks, try something new, and enjoy it. 

Get started

Ready to dive in? For thirty days, the four ingredients rotate through simple exercises drawn from my art training – no prior skills required. Just enthusiasm and a fixed daily moment of 10 minutes.
Register here to subscribe for the challenge.