By Steven Kowalski, Ph.D.
Author, Creative Together: Sparking Innovation in the New World of Work
President and Founder, Creative LicenseTM Consulting Services
Chapter two of Adventure Two in Creative Together provides an in-depth exploration of four different creative Styles: 1) the Soloist; 2) the Rebel; 3) the Entrepreneur; and 4) the Collaborator. These four Styles are not exclusive: you have some measure of strategies and practices from each of them—even though one might have been front and center—up on the “stage” of your awareness for a very long time.
Over the years, your experiences and actions (and the beliefs, assumptions, and expectations that built up around these) have formed your creative Style. It’s the constellation of strategies, preferences, habits, and practices you typically use when you create in the world—developed over time—as a co-creation between your external and internal world. But if you’re like me, your Style formed without much conscious awareness.
Think about all the different systems and organizations you’ve lived and worked in—all the way from your early family years through your current work situation. All these life experiences have shaped your creative Style. That means it’s durable, but I want to be very clear. Your Style is not fixed. It’s not a trait—like a personality trait. It’s malleable. You have agency to adapt and change it.
This worksheet provides an opportunity for you to reflect on the kinds of experiences that influenced the development of your creative Style. Consider the following reflection questions. I invite you to share your responses with a trusted colleague, coach, or partner.
Download a PDF of the What Shaped Your Creative Style worksheet to use with your team.
© 2021 Steven Kowalski for Creative License Consulting™. All rights reserved.