Natural born creatives must be nurtured

“That's because like any skill set, creativity must be continually worked at, nurtured and developed. If not, the results of creativity may stagnate and become stale. Environment also plays a significant role and can stifle an individual's creativity if it is not conducive. The more writers, artists or designers are encouraged and given the freedom to be creative, the better and more creative their work will be,” continues Busken.

He believes that companies, whatever industry they are in, should strive to create an environment where individuals can explore and use their creativity (in the relevant form) to achieve innovative thinking, which hopefully leads to more effective solutions.

Many forms

“Creativity comes in many forms and anyone with creative flair, whether they are an artist, designer, accountant, HR manager or architect, should be given the freedom to be creative in their work. Because it is amazing what one can achieve with creativity. .

“Ultimately, no company wants to lose creative, innovative thinkers who are able to challenge ideas, find solutions and get results,” adds Busken.

In the advertising industry, creativity and dynamism is a must, particularly for writers, art directors, designers and brand and media strategists who are responsible for developing solutions that fulfil a client's need to communicate with the market and differentiate themselves and their products in the most innovative and meaningful way.

“We continually have to stretch our thinking to come up with ideas and solutions that will ensure that our clients' messages effectively cut through the clutter and gain the attention of the relevant audiences. Obviously, this is only possible if you have the right people onboard and you keep the creative juices flowing.

Experience and talent

“So, for a start, recruiting the right people is the key. When recruiting for creative positions, agencies should obviously look at candidates who have the desired qualifications, but at the end of the day it is their experience and talent that counts the most.”

“As the saying goes, ‘…your CV gets you the interview but your portfolio gets you the job'. If you can find someone with a great CV and a great portfolio that demonstrates their natural talent, and they are able to demonstrate their capabilities by producing the goods, then hold onto them very tightly.” says Busken.

“We know that we need to nurture and encourage our creative people, as well as give them the space to apply their individual creative talents in their work. That's why we continually develop proactive work which allows creatives to develop and execute their ideas without constraints. This, along with plenty of teambuilding and a very stimulating work environment, is how we keep our creativity at an all-time high,” concludes Busken.