Creativity isn’t just about the final product you deliver to clients—it’s a mindset that can transform every aspect of your business. Yet so often, we find ourselves following conventional wisdom that says, “This is just how things are done.” The most innovative creative businesses know that magic happens when you bring creative thinking to unexpected places, especially the technical and operational sides of your work.
I’ve spent years working with creative professionals who felt boxed in by technical constraints or rigid systems. What I’ve discovered is when your partners such as folks at IT understand the creative mindset, everything changes. Like a well-crafted chair that fits you perfectly—versus a stiff, backless stool that leaves you shifting uncomfortably—the right tools and partners should support and enhance your creativity, not make it a struggle.
Change Your Optics: Injecting Creative Touches into Standard Processes
Do you ever find yourself saying, “I guess this is just how it has to be done” with a hint of disappointment in your voice? That’s often a signal that your processes could use a creative reimagining.
🎯 Look for opportunities to transform functional necessities into delightful experiences.
A few months ago, I met with a client who mentioned how he loves taking mental breaks to research travel destinations—an activity that clears his head and reignites his creativity. With frustration in his voice, he said, “I should just close out of everything so it’s not in my face, right?”
The standard answer would have been yes. But thinking creatively, I saw a different solution: a dedicated “clear your head” laptop that lived away from the workstations and completely disconnected from work, with a beach background and travel planning shortcuts already created on its desktop.
This wasn’t just about avoiding notifications—it was about creating a physical shift in environment that signaled to his brain “this is me time.” A few weeks later, I noticed the laptop sporting a palm tree sticker. His team had even given it a nickname, and it had become a recognized part of his mental reset routine that everyone respected.
The creative solution wasn’t following the norms or pushing security policies to limit his ability because this wasn’t a technical solution-it was about seeing the human need behind the technical question.
💡 Key Insight: Standard processes and practices exist for a good reason but sometimes thinking outside of the box can help you have your cake and eat it too. When you zoom out and add empathy you will find there are no limits to right solutions as creativity has no bounds.
Empower Your Team: Avoiding the “Gears in a Machine” Syndrome
Imagine an orchestra where every musician is forced to play exactly the same notes in exactly the same way. The result wouldn’t be harmony—it would be monotony. Yet many businesses inadvertently create this environment by implementing rigid systems that treat team members like interchangeable parts.
In conversations with peers, I’m often introduced to tools designed to service clients quickly and efficiently—but with a catch. Everyone must fit into one strict shoebox: all clients must use Microsoft for email, PCs for work, and have local data storage. Business coaches push hard to “systemize for profit” by implementing these tools and pressuring clients to meet their requirements.
I’ve always refused this approach. What’s the point of system efficiencies and profits if they come at the expense of forcing clients into less-than-ideal workflows?
Instead, my team and I build processes using services and systems that adapt to various scenarios. Can we become as efficient as companies that only support businesses configured in a very specific way? No—but we come remarkably close without sacrificing our ability to fit seamlessly into our clients’ journeys.
When you give your team the freedom to find creative solutions rather than forcing them to follow rigid protocols, you’ll discover they bring innovative thinking to challenges you never anticipated. This approach attracts and retains the kind of talent that thrives in creative environments—people who want to solve problems, not just follow instructions.
📌 Important Note: The most innovative solutions often come from team members who feel empowered to question established processes and suggest alternatives. Creating space for this kind of thinking is essential for businesses that want to stay ahead in creative industries.
Invest in Client Collaboration: Encouraging Outside-the-Box Solutions
In my view, good technology is simple, personalized, and efficient—and that often involves more work upfront than most people realize.
Think of it like an event space. Imagine a venue with everything you could possibly need: chairs, tables, various lights mounted on the ceiling, and a storage room full of equipment. You should be able to host any kind of event, right? But what happens is chaos—constant rearranging, calling in specialists to adjust the projection screen, and reconfiguring lighting for each new event.
My approach, when possible, is to take everything out and set up the space with as few moving parts as possible, while having a simple system to make adjustments quickly whether you’re hosting 20 people or 100. You shouldn’t have to rebuild your foundation every time your needs change slightly.
This same philosophy applies to how you can encourage clients to think beyond conventional approaches. When clients come to you with a problem, they’re either thinking you are a magician or your hands are tied behind your back. But there is a perfect medium that nobody has uncovered yet and it involves matching the need with a solution and sometimes tweaking things a bit along the way. By listening and collaborating with them to step back and reconsider the entire framework, you can unlock solutions they never imagined possible.
🚫 Avoid This: Chances are you’ve been told you have to do things a certain way, and you feel guilty because there’s always something you know you shouldn’t be doing the way you do it now. This is acceptable to a degree—collaboration, efficiency, and good security require some rules. But pay attention to how your partners respond when you bring up new ideas.
Do they take a minute to think? Do they ask to circle back with you? Or do you get an immediate yes or no? Most creative solutions take time to design and flesh out. You can quickly tell if someone showed up with a shoe and they are only interested in getting your feet in it vs someone listening and taking notes to fit you with a perfect shoe that will support your feet best and the journey ahead.
This includes choosing partners—especially technical partners—who understand the creative mindset and can support it rather than constrain it. They can be your secret weapon and best ally, offering you a great advantage.
Conclusion
Creativity isn’t just for specific industries or client deliverables—it’s a powerful approach to every aspect of your business. When you bring creative thinking to your processes, team environment, and client collaborations, you unlock possibilities that rigid, conventional approaches miss entirely.
The businesses that thrive in creative industries are those that recognize creativity as their greatest asset and ensure it flows through every part of their operation.
When you find partners who approach technical challenges with the same creative energy you bring to your work, you’ll discover new possibilities in areas where you thought you had to compromise. Together, you can build systems that feel like they were designed specifically for your unique way of working—because they were.
What areas of your business could benefit from a more creative approach? And are your current partners enhancing your creativity or limiting it? The answers to these questions might just transform how you work.
