Alternative Work Week Series: Making Space for Creativity

When was the last time you took a moment to daydream? I can confidently say that I haven’t had much mental real estate in the last two plus years to do so.

Our work often feels like a marathon run at a sprint’s pace.

The diversity, equity and inclusion landscape is ever-evolving – we’re constantly iterating on how to best support our clients, eager to push past best practices in pursuit of solutions that feel more tailored and are of service to those most impacted. The irony is that this type of impact demands creativity, yet myself and so many colleagues are often hard-pressed to find the time necessary for that level of ideation. 

Stress and burnout are by no means a new phenomenon, though they’ve taken on new meaning for me in the last few years as we face overlapping global crises and an ongoing pandemic. We know that folks from underrepresented groups (specifically Black women) carry the impact of burnout most acutely, and that burnout risk is especially high among those in purpose-driven work. Stress is pervasive – and unfortunately – it impacts our ability to be creative. Our biological response to stress is to enter survival mode. It’s a place all too familiar, tapping into adrenaline and operating on auto-pilot to sift through what feels like a to-do list with no finite ending. Yet functioning at this level, though sometimes necessary, stands in direct contrast to our ability to be creative and see things from a new perspective. Alongside my never-ending to-do list is that list of “when I have a spare moment” projects and ideas that tend to get pushed off. That’s why I was thrilled when ReadySet announced that as part of our Alternative Work Week pilot, we’d be setting aside dedicated days specifically for innovation and enrichment (I&E). 

Fast forward to our first I&E day and I found myself on a team call guided by Court Roberts, a facilitator and experience designer, on making room for innovation. The session started with a rare moment of stillness, and we all paused to breathe using the 4-7-8 technique. It’s a breathing exercise we’ve done in our own ReadySet trainings for clients as a way to reduce anxiety around the difficult conversations that often show up in this type of work. As we walked through it ourselves, I was reminded how much of a gift it was to carve out this type of space and time simply to breathe and clear my headspace.

The session focused on the Mayo Clinic’s 4 A’s for navigating stress: 

• Avoid: What stress is simply unnecessary and can be tuned out?

• Alter: If a stressor can’t be avoided, can you reframe it through communication and boundaries?

• Adapt: Can you shift your mindset and expectations to deal with the stressor?

• Accept: How can you approach stress through radical acceptance?

As we moved through the exercise, I found myself really examining how stress shows up in my work and where I have agency to make more space for creativity. Emails will always be a looming stressor, the idea of ‘inbox zero’ just far too elusive. But what if I set dedicated time during my mornings, my productivity “sweet spot,” to tackle my inbox? As we worked through the prompts, I started to think about the “when I have a spare moment” list of projects I could tackle. And with this new I&E day there might finally be space and time, if I could manage my stress, to get in the creativity zone. 

During a recent consulting team brainstorm, we talked about current obstacles that serve as barriers to innovation: bandwidth, deadlines, no space or time to devote to projects that aren’t pressing. As the list grew longer, we thought through how we could use I&E days to make room for more creativity. I offered the idea of daydreaming - and how important it is to have time to reflect and simply explore for the act itself.

Daydreaming has been linked to increased inspiration and creativity, and yet is often viewed as the antidote to productivity.

Perhaps more importantly, daydreaming can combat anxiety brought on by stress by directing those thoughts elsewhere. As the team pondered the idea of daydreaming we talked through how we could create better conditions for innovation. Everything from listening to certain music to vision boarding made the list - but the common thread was being more intentional with time carved out for creativity. As we continue to move through our Alternate Work Week pilot, I’m looking forward to all the ways this newfound time and space for innovation will influence the creative side of our work.

Next month, Cambria Watson, will be diving into how ReadySet is approaching the Alternate Work Week pilot from a global perspective.