The word ‘creative‘ comes up a lot these days; I work with creatives, in the creative industries, I support creative start ups, advise on creative industry tax reliefs and so on. As I spend a lot of time in this ‘creative’ realm I use the word or phases without hesitation. I apply it to my clients as a massive compliment yet if I am referred to as a creative accountant I cringe! but I am creative and I am an accountant.
I often get asked:What is a creative? What are creative industries’?
The word used as a noun is not something new and has been addressed by various people over the years, one of my favourite commentaries was from Geoff Goins a few years ago in which he states that a creative is someone who sees the world a little differently to others. The ‘Creative industries‘ listing differs depending on where you look it up and how up to date it is.
‘Creative’ has become somewhat fashionable and it is even a buzz world for the government. However, it’s so broad and open to interpretation that you could put most people into the box in one way or another- which surely diminishes its value?
It used to be very closely linked to artists, and innovators in a very traditional sense like painters, inventors, sculptors. Today’s creative is still an artist or an innovator but in much broader terms with greater scope including technology. In one respect it could be argued that all entrepreneurs are creatives, they have an idea, they create a business. But setting up your own business is now just a process and some would argue that alone is not creative, or is it? – according to Andy Warhol; “Creating a business is the best kind of art”.
Maybe it’s what you do on a daily basis that decides if you are truly creative? One of the things that struck me when at Cr8net (conference for the creative industries) was that the term ‘creative industries’ is so broad that creating policy to help these industries is impossible, which is why the tax reliefs and other government initiatives have been pinned to specific sectors such as gaming, film or TV. The issues discussed at Cr8net were reasonably broad and could for the most part be applied to any industry.
I don’t apply a checklist to my clients to ensure they are ‘Creative, if they think or feel they are, then that’s good enough for me.
So what is a creative? Are you a creative?
Still not sure then check out this Nice little post on buzz feed
