from make-believe to must-achieve: how adulting killed our creativity
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part 3 (of 5):

The Professional Spillover of Personal Creativity Scarcity

But First, Here's What We Know:
Recap of Part 2 (of 5): the 4 life stages of creativity
  1. Creativity means different things to different people, but one thing is undeniable - it's an essential life skill that everyone possesses - It just must be nurtured
  2. There are 4 life stages of creativity, and creativity manifests itself differently in each: formative, conformative (where the adult creativity recession starts), explorative, and restorative
  3. Taking a creativity assessment is a great way to understand and increase creativity at any stage
black man working on laptopblack man working on laptop
This essay is a resounding wake-up call making people everywhere question everything – and finally take action on executing the ideas that matter.
part 3 (of 5): The Professional Spillover of Personal Creativity Scarcity

Reality Check 3 - Our lack of creativity and purpose in our personal lives ultimately bleeds into our professional lives.

I wholeheartedly believe there is something - well, many things - fundamentally wrong with the way work works.

There's been a quiet revolution brewing within me for over a decade - a deep, resonant call to reimagine how we experience work. A call to rediscover our authentic selves in spaces that have long demanded we shrink, conform, and silence our creativity.

I’ve felt even deeper, a call to empower Visionaries to create our own spaces and businesses that embody who we are and the work style we excel in, while simultaneously creating meaningful change in society - hence why this company exists.

As An Introvert

As a creative introvert, I've felt the toll of corporate cultures that reward a single, narrow definition of success. These environments don't just ask us to dress alike or speak the corporate lingo—they demand we change our natural personalities.

What they fail to realize is that creativity isn't a uniform to be worn; it's a living, breathing essence that pulses through us.

Every time an introvert is told to be louder, more aggressive, more "visible," we lose something profound. We lose the beauty of deep thinking, of careful reflection, of innovations that emerge from quiet contemplation. The corporate world often mistakes volume for value, and extroversion for expertise.

I have been asked verbatim, “Has anyone ever told you that your lack of speaking up sometimes can be mistaken for not being knowledgeable?”  But our differences aren't deficiencies.  Our quiet contemplation, nuanced perspectives, and our ability to effectively listen are actually our greatest strengths!
DeAnna McIntosh, Motivational Speaker presenting to an audience at a summitDeAnna McIntosh, Motivational Speaker presenting to an audience at a summit

As A Small Business Owner

As a small business owner for more than a decade, I’ve seen the entrepreneurial landscape change, especially since the explosion of the online infopreneur scene.  However recently I’ve seen increasing numbers of businesses shutting down, owners taking sabbaticals to “find themselves”, and owners rebranding their businesses into something totally different.  This is due to so many people starting businesses without purpose and intention, signing up for webinars and joining coaching programs with promises of 6-figure months and 7-figure years if they follow that Coach’s exact methods - even if the operations behind their methods don’t align with their own values or vision for their life.

You can look at the multitude of entrepreneurs online at any given time, and simply see a sea of sameness.

Same message, same brand colors, same sales pages and sales funnels, same sales strategies (webinars where you can count down to the sales pitch anyone?).  Where is the depth?  Where is the purpose? Where is the impact?
Entrepreneurs are hitting 7-figures and it suddenly hits them that the business they’ve built doesn’t actually feel good.  And that “success” they achieved.....doesn't actually feel like a success because they got an epiphany that success is more than making money.
DeAnna McIntosh, Innovation Consultant reviewing a new product launchDeAnna McIntosh, Innovation Consultant reviewing a new product launch
what's at stake:

This isn't just about workplace or business dynamics. It's about human potential.

We're sacrificing creativity, diversity of thought, and personal authenticity at the altar of corporate compliance and the entrepreneurial rat race (or shall we say, “Scaling to 7 figures”).

We're creating workplaces and businesses that breed stagnation instead of innovation. When people are constantly pressured to conform and rapidly perform, radical thinking ultimately dies.  We move from potential breakthrough moments to incremental, safe improvements.  We will discuss the harmful effects of this later in the essay.
The real work ahead is reimagining how we value human beings - not as replaceable resources, but as complex, multifaceted individuals with unique contributions to make.
The real work after starting a business is staying true to your vision and impact you were purposed to make - and not succumbing to the ever-changing pressures and trends of what the social-media-successful entrepreneurs say you’re a failure if you are not doing.

The revolution begins when we dare to show up fully, unapologetically ourselves and use our creativity to spark change to these broken life systems, and build our lives and work centered around purpose and impact.

Creativity: A Buzzword Prevalent in Job Descriptions But Absent From Job Tasks

In today's job market, "creativity" has become a meaningless buzzword in job descriptions.  Let's talk about what's really going on here. Companies are constantly promoting positions, promising prospective employees the chance to "think outside the box," "bring fresh perspectives," and "generate innovative solutions." Yet once they’ve signed that offer letter and settled into their ergonomic chair, they quickly discover that the only creative thinking required is finding new ways to communicate your strict compliance to established procedures and existing frameworks in your weekly status reports.
The disconnect between promised creativity and actual job reality is both far-reaching and problematic. That revolutionary marketing campaign you envisioned? It needs to match last quarter's template. That game-changing product feature you designed? It has to fit within the existing framework that's been in place for a decade. The truth is, many organizations say they want creativity, but what they really want is comfortable predictability wrapped in exciting vocabulary. They are looking for what I call performative creativity - someone who can color within the lines while convincingly talking about thinking outside them.
What makes this corporate creativity bait-and-switch especially ironic is how genuinely valuable real creative thinking could be in these roles. In an era where AI is mastering routine tasks and market conditions are constantly evolving, actual creative problem-solving is more crucial than ever. "Sorry, that's not how we've always done it." has become a phrase so common it's practically written into company handbooks.
Cake Designer decoratingCake Designer decorating

We need to delete this concept of “creative jobs”

Every Job Is Creative

The notion of "creative jobs" has largely contributed to the misunderstanding of what creativity is and what it means in the workplace.   Any job can be a canvas for creativity, and when we pigeonhole creativity into specific job categories, we're essentially telling the accountant who creates brilliant new efficiency systems or the plumber who engineers innovative pipe solutions that their creativity somehow doesn't count.

Every Role Involves Creativity

The graphic designer working in tech might be using the same creative problem-solving muscles as the operations manager who reorganizes warehouse flow, yet we only view one of these two people as "creative". This mindset not only diminishes the innovative potential in every role but also leaves some employees discouraged from thinking outside the box only because their job title doesn't include the words "designer," "artist," or "creative."
Every professional role – from engineering to manual trades to business owner to corporate management – requires creative thinking to solve complex challenges, improve processes, and drive meaningful progress.

Urgency-to-Solution Versus Space to Ideate and Innovate

One of my favorite quotes in the office (and my Managers can attest to this) “If everything’s a priority, then nothing’s a priority.” by Frank Sonnenberg, because it helps us to come back down to Earth in high stress environments to prioritize what truly needs to be done and responded to immediately.

I do think there are times when time and pressure can ignite creativity (and creativity Researcher Teresa Amabile discovered this herself in her latter years of research), for example when sales are tanking and we have to quickly determine why and create a path to course correct.  But I would argue that even with that, if we aren't given ample time to let our ideas incubate, we may have sparked creativity but we won't get to see the full greatness of it.

The reason being is that your first idea is never your most original.

man with piano looking out the windowman with piano looking out the window

Think back to the last time you had an AHA moment where something brilliant popped into your head. Were you in a brainstorming session purposefully trying to come up with it, or were you washing dishes or taking a shower (or anything else random) and it came to you seemingly out of nowhere?

(I hope you stopped in your tracks and wrote it down in a notebook)

This is because when we have ideas, we write them down physically or mentally, and then walk away from them.  During our “away” period our brains are still subconsciously building on them, pulling from our past experiences and everything else stored inside our brains to generate fresh solutions.  This is called incubation, or letting your ideas “marinate”.

In demanding, pressure-cooker work environments, there is no time for marination.  Cut open the food packaging, throw it onto the stove and make something of it as quickly as you can - and then companies wonder why it’s so difficult for them to generate breakthrough innovation.  It’s also why entrepreneurs find it so hard to spend ample time in the Visionary part of their role because they spend so much of their daily workload putting out constant fires.  This should be the first sign that there’s something misaligned with the business structure and operation.

urgency to solution results in:

Incremental vs. radical innovation

Another way to look at this urgency to solution issue is through the lens of incremental versus radical innovation.  Sure, as we work on products, projects and teams, there are obvious improvements that we see can be made, to increase quality, efficiency, usefulness, competitiveness, customer service, and so forth, but the keyword here is obvious.

Obvious improvements are what can be called incremental innovation.  But the industry-disrupting, revenue-ceiling breaking inventions or enhancements are called radical innovation.

It's those concepts that fundamentally shift the way things have been done, or even more disruptive - create an entire niche of their own.

These radically innovative ideas aren’t created by someone who is given a problem to solve by the 5pm deadline.  Or by a business owner who has to make payroll next month and needs to come up with a quick way to generate more revenue.

These kinds of ideas develop over time, and then require extended time and space to implement - neither of which is typically provided in the urgency culture most of us operate in.

To achieve radical innovation, companies have to be radically intentional about cultivating creativity throughout their culture, and providing the ideal environment and innovation management systems for that creativity to expand and convert into a tangible product or solution.

This lack of revolutionary innovation is what I call an Ideas Desert, which we’ll break down in the next page of this essay.

let's talk about it

Sterile Work Environments

Before we move on to the next page, there's one more thing that I’d be remiss to not bring up - the gross lack of creativity in many physical work environments.
I would love to know whose brilliant idea it was to design large office spaces as a sea of grey confinement cubicles nestled under harsh fluorescent lighting, oftentimes with limited natural light available?
Were they alluding to what this type of work environment would feel like?
prison
What’s also interesting is that our schools and classrooms have striking similarities to jail as well, with their cinderblock walls, some having no windows, and sterile color palettes.
grey conference room with white chairsgrey conference room with white chairs
grey cubiclesgrey cubicles

Make Small Changes To Increase Your Creativity

The physical environment we work or ideate in plays an essential role in either nurturing or hindering creativity. Research demonstrates that elements like natural light, plants, and a balance between order and flexibility can transform a stale space into one that promotes creative thinking. If you look at modern coworking spaces like Wework, they’re intentionally abundant with these elements. Even making small changes, like moving your desk near a window or incorporating natural elements into your space, can significantly impact your creative output and mental clarity throughout the day.

Use The 5 Senses To Design an Inspiring Space

Experiment with different things to find what works best for you. An easy way to do this is to look at your workspace from the perspective of the five senses - do you work better with jazz music on or binaural beats (highly recommend using for periods of extreme concentration)?  Does burning a candle help you relax and focus, and if so, what scents are best for which types of work?  What visually stimulates your creativity - paint colors, certain types of art, etc.?  You would be surprised how the quality and originality of your work improves when you curate your workspace to reflect your unique creative needs. When done right, you can physically feel your energy shift when you walk into it.

Determine What Elements You Want To Incorporate

On the flip side, environments overwhelmed with distractions can severely impair creative thinking and productivity. The constant phone or instant message notifications, meetings that could’ve been an email, and workplace noise can make it nearly impossible to focus on creative tasks. For me to be my most creative, my desk has to be neatly organized and clean, candle burning, and natural light with greenery around.  I also have to have multiple forms of notetaking available to hold the different types of ideas I could come up with during a session. Sticky notes, notepads, digital innovation tools like Miro, a dry erase board, and a paper flip chart is an example of what I have surrounding me in a deep ideation session.
The key is to find the right balance for your personal work style – whether that means establishing a dedicated quiet space for focused work or setting specific times when you put your phone on do not disturb to minimize digital interruptions. Creating boundaries and optimizing your physical space will make a substantial difference in your capacity to think creatively and produce meaningful work.
let's recap:

We’ve walked through how suppressing creativity in our personal lives and compartmentalizing it in our professional lives has left us unfulfilled, frustrated, and searching for “more”.

The key insights on the next page explain what has actually happened to our ideas in the midst of these systems that we work and live in failing us.
up next: part 4 (of 5)

The Creative Paradox = Idea Deserts and Idea Hoarding

Continue on to Part 4
Head back to Part 2

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    Idea-to-Execution Strategist

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    We're In What I'm Calling The Great Adult Creativity Recession
    Read the breakthrough essay making people everywhere question everything – and finally take action on executing their ideas that matter.
    Visioning Shouldn't Be Confined To Annual Vision Board Parties
    Instead of making vision boards (too big picture and unactionable) or 5-year plans (too rigid and inflexible), we should make purpose prototypes.
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