Develop habits of stretching creatively, and notice how often breakthroughs come "from nowhere".

Human beings are inherently creative. We create throughout our lives. Every time we encounter the unfamiliar, we call upon our creative ability. We draw upon what we know and adjust, innovate, and adapt to what we don't know.

Creative adaptation is a natural and continual process for human beings. Exercising our creativity is also deeply enjoyable. We humans keep choosing to create. We could have stopped with the wheel, or flying buttresses, or the transistor. But we continue to innovate, adjust and discover. We keep asking questions.

Changes require us to think in new ways, to use our creativity. Both organizations and individuals have noticed that change is always with us, and its pace seems to increase with each passing decade. Forward-looking individuals and companies keep their creativity alive and exercised; they keep a hand in the game; they stay in practice.

The artists who create a company use the medium of business meetings, corporate initiatives and reporting structures in the same way that the architect frames a building with beams and trusses. The company's creative endeavors produce products and services that draw an audience just as an orchestral masterwork does.

The individual who creates an artwork of a life uses the materials of choice and non-judgmental assessment, attention and focus. The form is always a work in progress.

Creativity can and should be exercised. You can build up your creative flexibility, stamina, and endurance, and you will be in shape to craft a company, or a leadership role, a joyful life, or fulfilling work. Whether your primary artform is a professional or a personal life, a solo act or an extravaganza with a cast of thousands, consider creating a masterpiece.

Read Jan's biography.