Creativity is key. As we have left the Information Age and entered what many have deemed the “Conceptual Age” things have begun to change. For many peoples’ entire lives, the left side of their brain has been hard at work from what seems like the beginning of time. Memorizing arithmetic, mastering logical proofs and attempting to fathom all of the rules that get people far in life is what the left hemisphere of the brain was made to do. Young people today have been told so many times before that if they just stick to the beaten path they will make it big. The sequence is as follows: get good grades in high school, go to a prestigious college, graduate with a useful degree, get a well paying job all the while learning information that they will only remember until they get the passing grade on their transcript and a hefty paycheck in their bank account.
However, it’s time to go out with the old and in with the new. Today being a successful professional is not just defined by wearing a crisp suit and tie, sitting in a blank cubicle, inserting research data into endless excel columns, or watching boring and repetitive power points in a business meeting. Times have changed and are continuing to maneuver in directions that almost no one could have predicted. The time when creativity and imagination were looked down upon is no longer. Move on over analytical reasoning, exactitude, and absolute precision there’s a new guy in town…the right side of our brain.
In his compelling book, A Whole New Mind, Daniel H. Pink presented the idea that the time is now for right brain dominated thinkers to take control of the future. In an interview with Oprah Winfrey, Pink said that “abilities that now matter most are abilities that are characteristic of the right hemisphere [like] artistry, empathy, inventiveness, [and] big picture thinking.” He made it clear that left brain functions are still important but alone they are not enough to be successful in this day and age. His point is that people who are more inclined to think outside of the box and use non-traditional ways of creating ideas have great potential to be in high demand.
Pink’s reasoning for his claim is that “the knowledge worker, the sort of SAT worker [or] the spreadsheet person is seeing his or her abilities be able to get done cheaper overseas, faster by a computer and also be somewhat inadequate.” These type of linear thinking, repetitive, non-creative jobs are quickly being outsourced across seas to places like India and Asia where people are willing to do the same work but for much less. Additionally, Pink simply says that, “now that computers can emulate left-hemisphere skills, we’ll have to rely ever more on our right hemispheres.”
Yet, this is not something to be fearful of. Left brain dominant thinkers don’t need to frantically open their kindergarten finger paints or start playing with moldable clay. Instead, this is something to be celebrated among many. For many years the artists, designers, musicians, and performing artists that have not been taken seriously finally have their big break. It’s their time to shine in the spotlight and help all of the creatively challenged left brain thinkers learn how to bridge the gap between technology and artistry. It’s time for people to start embracing their imaginative, childlike, playful sides.
One company that is a prime example of a combination of both technology and creativity is Google. Just by taking a look at Google’s work environment says something about the employees that work there. An overabundance of colorful bean bag chairs, erasable sketch boards with funny faces drawn on them, indoor slides instead of elevators, and the option to bring dogs to work is proof that even though Googlers may be some of the biggest left sided brainiacs, they know how to be serious and silly at the same time. This is exactly what Pink believes the future needs to look like. A continuation of the left brain still working hard incorporated with a lot more of the right brain’s imagination.
Pink is definitely on to something of significance. The mindset for what it means to be “professional” is in for a major shift as people begin to develop and utilize the right side of their brains more intensively. It’s time to take these right brain abilities seriously people. Instead of going left my friends, go right.
Nicole Younger, Marketing Intern
Daniel Pink Interview with Oprah Winfrey
Revenge of the Right Brain
