When was the last time you did something creative?
If you’re a kid, then the answer is probably, “A minute or two ago.” Kids are unstoppable fonts of creativity. They love to make stuff, they love to pretend, they love to do things that most adults consider, well, childish.
Take coloring, for example. Kids love to color. Give them some crayons and a coloring book, and they get right down to business. For a long time, the idea of adults coloring was suss, as the kids say, unless you were coloring with a child. But as it turned out, adults actually like to color. A lot. The proliferation of “adult” coloring books (which doesn’t mean NSFW coloring books, though those do exist) is proof that grown-ups, when given the opportunity and the permission, still think coloring is cool.
You actually don’t have to look very far to find “kid stuff” for adults: you can buy Ozzy Osbourne and Michael Jackson as Funko Pops, Mattel makes Little People Collector sets of Run DMC and Breaking Bad figures, Super7 makes Outkast and American Psycho action figures. The existence of these items speaks to the fact that a lot of people never grow out of toys. The thing is, though, you’re not supposed to play with any of these things. They’re intended to be kept in the box and gazed upon. Which is a pretty fitting metaphor for adults and creativity.
What happens to creativity as we get older? Do we grow out of it? Or are we just responding to capitalist expectations? Sure, there are creative industries like movies, TV, and video games that generate a lot of money. But most people don’t work in those industries. They work in fields where creativity is not exactly in demand. Maybe James in accounting likes to crochet or Susan in sales paints Dungeons & Dragons miniatures. But those are pursuits that happen on weekends and are separate from what they bring to their day jobs. Plus, they don’t make any money, and if capitalism has taught us anything, it’s that something that doesn’t make money isn’t worth doing. This line of thinking has guided everything from scrapping arts grants to privatizing public education to cutting Medicaid.
But this line of thinking is wrong. Creative activities, besides bringing us joy or calm or a feeling of accomplishment (all good enough reasons on their own, mind you), build important skills that can be used at work. Crochet requires concentration and attention to detail, as does painting miniatures. They also require creative problem solving when a mistake inevitably happens. When you drop a stitch or accidentally start painting your Orc Barbarian Warrior’s axe the wrong color, you have to pivot, adapt, find a way to either salvage the project or, in the worst case scenario, know when it’s time to scrap things and start over. Skills that could help in just about any field.
At The Guerrilla Politic, we know that creativity isn’t just good for the soul, it’s good for business. We’re proud to be a creative agency that is, well, actually creative. Our team doesn’t leave their creativity at the door. When you work with The Guerrilla Politic, you get work informed by painting (Adrienne), DIY home decor (Annie), poetry (D’Anne), music (Holly), jewelry making (Heather), LEGO builds (Nik) and so much more.
Some might say that we’re kids at heart, but that’s not true. We’re all grown-ass adults, but we’re grown-ass adults who know that creativity—along with the curiosity, wonder, and creation that feed it—didn’t evaporate the moment we were old enough to buy a lotto ticket. It’s something that is, and has always been, an intrinsic part of who we are. And we’ve got to admit, it’s pretty awesome to work for a company that not only doesn’t expect us to check our creative selves at the door, but also encourages us to cultivate and grow, knowing that an investment in creativity is an investment in the very work that we do for our clients.
Want to get wild and creative with us? Let’s talk about it. Contact us today.