We often talk about creativity as a talent — something some people “have” and others don’t.
But what if creativity is less about talent… and more about development?
Specifically, vertical development.
Vertical development is about expanding how we think — increasing our capacity to hold complexity, ambiguity, and multiple perspectives. It’s not just about learning more; it’s about seeing differently.
And creativity is one of the most powerful ways we do exactly that.
Creativity is powerful work
When we engage in creative work, we disrupt our habitual thinking. We step outside linear logic and into exploration. We experiment. We imagine alternatives. We hold ideas and thoughts lightly instead of trying to control them.
In short, we stretch and flex our view of the world and what is possible — which is the essence of vertical growth.
But here’s the part we often overlook:
Creativity is uncomfortable.
Creativity is uncomfortable
To truly create, you have to give yourself:
- Space to explore without immediate answers
- Permission to produce something imperfect
- Acceptance of the unpleasant feeling that come when not everything “works”
That means facing:
- Failure — the uncomfortable emotions of guilt, embarrassment, disappointment, frustration or powerlessness when you don’t succeed
- Judgment — the raging castigations from your inner critic’s harshest voice that you are not up to the task
- Uncertainty — the thoughts and feelings associated with not knowing if you’re on the “right” track
And most of us are conditioned to avoid all three.
Which is why creativity is such a powerful developmental practice.
Vertically developed creativity
Every time you choose to stay with the discomfort — to keep exploring, to keep making, to keep questioning — you’re doing more than being creative.
You’re increasing your capacity to choose to:
- Sit with ambiguity and the possibility you may be wrong
- Stay open to uncomfortable feelings in the face of challenge
- Maintain your presence in the here and now, rather than the past or future
That’s vertical development in action.
So perhaps the invitation isn’t to “be more creative” in a performative sense —but to use creativity as a space for growth.
Because when you create, you’re not just shaping ideas.
You’re reshaping how you turn up in and engage with the world.
#VerticalDevelopment #Creativity #LeadershipGrowth #Learning #Mindset
If you are curious about creativity, come along to our Unjudged event “Can Creativity be trained? Lessons from a broken cassette, at 1pm (BST) on May 12 2026. Register here for this 60 minute online event: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/Tv5xcAgRQHme1NjitKXZFA
