Creativity is within us all – but no, it isn’t a muscle

Creativity matters — even in B2B. 

Need convincing? Our CEO Debby Penton makes a great case In her article for PR Moment. 

Here she dispels the myth that creativity is irrelevant in B2B contexts. Even the most rational of professionals — be they IT directors, CFOs, or developers — are driven by emotional and instinctive responses before they even begin to weigh the facts. Our brains — yes, even yours — rely heavily on emotional cues when making decisions and so creativity is crucial to successful PR campaigns

But don’t just take our word for it! Here’s a favourite quote of mine by Albert Einstein: “Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.”

While this quote is often misunderstood and taken out of context, Einstein is pointing out that it’s imagination — creativity — that allows us to push boundaries, see beyond the obvious, and create something truly remarkable. And while not everyone can claim to have a University Challenge level of knowledge in their brains, everyone has an imagination and so everyone can be creative. 

Creativity exists in countless ways — whether it’s the initial idea that sets a project in motion, the clever twist that gives it a unique flair, or the creative and detailed planning that ensures the final product is robust, credible, and achieves its goals.

In short, creativity is not just a strategic tool for marketers but an innate quality within us all. 

And it’s not just about the flashy, bold ideas we often associate with the term — the Mona Lisa, Coco Chanel, or the Jaguar E-type. You may be thinking that you’re not a creative person so this isn’t exactly relevant to you. I, we, are happy to challenge that view. Each of us has something valuable to contribute to the creative process.

Creativity is NOT a muscle

Many professionals and scholars will say that creativity is a muscle. I don’t believe this is the case.

Unlike skills such as writing, designing, painting, or even hitting a golf ball, creativity is not a muscle that requires constant exercise. You don’t need to ‘practice’ being creative in the traditional sense. In fact, you could theoretically have one brilliant creative thought in your entire working life and it would still make a significant impact.

Creativity isn’t about the frequency of ideas — it’s about their quality and relevance when they do arise. 

The creative process requires a supportive environment where imagination can flourish. One where ideas are respected and given the chance to grow. So we must try to cherish creativity, nurture it, and allow it to thrive. 

That’s the environment we’ve created within Wildfire. We know that inside each of us lies the potential for extraordinary ideas that can shape our work, our industry — or even our world.

Industrial-grade creativity

Now let’s narrow it down a bit and focus on the B2B tech stuff that we work on for the majority of our clients. How is creativity relevant to anything we do for them?

Here, it’s all about joining the dots in ways that others might not see. For example, finding a way of taking something as familiar and consumer-focused as a vending machine and using it to explain a complex digital SaaS service — as we did with Bango. 

It’s about breaking away from the expected, to create something memorable and effective.

However, having a creative idea is just the beginning. The real challenge lies in turning that idea into reality, which is where the creative process comes in. This process is about reconciling that initial spark of inspiration with objective assessment and practical outcomes — what we might call industrial-grade creativity.

It’s not always straightforward. The process is often complex and can be incredibly frustrating.

You’ll have heard of — and likely experienced — creative block. Sometimes it isn’t even you that gets in the way. It could be a colleague or client, or other circumstances like having too little time, limited budget, or even rain, cancelled trains, or traffic. But it’s through this process that ideas are refined, strengthened, and brought to life.

We need to give the process every opportunity to thrive. In the next blog (stay tuned), Ben Smith, our Strategy Director, talks about how that creative process is managed at Wildfire, and shares some proof that what we do works. 

And why it’s also a whole heap of fun to be a part of.