With 14 years experience in advertising, marketing and communications, the one thing that has remained consistent is my deep passion for - and belief in creativity. From a very early age I’ve appreciated how this seemingly innate, human skill can be so incredibly powerful. I’ve marveled countless times at its ability to transform human behaviors, no matter the complexity. Through creative thinking and problem solving I’ve learnt a lot about people. What they want vs what they need, when and how to approach them, when to engage and build a relationship but most importantly, when to stop, listen and learn. Communication, no matter the form, is creativity at its core. In a world of disruptive technologies, creativity has proven itself to be a fundamental skill that continues to remain relevant through times of uncertainty. This changes how the creative community is perceived, plucking us out of “our place” to stand side by side with many other professions. Creative problem solving has indeed got the power to change perceptions at scale, influence group behaviors and simplify complex human challenges, making it a valuable tool to any industry. If we truly want to serve humans with creative thinking, we need to first come to terms with the lack of balance in many of our communication/ marketing strategies and counter that imbalance by truly placing the human/ customer/ user/ consumer/ student in the center of it all. At the end of the day people don’t respond unless you can make them feel something, and that is the golden thread that creativity produces. It is also a thread I am most familiar with, and one I enjoy spending my time sowing into my strategies.