Editor’s note: We often get asked by teens (think: high school) who have recently discovered their creativity, “What does it really mean to be a ‘creative’ person?” So we asked our intern, Franchesca Placeres, who has been helping us here at MAS_PC while finishing up high school (Right?! Yea, we know...she’s awesome!), to give us her perspective as a truly creative teenager. Here’s what she had to say. -WD

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You hear it being tossed around 24/7 that thinking creatively or out of the box is something you should work on. But why is it so important? What benefits does it have to those creative souls full of hunger?

Thinking inside the box requires little mental effort and it gets boring after some time; the monotony of not taking risks and often just choosing A, B or C is not really interesting. On the other hand, thinking outside  of the box—striving  to go far and beyond to get solutions and be creative—is far more interesting, fun and ultimately more successful. Out of the box thinkers tend to be innovative and creative. They don't settle for the usual. They enjoy mixing it up. This means enjoying the thought process and appreciating what went through your mind to get to that “out of the box” idea.

People are often asked to look for the correct answer, when in the real world  of leadership and creativity there is rarely a “correct” answer. Creative beings need to focus more on approaching the problem by exploring it on their own terms; learning to be curious and self-reflective people that have a desire to get a deeper understanding.

In today’s society, it’s important that you rewire your brain to improve every day. To mold your own shape instead of just becoming another product of the same “manufacturer.” Aim in the direction that your own unique path follows and see the world from another perspective.

Today, companies are looking for those who will bring something fresh to the table; many people have acquired knowledge but not many are original thinkers. We are no longer in a world where playing it safe is going to get you very far. Sure, in some cases it could, but searching for new ways of doing things—innovating— truly makes the world better. Authenticity is what makes us unique and we have to learn how to walk our own path in order to stand out in a crowd. Truly listen to your own ideas and believe in them.  

Overall, teens are the pioneers of tomorrow and they need to start learning some very important qualities to really lead the charge. Qualities like, ambition, courage, hard work and divergent thinking are used by those who dream big and ultimately drive successful outcomes in the world. Creativity is unique for every person. It’s not just a measure of artistic talent but rather an ability to think differently in every situation. It is crucial that we show the ability we have to express ourselves in different ways, explore the world outside of what we already know and to solve problems using divergent thinking. As teens, it’s important for us to continue to nurture, embrace and refine our raw creative thinking skills—our futures literally depend on it.