“Serious people have few ideas.” Ramp up the fun.

Google office in Zurich. Looks pretty creative to me.

Ask yourself this:  How many wildly creative companies have you either visited, read about, or learned about on a TV program that didn’t mandate a fun atmosphere?

The answer is easy:  None.

What are the companies most known for creativity?  Apple and Pixar.  Google.  Facebook.  Those jump to mind, yes?

Ever peeked inside and gotten a look at their work environment?  I think we would all agree that they look like fun places to work.

This, in turn, means that they are productive and creative places to work.

In his book, “How to Get Ideas,” author Jack Foster says that successful people in creative jobs are not enjoying themselves because they are getting ideas.  They are getting ideas because they are enjoying themselves.  Philosopher and poet Paul Valery says, “Serious people have few ideas.  People with ideas are never serious.”

The bottom line?  If you are in a line of work that requires you to be creative on a regular basis, you should work — consciously and purposefully — at having fun.