What is the difference between creativity and innovation?

With the technological changes happening every day and the speed at which they occur, the concepts of creativity and innovation become necessary to achieve success in any project. The problem lies in the fact that, generally, when presented together, we tend to confuse them. April 21st marks World Creativity and Innovation Day, and what better date than this to highlight the differences between both terms?

The concepts of creativity and innovation

Historically, creativity and innovation have been linked to generate effective business strategies. For this reason, it is assumed that when an entrepreneur offers a unique value proposition to the market and it proves effective, it is because they possess both creative and innovative qualities.

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Well, although many people consider both terms to be synonymous, it is worth noting that there are differences between them, even if they are subtle. But, to understand what sets one apart from the other, it is necessary to know the characteristics that define the notions of creativity and innovation.

What is creativity?

Creativity creativity is defined as the process we use when employing our imagination to create. It is a mental skill used to imagining and creating new ideas, in other words, sparking the birth of something novel. All human beings have creative potential, and encouraging it will help it grow. This close relationship between creativity and imagination is what sparks the connections that lead to new ideas (though these can also relate to existing ones and serve to improve them). Furthermore, according to the World Economic Forum, creativity is considered one of the three most valued skills for a professional, along with problem-solving and creative thinking.

Once the concept of creativity is understood, innovationcomes into play.

What is innovation?

As the word itself suggests, innovation is a process by which something new is created. Innovating consists of the act of applying new ideas to enhance value for a company, an organization, or society in general. In a business context, innovation is a new or improved product, service, or process. We have often heard that a project is innovative, meaning it breaks with something that was pre-established or that no one had considered doing differently. We can see the importance of innovation for any type of businessevery day, with innovators being the most successful. But innovation is not just a productive process for solving a problem or need through creative ideas; this solution must also be sustainable over time and generate results. Some of the fields where innovation is applied can be linked to the incorporation of new technologies, the creation of new products, the improvement of existing processes, and infinite other options. Innovation is usually a response to market changes, and it is not only useful for ideas, products, services, or business concepts, but also when it comes to adapting to change and find a better business structure, something fundamental in the society we live in, which is in constant change and experiencing rapid technological advances.

So, why are creativity and innovation confused?

Before discussing the differences between the two terms, it is important to understand why they are related and what their similarities are—the common ground that links them and often causes them to be indistinguishable.

Without creativity, there is no innovation

It is impossible to have a revolutionary idea without at least a trace of creativity. To have any innovative idea, it is necessary to draw on imagination and creative thinking (which is the core of original ideas). So, we can deduce that innovation requires creativity for those ideas to emerge.

Imagination as the common ground between creativity and innovation

Imagination represents the central axis from which both terms stem; a good idea cannot be conceived if it cannot be imagined. Therefore, creative and innovative capacity start from the same point.

New ideas are the result

As we mentioned earlier, the function of creativity and the function of innovation is to bring new ideas into the real world. Whether they are business ideas or functional matters, innovation is achievable thanks to the application of creative ideas.

Differences between creativity and innovation

Once we have understood the meaning of both terms and their similarities, we are ready to see how they differ.

• While creativity focuses on generating new ideas, innovation is responsible for the execution of those ideas to create value.
• Creativity is an imaginative process and innovation is a productive process.
• Creativity is the use of imagination to create a methodology, product, or service, while innovation is the implementation of those processes into a business model or project.
• Creativity is subjective and, therefore, cannot be measuredInnovation, on the other hand, is completely measurable according to the defined objectives. Thus, when a product or service is modified or updated, there will be repercussions for customers and business operations that will make it possible to see the success of the innovation process.
• Creativity requires no monetary investment; it is a process that arises within the mind and, therefore, does not imply an economic expense, whereas innovation does.
• Creativity has no set deadlines. Innovation, by contrast, is subject to the needs of the product or project.
• The risk presented by creativity (or being creative) is practically non-existent; when proposing an idea or suggesting a change in trend from a different perspective, there is no major drawback if it does not turn out the way it was envisioned. Innovation, for its part, involves a certain risk in the event that the project or idea you decide to implement doesn't work out.

However, we shouldn't forget that results can be more effective if you spend time stimulating creativity and innovation. We all have latent creativity within us, so here are our proposals for cultivating your innovative and creative side: take risks and try new things, define achievable goals and objectives, embrace multiple perspectives, gather different points of view, and question everything—never take anything for granted! And if this topic interests you and you want to learn even more, that's not all! Don't miss the latest episode about creativity, innovation, and ideas of the Santalucía Impulsa podcast, where Carolina Rodríguez, Strategic Designer Lead and Co-founder at Spinoff, joins us to dive into this topic and share insights from her extensive experience.