Career
As Bill Gates said: "Life becomes much more fun if you approach challenges creatively." Being able to think outside the box – as opposed to mindlessly following established processes and rules – is increasingly important in the modern world. Businesspeople are usually thought to be more pragamatic than imaginative. However, when they demonstrate critical thinking and creativity in solving problems, professional success and career advancement are almost certainly guaranteed. Here we will learn more about balancing work and hobbies from Yulia Sadovodova, Head of Sales to Project Clients and German and Austrian Focus Markets.
She is convinced that each of us is born creative, as creativity is inherent in nature. A person is an artistic being that, when born, brings something new and unique to the world with the creative process. This could be a picture, a melody, a knitted scarf, a salad, or a political scandal. As a person ages, it may seem that society tends to discourage creativity. But this is not the case. You just need to find "your" creativity. It may not necessarily be drawing, music, or dancing. Creativity happens when you don’t think too hard about something; when it flows from you naturally. And this applies to any area of life.
Yulia Sadovodova
“I can't imagine a day without creativity. This is already part of how I think and live. I have been drawing since childhood. I was inspired by my mother, who was good at drawing. There’s still a photo album at home decorated with her drawings. Each page has its own illustration. Between the ages of 10-12, I was strongly inspired by fashion TV series and began to sketch endless quantities of clothes for paper dolls. My creativity never completely stops, but it has cooled off a little in the past. Recently it has warmed up. I paint with watercolors, acrylics, gouache, ink, markers, and pencils. Each technique gives a different sensation, and my choice depends on my mood.
At one point, I realize that I never meet ugly women. In every woman's face I find something beautiful to me, even if it is a bold departure from common norms and sensibilities. Therefore, I like to draw women most of all. These are portraits, fashion illustrations, and caricature-style sketches that give you widely recognizable characteristics!
I draw every day. I think about combining my job and hobbies in terms of a quote from the novel ‘The Twelve Chairs:’ “In the morning – money, in the evening – chairs.”
I work during the day, draw at night, and sleep during breaks. I once participated in the Fashion Alphabet illustration marathon. Every day I drew a fashion sketch of a designer or brand beginning with the next letter of the alphabet. At that particular time, I was away on a business trip for two weeks. Sometimes I thought that I could not cope with everything and would have to give up. Sometimes I had to draw on the plane, sometimes at night with my eyes closed. But at the end it turned out cool!”
Drawing – even for 15 minutes a day – can shift attention away from work-related issues and fight fatigue by putting you on another wavelength. It feels like you are being switched to another channel. According to scientists, at this moment the other hemisphere of the brain is working. As a result, you rest and recover faster. This approach helps solve issues of any level of complexity. It helps build an overall picture of the situation with information perceived and processed "from all sides".
“I love the lectures of Professor Tatyana Chernigovskaya and the story that in ancient China, future rulers, military leaders, and the elite were taught calligraphy and poetry. Calligraphy involves motor skills that activate and develop other areas of the brain. And for a future strategist, poetry is extremely important way to practice thinking beyond templates – unexpectedly and unpredictably, to devise and execute a plan that others would not think of.
Creativity helps you switch your thought patterns. It is a powerful way to meditate and work through your accumulated emotions, feelings, and experiences. I recommend introducing creative master classes as a “must have” in every workplace in order to develop each employee’s creative and innovative thinking capabilities and at the same time relieve stress.
