Written by Dian Velkov - ARC NWC Programme Administrator

I remember how around this time last year I was writing my first-ever blog for the ARC NWC project titled “NIHR ARC NWC – Beyond Health Research” which was all about my experience at my first-ever conference. I joined the team only a few months ago but the project has already offered me the opportunity to invest in myself (not in a business way) but in a self-growth way – by training, upskilling, and networking. The conference I attended then, “Innovation Explorer”, was the 8th event in the series and that year’s topic was “Think Further” focusing on what the future world would look like in the near future but you can read more about this in the article.

Now, one year later, I once again had the opportunity to “buy” some time for self-development and attend the D-Congress in Sweden. This year’s theme was “Profitable creativity – the ability to apply creative thinking to drive better results”. The title of the article is the same because the project once again proved it is truly beyond health research by constantly investing in employees who have nothing to do with research.

Now looking at the conference, profitable creativity is not about making a profit by being more creative but rather how you as an individual and as part of an organisation can profit with the ability to apply creative thinking to drive better results…

And I’m happy to say that the conference did not disappoint! Over the course of the two days, I heard from a variety of speakers about all the different aspects of creativity. We talked about ways to overcome creative blocks, how to generate new ideas, how to make our work more relevant and engaging for our audiences, and much more. It was an incredibly rich and informative experience, and I came away from it feeling inspired and motivated to start applying those tools in my work.

Some of the topics covered the importance of the 4-day work week and its benefits such as increased productivity levels, happier employees, better mental health, more time to recharge, and higher creativity levels. Another speaker talked about the importance of having a physical presence in a digital world where marketing creativity can help you move mountains. Danielle LaPorte, the author of “The Fire Starter Sessions” and “The Desire Map”, talked about using creativity to tap into your true desires and then pursuing them with passion. She also highlighted that making money should never be the sole focus of the creative endeavor. There was also plenty of free food which is always a bonus (even though the menu was vegetarian only).

At the end of the day, however, it’s all about you as an individual and how you feel being where you are and doing what you are doing. I have always received the full support of the ARC NWC project encouraging me to always work the way I enjoy it and the way I can get the most out of it. As Warren Buffett said, “The best investment you can make, is an investment in yourself” – and the way I interpret this is putting in the time, money, and energy into improving your current and future life (in any aspect). I am proud to be part of this project and this organisation and would be forever in debt for their commitment to me.

I will now finish the blog with a quote from my Communications Manager, “We don’t need to make a profit at ARC but would like to profit from your new creativity!”

Stay tuned.