As a child, I was a voracious reader. Many a summer vacation was spent with my nose buried in storybooks.

As I grew a little older, I began to enjoy writing. I had a vivid imagination and would scribble down little poems and short stories.

When I started working in the corporate world, I was excited to be able to write again. Unfortunately, though, I couldn’t conjure up tales of fantasy and adventure when I was expected to write a report for a client or make a PowerPoint presentation about business strategy!

However, I do believe that all the creative writing practice I had had, helped me at my corporate job.

Practising creative writing can help in the following ways:

1. You get better at thinking up alternatives.

When you write fiction or your perspective on a topic, your mind is running free. It learns to come up with ideas, thoughts and suggestions, some of which may even be ‘whacky’ or out-of-the-box.

You’re basically creating something new – either a story out of thin air or a new point of view. With a little practice, you get better at coming up with alternative perspectives and approaches to a situation, which can be a great help at work.

2. You get better at taking ownership.

When you’re writing a creative piece, you’re the narrator and the protagonist in your story. You’re the proverbial knight in shining armour, or, at the very least, the creator of the knight in shining armour!

At work, this translates into taking initiative. You’re better at approaching problems, tackling them head-on and coming up with possible solutions.

3. You can create a well-structured narrative.

Creative writing is a very helpful exercise in arranging and organising your thoughts. It develops communication skills. Writing requires an engaging introduction, well-constructed and coherent paragraphs, and a strong conclusion that ties everything together.

This improves your clarity of thought, attention to detail, ability to observe, notice patterns and connect the dots.

4. Your mind is constantly full of ideas.

Creativity breeds creativity. The more you feed your imagination, the better you get at ideating, visualizing and creating.

Brainstorming sessions at work will never be the same again. Your mind will be full of ideas, thinking faster and sharper, proposing breakthrough ideas and original thoughts.

Practising creative writing regularly will help you become a better problem solver, a self-starter, a critical, creative and original thinker, all of which are, in my opinion, extremely valuable skills.