Art. Science. Business. Sports. Medicine. At their core, these things are all about progress. Sure there are those who enter business for the money, art for the fame, sports for the trophies, and science for the…I don’t know, beakers. But what the truly great artists, athletes, doctors, and CEOs are most concerned with is progress.

The great artist is constantly pushing to challenge convention, advance his specific form, and have his voice heard in a whole new way.

The star athlete dreams of new, more effective ways of playing the game she loves so that the sport might become more competitive and exciting.

The executive knows that business cannot be conducted today the same way it was when his father was in charge of the company. He must adapt and change with the times.

The scientist runs thousands of experiments without ever finding the “right” answer. Her experiments have failed every time, but she has collected pages full of data, which is just as valuable to the research. She hasn’t yet succeeded, but she is inching her way closer every day.

The point of all this? If progress is the goal, then creativity is the starting line. Creativity is the root from which progress springs forth. No advancement has ever been made in the history of the world apart from the human mind first sparking some form of creativity. This may sound like an extremely generalized statement, but I believe it’s true.

If we want to see progress in our specific industries, if we want to be great, and do great things, then it’s time to get creative.