Why you should embrace your first pancake, and other lessons. The nine habits of highly creative engineers

Creativity isn’t a rare ability reserved for a select few. It’s a muscle that gets stronger the more you use it. It’s a practice, a way of thinking, a process of refinement. Let go of perfectionism, trust in your instincts, and dive headfirst into the unknown.

In Structural Engineering, technical rigor and safety are, obviously, paramount, and it's easy to assume that creativity can and should be left to the Architect. But it’s precisely the opposite; creativity is a driving force in structural engineering. What sets apart the most innovative engineers isn’t their encyclopaedic knowledge of theory, but their ability to think flexibly, make unconventional choices, and push boundaries.

1.       Harness Dissatisfaction

As engineers, we’re taught to strive for solutions, but creativity often begins in a place of dissatisfaction. This "creative discontent" is the itch that refuses to be ignored, the awareness that something isn't quite right, and the belief that a better solution exists. It’s dissatisfaction, but it’s not destructive. Paired with immersion in the problem and a process of constructive critique, dissatisfaction becomes fuel for innovative breakthroughs. Instead of being passive in your frustration, dive deeper, stay immersed in the problem, look at it from every angle, and invite critique. Great ideas are born from this process. The creative engineer is relentlessly curious and willing to look beyond the obvious.

"Engineering is not a science. Science studies particular events to find general laws. Engineering design makes use of the laws to solve particular practical problems. In this it is more closely related to art or craft."

Ove Arup

 2.       See the Good in the Bad

Creative people see potential where others see problems. Curiosity drives this mindset. Instead of focusing on constraints or failures, the creative engineer finds opportunity in every challenge. The key here is to recognise that no problem is inherently bad, it’s a puzzle waiting to be solved. In any moment, you have the power to choose how you see things. Pay attention to the stories you tell yourself and focus on the ones that empower you. Creativity is about making conscious choices, embracing uncertainty, and trusting in your own ability to navigate the unknown.

"If I weren't an optimist, it would be impossible to be an Architect"

Sir Norman Foster

3.       Technical Ability is Overrated

While technical skill is necessary, creativity flows from instinct, not theory. You don't need to wait until you're 'qualified' to start innovating. As George Bernard Shaw put it, “The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself”. It’s an idea that rings true in engineering: don’t wait for full mastery of a subject before letting your creativity take the lead. Some of the greatest innovations in engineering arose not from someone meticulously applying rules but from someone who wasn’t afraid to break them. Instincts, intuition, and a willingness to experiment can be just as valuable as knowledge.

“Engineering is the art of modelling materials we do not wholly understand, into shapes we cannot precisely analyse so as to withstand forces we cannot properly assess, in such a way that the public has no reason to suspect the extent of our ignorance.”

Dr A R Dykes

4.       Creativity is a Muscle, Not a Gift

It’s tempting to view creativity as a rare talent, something you either have or don’t. But creativity is a skill that can be trained, nurtured, and developed like any other. It’s a set of cognitive and practical procedures that designers use in the process of creating something new. Sketch, prototype, fail, learn, refine. Every iteration strengthens that creative muscle. The more you practice, the more fluent you become.

“You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.”

Maya Angelou

5.       Perfectionism is the Enemy

If there’s one belief that stifles creativity, it’s perfectionism. Perfection is a moving target, so it’s never truly attainable, and waiting for it will paralyse you. Think of your first pancake. It’s always crap, but that’s part of the process. Creativity isn’t about getting it right first time, it’s about getting it done. Finished beats perfect by a country mile. Let go of your ego. Creativity thrives when you let it flow. Make waves, disrupt the status quo, and worry about refining it later. If no one’s disagreeing with you, you’re playing it too safe.

"Have no fear of perfection - you'll never reach it."

Salvador Dali

6.       Confidence Creates, Doubt Destroys

This is where belief comes in. Creativity requires confidence, not in the outcome, but in the process. Doubt destroys the flow of ideas. The job of a creative engineer is to get the ideas out there, not to judge their worth before they’ve even had a chance to evolve. Trust in the process and go forward with blind faith that something good will happen.

"The magic is not in the analysing or the understanding. The magic lives in the wonder of what we do not know."

Rick Rubin

7.       Simplicity: Less is More

Hans Hoffman’s advice is spot on: “the ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak” The best solutions are often the simplest. Overcomplicating things is a trap engineers fall into all too easily. Streamline your ideas. Find the core of the problem and focus your energy there.

"Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away"

Antoine de Saint-Exupery

8.       Embrace Your Mistakes & Innovate Quickly

We’re human, and so are our projects. Mistakes will happen. But mistakes are lessons in disguise. Allow your projects to reflect the imperfections of the human experience. The faster you move past perfectionism and allow yourself to make errors, the quicker you’ll innovate. Mistakes teach us where to focus our efforts. Play, experiment, and give yourself permission to fail fast and learn fast.

"The opposite of every great idea is another great idea"

Niels Bohr

 9.       The Power of Adaptation and Choice

Creativity often thrives in chaos. Sometimes the unexpected leads to the best outcomes. Be flexible in your thinking. If you try to map out every step, you’ll miss opportunities to adapt and improve. Richard Osman makes the analogy of bubbles of information, floating around and bumping into each other. new ideas often emerge from the unexpected collisions. This metaphor shows us that the more you engage with diverse knowledge, perspectives, and experiences, the more opportunities for creative collisions arise. These moments are where unique, game-changing innovations are born.

"By looking at new materials, or at old materials in a new way we change the rules"

Peter Rice