Creativity is defined as the ability to transcend traditional ideas, rules, patterns, relationships, or the like, and to create meaningful new ideas, forms, methods, interpretations, etc.; originality, progressiveness, or imagination.
As time progresses, our world is being faced with more and more difficult challenges associated with the environment, energy consumption, transportation, and more. As an engineer, we are stereotypically defined as a group that is introverted, math obsessed, and unable to break away from our analytical strong hold. However, as new problems present themselves (as they have for many years), engineers are needed to apply their analytical skills in creative and unique ways to come up with better solutions for the problem of tomorrow.
Without having the ability to think outside of the box and bring skills that they have to the table in a way that has never been done, we as a society will not have the ability to overcome new challenges as they arise.
In addition, as engineers push through the barriers associated with these new problems using out of the box thinking, they will have to use their communication and leadership skills to convince others that they research or their work is the way to go. Without being a risk-taker, a leader, an innovator, most new engineering ideas would never get off the ground.
So, next time you think of an engineer, think about Albert Einstein. Think about Harry Truman. Think about Sally Ride. Think of all of the people that came before us that pushed the boundaries for what an engineer really is.
For more myths debunked about engineering, check out http://www.thecreativeengineer.com/a-few-engineering-myths/
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