‘Being professional’ does not exclude the freedom to be who you are in the workplace.  Let's talk about Creative Freedom! 

What does it mean to act professionally? Does that necessarily mean giving up your  personality, way of being, and manner in which you live your life?
 

It is very likely that you have already had to censor your humor or particular way of acting, due  to some internal impositions of the company where you worked. Have you ever had to swallow  that joke, for fear of being misunderstood by your colleagues and/or boss?

Speaker and writer, Mike Robbins, has been dedicated to giving seminars that enable people  and large companies to succeed through authenticity. In the article Bring Your Whole Self to  Work, the author explains that when the professional is free to be who he/she is at work, in  addition to generating a greater sense of belonging, it impacts the people around him/her in a  positive way, strengthening communal exchange and collaboration.

The speaker also highlights the strong relationship between vulnerability and creative potential.  The courage to be who you are, take risks, and be able to test your own ideas in the work  environment force you into a place of vulnerability that is completely related to expressing your  creative potential.

Here at Elephant Skin, we encourage the culture where you can be your true self. We  experience this in our daily lives, and understand that professional behavior should not exclude  the personality; each persons particular way of seeing and facing situations.

Creative freedom and productivity  

Research published in Frontiers exposed interesting data showing that autonomy positively  changes mood and increases productivity.
Creative freedom means embracing who people really are, their sense of humor, lifestyle and  expression in everyday life. Feeling free to be who you are in the workplace strengthens  diversity, bringing more personal satisfaction and constructive involvement with the team.

Where’s my illustration? Let's share an inside joke that got a lot of laughs!  

ES has a tradition of creating people's illustrations. We post them on our networks when new  professionals join the company. However, the Senior Artist of the A Film Team, Gabriel  Todesco, witnessing several new illustrations after a year at the company, still did not have his.
Then, in a moment of 'revolt', to express his indignation, he went and did his own thing. Gabriel  explained, “With my 'extremely high artistic skills' (irony), I made it and put it on the profile.  That moved Slack a lot, people started to comment, laugh and join in the fun, asking me then  to do their illustrations!”

The prank stuck and the crowd now had Todesco's illustration on their profiles. Summary: we  make fun of the company and the illustration of the company. But, there’s more: the partner,  Henrique Driessen, asked to create one of his own and joked that he would prospect on  Linkedin using the caricature in the profile.

All of this is very much in line with our values: “Don’t grow up. It’s a trap!”  The work environment does not have to be square or boring. Professionals should have the  freedom to play.

When you are a humorous person who likes to joke around, it is not respectful to then look  serious all the time. Respect is closely linked to having empathy, acting lightly, and allowing  people to be exactly who they are, in their entirety.

“Comparing with my previous places of employment, I never had the freedom to make fun of  my own boss, at that level; to make mock illustrations and make fun of what his company was  doing,” recalls Todesco, laughing.

We see it as respect to feel and perceive people, including those who are more innately  reserved or simply did not outwardly express an opinion about the game.

The illustration was made only for the people who asked. They joined the wave. The name of  this is freedom. It does not go beyond the other's space, but promotes an environment in  which anyone who wants to can join in the fun and laugh together.

Do not grow up, it's a trap! Play when you feel like it and be who you are. We give you the  freedom to be yourself.

Read too:

The world's best companies for which to work in 2022

A Platform for People: How Are We Building Our Global Community?
 

 

Communications Manager - Roberta Lemos | Communication Intern – João Victor Campos
Author – Journalist Daiana Barasa and Juliana Rodrigues | Naiá
Interviewed – Gabriel Todesco - Senior 3D Artist

*All Rights Reserved to Elephant Skin Group Corp.​