Workers are abandoning their talents

British workers are choosing busier jobs and social media breaks over pursuing their dreams, according to new reports. A study by BIC revealed that 63% of Brits have completely abandoned the talents and hobbies they were passionate about as children, with fears that employees are becoming less creative as a result.

Everyday life and hectic schedules factor in heavily for Brits trying to follow their dreams, while one in five chose to focus on family over themselves. 85% of workers fell into the trap of turning to their phones and messaging with friends over picking up a pen or trying to pursue their talents. Despite many finding excuses for not carrying on with their childhood skills, one in three simply believes they aren’t good enough.

The public generally believe they reach the peak of their creativity at the age of 17, with 28% of young people going on to search for a career that helped support their creativity. However, as we grow older, more of us are losing the drive to explore our creative side in favour of more money or a quiet night in.

Although many workers feel they’ve left it too late to carry on their childhood dreams, 82% have admitted they encourage their children to express themselves as much as they can. The team at BIC are hoping to get the nation’s brains in gear and start creating again to boost morale and productivity in the workplace.

“Whilst it’s easy to understand how the daily grind and our busy lives take over, if you genuinely have a gift for writing songs or stories, drawing or playing an instrument, it should be encouraged,” said Joanna Hollins, Head of Marketing at BIC. “It would be great to see more than 28% of the population trying to pursue a career that cultivates their talent.”

Are you continuing to follow your dreams or do you feel like you’ve abandoned your talents? Let us know on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn.