If your boss gave you the day off work to go painting you would think he had gone mad.

But he would be more astute than he sounded because more and more firms are waking up to the benefits of creativity in the workplace.

Courses that allow employees to spend a day taking part in arts-based training are growing more popular.

Not only do they give workers a break from the norm but the principles learnt can also be applied to business situations.

Law firm DMH Solicitors, which has art galleries in all its office receptions, arranged for its 270 staff to take part in a series of creative exercises at its recent annual meeting.

The fruits of their activities are on show in the Brighton office in Queen's Road.

Marion Wilcock, head of commercial property, said: "Everyone found it enormous fun because it was very different from anything that we were used to. We got a lot out of the exercise."

Everyone had to start with a blank piece of paper. They were given heaps of artist's materials and told to make patterns but not to draw.

They then had to go round and pick up two ideas from other people's work. Then they had to let someone else put one idea on their piece.

Finally they had to discard two thirds of the project and keep what they saw as the main part.

Marion said: "Watching people's reactions was fun because some said it was quite good and others really didn't want people to touch their work. Blocking most of it out was hard because it meant being able to let go.

"That works in a business environment. You think of a project and it's your idea, your baby, but then you can improve it buy adding other people's ideas.

"Letting someone else improve your ideas is much more difficult and letting go of ideas is the hardest.

"It's a different way of approaching things. You are trying to get lawyers to think outside the box which is notoriously difficult."

Although DMH holds regular art exhibitions in its galleries, bosses are taking it one step further and introducing art into the offices to reiterate the concept of art and business.

Marion said: "It marks a radical turn and it sets the tone for the firm.

"The first time we did it it was a complete surprise to the staff. We change our programme every eight weeks. It provides a focal point for staff and clients."

The course DMH employees took part in is run by Sussex-based company Hot Brushes, which was set up three years ago when former Body Shop manager Sue Belgrave and artist Emily Ball saw a gap in the market.

Sue said: "I took redundancy because I wanted to work more on the visual arts. I started going to Emily's contemporary art classes and it was clear the huge potential in supplying visual arts.

"There is huge pressure on organisations to be more creative. Art and business have been separate in the past but we need to enable staff to bring their whole selves to work and the feeling of well-being that is created by engaging with the arts.

"One of the great things about engaging in visual arts is there is something permanent to show for it.

"I think it enables people to get in touch with a part of themselves they didn't know existed or forgot about.

"Many of the people we work with got told at school they were not creative and couldn't draw and they carry that burden with them. If they take part in a workshop they have this 'wow I did that' moment."

The 34 staff from Designate, a Brighton-based advertising agency, will be given a disposable black and white camera and asked to document their lives for 24 hours.

The project has been funded by Arts and Business South-East, an organisation that provides initiatives and funding for companies to take part in arts-based training.

Mark Brown, Designate's business development manager, said: "It will make them think differently. It is about working life and life outside.

"We all come together for work but then disperse and go off to our other lives, which are often hidden from work.

"We are all creative but sometimes we are not always able to do that in a working environment.

"The training creates a good team atmosphere. We are very much a team-based organisation but it's all about getting the team working together."

For more details, call Sue at Hot Brushes on 01798 831247.

Tuesday April 15 2003