• by Laurie Sullivan  @lauriesullivan, June 16, 2014

Some 66% of creative professionals believe their role will change in the next three years, compared with 44% in the next 12 months, per an Adobe report released Monday. The pressure intensifies to deliver creative ideas and content faster. In fact, 33% feel the pain through sleepless nights. About 32% are concerned about financial or job security, 28% worry about losing inspiration, and 25% say they are concerned about not meeting expectations within the deadline.

The New Creatives Report from Adobe analyzes online responses from 1,048 U.S. creative professionals. The data, collected May 12-21, 2014 by Edelman Berland, found that 25% of respondents are concerned with not meeting set expectations; 21%, being misunderstood; and 20%, not being original or having difficulty in differentiating the brand.

Technology helps to inspire creativity, according to the report. While 28% of creative professionals still rely on pen and paper for ideation and 36% for brainstorming, 45% use their mobile devices to capture inspiration on the go. Seven in 10 creatives are developing content for mobile devices. Of those, 42% create mobile Web sites; 41% create apps; 30%, mobile ads, and 30%, none of the above.

Some 42% say they use mobile to create content anywhere and 30% would like to create more content on tablets, surpassing desktop computers. About 20% believe that app development -- and 18% 3D modeling -- will become the most in-demand skills over the next year. On Monday, Microsoft released a developer channel to offer an early look at the next version of Internet Explorer that will enable marketers to expand capabilities.

Adobe's report notes that methods to find creativity continue to shift from motivation to inspiration. Some 36% of creative professionals see digital sources like social media as the best sources of inspiration compared with more traditional sources like fashion or architecture. They also more often turn toward professional online communities. About 27% said that's where they find inspiration, whereas 26% point to collaboration and sharing as top reasons for participating. Most creative professionals -- 79% -- still trust their gut, while 75% also said the impact of technology and digital analytics positively provides more control over their professional destiny and 70% feel empowered by analytics.

Some 80% of creative professionals either somewhat or strongly agree that they will use new tools and technologies in the next year. About 77% said creativity and design are becoming more important to business, and 75% believe they will fall behind if they don't remain current on changes.

"Rollercoaster" photo from Shutterstock.