Creativity is an important goal for higher education yet there is limited guidance on how to facilitate it at an organisational level. This arts-based exploration of the experiences of three award-winning academics who have been recognised for their creative work identifies that creativity can emerge from three interrelated factors -- conversations and relationships, liminal space and leadership. These factors combined form a useful model that offers higher education institutions a means for enhancing creativity at a time when arguably it has never been needed more. The three factors are easily articulated, not resource-dependent or contingent on specialist knowledge or skill and will likely be well accepted by academics, academic leaders and others who participate in higher education.