[MENTION=4109][MENTION=1009]CzeCze[/MENTION] I think being a consultant for anyone would be great. I wouldn't really want to be tied down tough. I wish I could be like Jane and be a consultant for crime scenes!
So you like 'figuring things out' (before anyone else) and finding verifiable answers?
Ahhh, that opens open a whole new field of potential career paths.
Lots of folks once they reach a certain level in their career and especially after they've built up a solid contact base can become consultants and work for themselves. Or you could be a 'public intellectual' like Peguy said, basically a pundit, talking head, commentator, etc. You could be like nutty Ann Coulter or charming Kate Clinton

There are many fields you can go into, many different professions, start out in public or private sector, many ways to do it.
If you are interested primarily in policy work you should definitely nab an internship in DC and just watch the show. You'll get a much better idea of what job really means what and how they interact with each other and exactly what it is that you want to do.
Here's the thing though you said you want to work in a 'creative' environment? You'll have to define creative better. You mean like Google creative? Or IMF "Wow this plan to restructure debt in Botswana sure is unconventional!"