Creativity: A Short and Cheerful Guide

you have to create a safe place, where you can play. This involves first creating boundaries of space, and then boundaries of time.

much of our ‘Tortoise Mind’ work takes place in an atmosphere of uncertainty and gentle confusion.

Where were you bored? Where could you not understand what was going on? Where did you not find things credible? Was there anything that you found emotionally confusing?

creative people are much better at tolerating the vague sense of worry that we all get when we leave something unresolved.

‘Sorry this is such a long letter, but I didn’t have time to write a shorter one.’

Your thoughts follow your mood

Once you’ve come up with a new idea, there are two ways to test it. First, there is the one I described earlier, when you bring the critical faculties you suspended during the playful stage to bear on whatever it is that you have thought of. You’re now sufficiently clear about your idea to be in a position to evaluate it. If you decide it can be im

If you are an experienced writer, and you show people your work, there are four questions you need to ask: Where were you bored? Where could you not understand what was going on? Where did you not find things credible? Was there anything that you found emotionally confusing?

if you have zero expectations at the start, you can hardly fail. And you’re already priming your unconscious…