Lesson #3: Confidence Comes from Competence

The three explanations of creativity—expertise, environment, and randomness—are not mutually exclusive. A fairly simple model of creativity incorporates all three. In this model, the existing stock of knowledge defines

Experience Doesn’t Reliably Ensure Expertise. Practice doesn’t make perfect.

saving machines, which can be both a tremendous advantage and a curse. Feedback. Progress requires iterative adjustment. Not just the red stroke of a teacher’s pen, but contact with the reality we’re trying to influence.

life often confronts us with situations that require us first to get worse, before getting better.

came not from technical considerations, but from a careful analysis of the cost of lighting. A bulb that used a lot of current wouldn’t be economical, even if it might be technologically feasible. A receptive environment for invention also explains

combine the three components of seeing an example, solving a problem, and getting feedback into a practice loop.

Creativity Begins with Copying.

we would like to create a positive feedback loop, where early mastery experiences encourage further investment of effort in learning and practice.