“Powerful combination = Hate being bad at stuff + Willing to look like a beginner.

People who hate being bad at stuff are driven to improve. However, if they are unwilling to look like a beginner from time to time, they will avoid new challenges and struggle to reinvent themselves.

Meanwhile, people who are willing to try new things, but lack a... See more

Woodworking is brutal. It's painfully slow to learn and very unforgiving. But the sheer act of jumping blindly into a new creative field as a novice really opened up my eyes. You'd be surprised how quickly designing a simple bench will lead you into existential questions about the nature of "sitting."

Over the past few years, I’ve read many books about creativity, and it’s made me realize the sad truth that most people don’t read books on creativity. And so “to be creative” in the mainstream view is limited to making visual art or music or other artifacts. But when you read books on creativity, you discover a whole process that kindles a lot of... See more