The Laws of Creativity

The Law of Disruption You have every right to challenge, question, and improve upon the ideas that are handed to you. At some point, these ideas evolved from and innovated on what came before them. It follows, then, that they themselves will eventually be replaced.

Keep in mind, however, that many assumptions are correct. Do not turn an exercise of validation into a witch hunt that focuses on proving the ideas you want to be true. If you aren’t careful, you will waste a lot of time and energy in denial before ending back where you started.

The Law of Connection Base concepts can neither be created nor destroyed, they simply merge to form new combinations. Creativity is not about creating—it is about combining.

most limitations require one’s own permission to be applied, that many can be rejected or fashioned into new ones.

we inherit the assumptions of those who came before us, including ones that have been around for ages. But that doesn’t necessitate their truth. It is up to us to keep aware of the impermanent nature of ideas—to appreciate the difference between fact and “fact”—that reverberate through times and cultures, that are delivered by family, friends, auth

According to Alexander, “With the right attitude, self-imposed limitations vanish.” The trick is recognizing that most limitations, while seemingly originating from others, ultimately rely on you to give them power.

Anaïs Nin, the French-Cuban writer, said, “Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.” How big or small your world is—and the life you lead—is wholly up to you.

When you are faced with a problem, take inventory of the elements and ideas involved. The best path to a solution is found by shaping the clearest question possible, and it’s in this question that the strongest assumptions lie. Start by asking: • What’s the goal? • What has been tried? • What hasn’t been tried? • What resources are available? • Wha

The ideal number of concepts to combine is two or three. Any more than three and the person on the other end, the one trying to understand you, isn’t going to make all the necessary connections for your new concept to hit. Any less and, well, you just have one thing—that’s called copying.