Creativity: Theory and Practice
Cultivating a state of mind where new ideas are born Cultivating a state of mind where new ideas are born
Henrik Karlssonhenrikkarlsson.xyzCreativity requires connecting the dots, and connecting the dots requires allowing time for my subconscious to consolidate my ideas and make associations. This means that, from time to time, I need to just stare out the window and do nothing.
This doesn’t feel productive, even though it is.
This doesn’t feel productive, even though it is.
Ozan Varol • You’re doing better than you think. Here’s why. - Ozan Varol
Curiosity is voracious–the more you know the more you want to know; the more connections you make between the different bits of knowledge; the more ideas you have. Which is why curiosity is really the wellspring of creativity.
Alan Moore • Do Design: Why Beauty Is Key to Everything
Curate inspiration every day. Find apps, sites, and publications where you can brows through steams of inspiration, and save anything you like into niche buckets of interests. You'll get more creative, and you'll start to see ideas and make connections you hadn't considered before.
Marty Bell • WePresent | Marty Bell’s 10 tips for a more fulfilling (and fun) life
Reframe non-productive time. One of the reasons the exploration phase of the work is low value is that most of it doesn’t look like work. It’s lots of reading, and sitting and thinking, and doodling, and trying things that lead to dead ends. Non-productive time feels like a waste—but it doesn’t have to! One way to think about this kind of time is
... See moreDan Shipper • Why You're Not Doing Creative Work
Non-productive is often framed wrongly so
To come up with new ideas, you have to have space to be messy, to procrastinate, and to let your mind wander and free-associate. But there needs to be a balance. You eventually need to channel it into something concrete, or you won’t produce anything.
Dasha Nekrasova • Jon Rafman and Dasha Nekrasova on the Horror We Call Life
Data collection is inherently creative. Depending on the data you choose to collect from the world, you can begin to see the world from a different perspective. Being a data collector means observing the world with curiosity.
Russell Davies • Do Interesting: Notice. Collect. Share
Whatever inspiration is, it’s born from a continuous 'I don’t know.'
Wisława Szymborska
Regardless of whether or not we’re formally making art, we are all living as artists. We perceive, filter, and collect data, then curate an experience for ourselves and others based on this information set. Whether we do this consciously or unconsciously, by the mere fact of being alive, we are active participants in the ongoing process of
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