Creativity: Theory and Practice
"The patterns are simple, but followed together, they make for a whole that is wiser than the sum of its parts. Cultivate hunches; write everything down, but keep your folders messy; embrace serendipity; make generative mistakes; follow the links; let others build on your ideas; borrow, recycle; reinvent. Build a tangled bank." — Steven Johnson
Link
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
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
Creativity is not a process. creativity is not scripted.
One of the most salient traits of creative visionaries like Walt Disney and Steve jobs is the absence of process.
Process is an organized way of doing things. But they didn’t have a process. They just did the work. No strict adherence to budget or timelines. Just figure things out on the fly.
... See moreCurate 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
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
... See moreRick Rubin • The Creative Act: A Way of Being
Whatever inspiration is, it’s born from a continuous 'I don’t know.'
Wisława Szymborska
Make space for unstructured creativity. You don’t need to create something useful or beautiful. You could doodle while watching your favorite TV show or imagine alternative endings to a novel you just read. In fact, you don’t need to produce anything at all.
Anne-Laure Le Cunff • Creative aliveness: turning life into a creative adventure
Creativity 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.