A study released in Sawyer’s latest book, “Explaining Creativity: The Science of Human Innovation
Creativity Requires Collaboration
Sawyer says that many people have a vision of highly creative people as “lone geniuses.” “In reality,” says Sawyer, “creative people network with other people. A lot of creativity happens through collaboration.
But the myth of the lone genius still persists because many people, when they think of the stereotypical creative-type person, they think of the ultimate lone genius — the poet. “People see poets as being very solitary and yet very creative. Many people think all a poet needs is a pencil and some paper and he or she never has to talk to anyone. People tend to view painters the same way. They think all the artist needs is a canvas and paint and he or she doesn’t require social interaction.” However, Sawyer says, research shows that even writers and painters are very social and creative and they spend a lot of time interacting with other people. “They have to get ideas from somewhere,” he adds.
Creativity Requires Knowledge
“You can’t be creative without knowing a lot about what you are trying to be creative in,” Sawyer says. “You can’t just decide to be creative in something. Really creative people spend a lot of time in preparation. If you want to be creative, Sawyer says, spend a lot of time learning about the subject and what others have done before. “Network and find out who else is working in the area. A lot of good creativity comes from collaboration. Creativity takes a lot of time and hard work.”
Sawyer thinks much of the difference between highly creative people and the rest of us is hard work and work habits.
Creativity Requires Hard Work AND Smart Work
“When people say they aren’t creative, it’s because of some false ideas about creativity that we hold as a society,” Sawyer says. “One myth is that if you’re a creative person it’s a trait and everything you touch turns to gold. That’s not the way creativity works. It’s not some magical trait. You have to work hard to be a more creative person. You have to be diligent,” he says.
“Creative people work hard but they also work smart,” Sawyer adds. “There is a certain way they structure their work habits. They structure their day so they alternate between hard work and time off.A common pattern for creative people is to work hard in the morning and then take some time away during lunch to take a walk or garden or ride a bike. A lot of creative people have their great ideas when they take time away from their work. Idle time allows them to think of their problems in new ways. People talk about the ‘aha’ moment emerging when you are doing something else.”
Creative people also tend to have multiple related long-term projects going on at the same time. “When they are working on one thing and they get stuck, they shift to another project. That creates potential for unexpected connections between the projects.”
Creative people also take breaks to do something radically different from their current project. “They might read a book, play a board game or take a walk. These are times where distant analogies can happen — meaning something on the board game might provide an idea regarding the current project. Something in a book might connect two ideas together. A walk might allow for viewing of new concepts.”
Sawyer says that the brain processes we use for creativity are based on the same building blocks that we all use everyday, like brushing your teeth or taking a shower or fixing breakfast.
I have recently started to purposefully manage my creative energy, seeking to do my creative work in the mornings, whilst I’m still fresh, and leaving the more routine, administrative work until later in the day.
Technorati Tags: Creative,Innovation, Personal Leadership, Management, GTD, Books, Lifehack
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