(Clockwise from L) Albert
Einstein (InformiguelCarreño, CC BY-SA 4.0), Francis Bacon by unknown
artist (Public Domain), and Henry David Thoreau in August 1861 at his
second and final photographic sitting (Public Domain).
Creativity keeps you vividly in the moment, lets you see
more opportunities in life, and helps you to have more fun. It is a
birthright of all people, not just a rare gift given to a chosen few.
Since creativity is the result of how you think, practicing the
habits of creative thinking allows you to expand more to reach new
heights. A wonderful book called “Wired to Create, Unraveling the
Mysteries of the Creative Mind,” by Scott Barry Kaufman and Carolyn
Gregoire, uses fact-based research to focus on practices and habits of
mind that promote a high degree of creativity.
The authors believe that very innovative people have “messy minds”
with traits that don’t usually coexist, like mindfulness and
daydreaming, seriousness and play, openness and sensitivity, and
solitude and collaboration. This delicate dance of contradictions gives
rise to the intense inner drive to create.
The authors outline 10 habits that creative people tend to have,
with highly creative people having many more of these characteristics
than the ordinary person, but not necessarily possessing them all.
Imaginative Play
Creative people engage in imaginative play as adults. They seek to
recreate the sense of wonder that they experienced as children in play.
Shigeru Miyamoto, the Walt Disney of video games, was cited in the
chapter as a good example of a person who turned the mundane into play
and fun.
“We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” —George Bernard Shaw
Passion
Creative people have passion for their work, which helps them feel
motivated and inspired. Without this passion, they would soon lose
interest when faced with a difficult task.
The authors mention two examples of creative people who had their
interests sparked at a very young age. Jacqueline du Pré, an expert
British cellist, who at the age of 4 fell in love with the sound of the
cello. National chess champion Josh Waitzkin developed a deep connection
to the game at age 6.
“The only way to do great work is to love what you do.” —Steve Jobs
Daydreaming
Creative people need space to dream and fantasize. They need to let
go of the thinking brain and let the unconscious brain take over.
“Your vision will become clear only when you can look into your own
heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.” —Carl Jung
Solitude
Creative people enjoy solitude because it lets them slow down long
enough to hear their own ideas. Then they can take time to reflect and
make new connections. Being alone does not necessarily mean being
lonely.
“I never found the companion that was so companionable as solitude.” —Henry David Thoreau
Intuition
Creative people listen to that inner voice, that gut feeling,
which we all have. Creative people are able to tap into their intuition,
a form of unconscious reasoning.
“The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a
faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and
has forgotten the gift.” —Albert Einstein
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