Commonplace #2: Creative People are Explorers

Commonplace: An Audio Journal for Inquisitive Minds

This is Commonplace, an audio journal for inquisitive minds. Taking after the historical practice of keeping a "commonplace book," I am seeking to promote the flow of important ideas and lessons that I gather in my personal studies and conversations. Pentland, Social PhysicsCreativity is a romantic notion. Many people think of it as an elusive inspiration. Writers wait for the moment when a muse might speak to them, sending a new idea out of the ether. I believe we can de-mystify creativity; it is much more mundane than that. Sandy Pentland shares an oft-referenced quotation from Steve Jobs: // Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty, because they didn't really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while. That's because they were able to connect experiences they've had and synthesize new things. (George Beahm, ed. I, Steve: Steve Jobs in His Own Words, 2011; quoted in Alex Pentland, Social Physics: How Good Ideas Spread—The Lessons from a New Science, 26) // Humans don't create ex nihilo. Everyone must work with building materials. We gather them through personal experience, reading, and listening to others. From that milieu our subconscious begins to work. I lack hard scientific evidence for this, but I believe our brains are "connection machines." They naturally search for patterns and order in the raw data they receive. We don't need to follow Kant to recognize there's something to this. If that's true, then we can jumpstart creativity through exploration. Study different fields. Study different thinkers and traditions. Compare and contrast. Look for connections. Interact with many other creative people. Start your own salon or informal symposium, especially with those espousing diverse views. Gather together to hash out ideas. The more exposure you have to different ideas and so-called problems, the more grist you provide for your creativity mill.