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Over the past 45 years, I have written and published more than 175 books for adults and children. Sometimes the figure surprises me, since I did not set out to be an author.
Early in my career, I realized that being a successful writer wasn’t just about creating compelling stories. I needed to be a sponge, read a lot and broaden my perspective.
Embracing Apple co-founder Steve Jobs’ quote that “creativity is simply connecting things,” I gave myself permission to follow my interests, wherever they took me.
To that end, I have written on topics as varied as marine biology, job interviews, teaching, creativity, baseball, archaeology, American history, resume writing, tsunamis, and nocturnal creatures.
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In my most recent book, “In search of the old“, about the oldest trees in the United States, I immersed myself in the study of tree rings and social psychology. And I still have many more ideas that I’m excited to pursue.
These are the four creativity principles that have served me well for more than four decades.
1. There is no “correct” answer
I was an education teacher for almost 30 years.
Many of us, both teachers and students, were taught to believe that for every problem there is only one correct answer. That is simply not true. We were rarely offered the opportunity to consider a multitude of potential solutions to any intellectual challenge.
That in itself is a problem because, as inventor and author Roger von Oech says, “if you believe there is only one right answer, you will stop searching as soon as you find one.”
You need to give yourself space to imagine all the possibilities.
I recently invited participants to a creativity workshop I ran to come up with as many different uses for a clip as they could in five minutes. They came up with 57 ideas, including a cheap nose ring, an ear cleaner, a lock-picking device, a mini fishing rod, a bookmark, an ant javelin, a cheese cube holder and a pin. tie, among others.
Focusing on a one-correct-answer mentality forces us to adopt a “take no risks” mentality. But creativity is a continuous generation of options and rarely a search for solitary answers. In my writing, I too constantly seek multiple approaches and perspectives.
2. Give yourself permission to make mistakes
More creative people tend to have more failures.
James Dyson created 5,126 unviable prototypes before inventing the Dyson vacuum cleaner. Thomas Edison spent more than two years trying to improve his light bulb. When asked about this period of trial and error, he commented“I’ve gotten a lot of results! I know several thousand things that won’t work.”
When I was writing “In Search of the Ancients,” I went through 21 different drafts over 12 months. I was not discouraged by the errors that I knew would be present in these drafts. Instead, I saw it as an opportunity to make changes and improvements.
For me, the process itself is part of the joy of the experience.
Keep in mind that creativity is not about perfection. Searching for the perfect idea severely limits your thinking, as well as your expression.
3. The more curious you are, the more creative you can become.
The most creative people I know are able to remember and harness a childlike sense of wonder at the world.
Curiosity is an active consideration of the possible. It is the catalyst for questioning, and questioning drives us to seek the unknown and contemplate the unknown. It opens our minds so we can explore the unexamined and create the unexpected.
My most recent book was inspired by learning that Bristlecone pines have lived continuously in the White Mountains of California for more than 4,000 years. Immediately, I had to know how they were able to survive during see you around.
I searched for scientific articles, experienced trees firsthand, and contacted several dendrochronology experts.
When I began the process, I did not expect to produce a book from my research. But my curiosity has always been the basis and driving force of my creativity.
4. Believe that you have creative potential
We all have creative potential, just as we did when we were children. Unfortunately, our natural creativity often fades over time.
The most creative people I know understand that creativity is not about pleasing everyone. If you want people to approve of what you are doing, then you are not being creative. You are simply validating their preconceived notions about what you should do. Consequently, there is no imagination, only confirmation.
As a professional educator for more than half a century, I have come to the conclusion that creativity also has absolutely nothing to do with IQ and that traditional schooling too often forces students to memorize the irrelevant, remember the unnecessary and consider the unnecessary. insignificant. As a result, we rarely have the opportunity to create, only regurgitate.
True creativity is about being comfortable with chaos. In each book, I see writing as a journey through something I have never experienced before. It is a celebration of the unknown and we are all capable of it.
Antonio D. Fredericks, Ed.D., is professor emeritus of education at York College of Pennsylvania. He is the author of Psychology Today. Creative ideas blog and has written more than 100 nonfiction books, including “From sizzle to sizzle: The hidden forces crushing your creativity and how you can overcome them“Two-Minute Habits: Small Habits, Dynamic Creativity“and his last”In search of the old: an odyssey among ancient trees.“Follow him in LinkedIn.
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