I just finished comedian and screenwriter John Cleese’s gem of a book, “Creativity”. Amongst the many valuable nuggets in there, one that really struck me was the value of playful exploration. Not shutting down ideas too quickly because the critical, analytical voice...
If you very intentionally avoid what doesn’t interest you, you automatically create space for serendipity, inspiration and fun to emerge. The void is fertile. We cannot force some things We cannot force things like serendipity and inspiration, yet they are at the...
Yesterday, I was at an outdoor arts and crafts market near where I live. I was noticing how the makers there, many of whom I know, were sharing ideas and encouraging each other in what they were doing. It made me realise what is possible when you surround yourself...
Many things in life are not linear. There may be a (long) incubation period before something — an idea or a skill — comes into fruition. Just as a new leaf develops for a while as a bud, before opening to reveal its form. Patience and the process In the human realm,...
The things that we really care about can be the hardest to do because we care so much. We can put immense pressure on ourselves to do it well —straightaway(!) — rather than engage in playful exploration. Our inner critic can be crippling. Inner critic distracts We...
What does it mean to create? The word conjures up all sorts of images from abstract art to founding a business. But, are its essential features clear? Importantly, what can we say about the experience of creating? Out of nothing The Late Middle English origin of...
Recent Comments