Routine Creativity
Ever think you weren’t born creative? Sorry, Accountant #14432. You’re wrong. It just takes practice.
According to psychologist Robert Epstein, there’s no evidence suggesting one person is inherently more creative than another.
This is excellent news because creativity is a hot commodity in a world addicted to innovation. Generating ideas reaps lucrative results.
Epstein says the sooner we channel the latent creativity we each possess, the better off we’ll be.
So what's the Epstein way?
He suggests habitually practising four tactics. (Pay close attention. Seven-figure results are just around the corner.)
Record new ideas. Big or small, just log them in a voice memo or journal. Don’t let anything valuable get away.
Seek out challenging tasks. Attempt problems that don’t necessarily have solutions. (“Figure out how to make your dog fly” was a legitimate suggestion in the article.)
Broaden your knowledge. Binge on TED Talks and podcasts. Step outside your comfort zone. The more new ideas to work with the better.
Surround yourself with interesting things and people. Epstein suggests dinner parties and frequent trips to museums and galleries.
His method works. In one case, seventy-four city employees collectively participated in creativity training seminars developed by Epstein.
Eight months later, idea generation within the group soared 55 percent—a feat that led to more than $600K in new revenue and $3.5M in cost reductions.
It seems we’re born with gold mines between our ears. The trick is forging a habit to dig for ideas.
Now’s a great time to crack your calendar and start planning a dinner party. Bonus points for including ashwagandha on the menu.
FOR THE NERDY: More from Epstein