Being a great idea-generator isn’t about talent
It’s Friday. Thank crikey! Which means it’s time to gather round and stick the boot in another myth. It’s time for episode four of our Creative Lies series.
Most ‘creative’ people love the idea of talent because it makes them feel special
This week we’re looking at the fact that some people just seem to find it so much easier than others to come up with ideas. Generally, the explanation for this is simply ‘talent’. And – yes – in episode 1 we talked about the possibility that some people may be better wired for creative tasks than others. And most ‘creative’ people love the idea of talent because it makes them feel special. But having spent most of my life working in creative industries with a wide variety of people, I just don’t think that explains the difference between the good and the great.
For anyone to get great at anything, it takes practice. And it’s no different for creative skills. The more time you spend creating and developing ideas, the better you become at it. The first song you write probably won’t be very good. The 100th song you write is bound to be at least slightly better.
[clickToTweet tweet=”For anyone to get great at anything, it takes practice. It’s no different for creative skills. ” quote=”For anyone to get great at anything, it takes practice. It’s no different for creative skills. ” theme=”style6″]However, there’s something that you need before you get to that; the right attitude. You need to be curious enough to want to consume all the right stuff. You need to be focused enough on what you’re trying to become. You need to be driven enough to push on through, even when it seems impossible. You need to be more motivated by the achievement than by the rewards (I don’t think I’ve ever met a great creative person who just does it for the money).
Mix with the right people
None of that is about innate talent. It’s all about attitude.
And that’s something you can control.
My top tip on how to develop the right attitude is to mix with the right people. If you surround yourself with individuals who display all of these characteristics, you’ll catch it like a bad case of the flu. And that’s a really simple thing to do.
Catch the other episodes in the Creative Lies series right here.
http://openforideas.org/blog/2016/11/11/being-a-great-idea-generator-isnt-about-talent/https://i1.wp.com/openforideas.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/work_harder.jpg?fit=1024%2C576https://i1.wp.com/openforideas.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/work_harder.jpg?resize=150%2C150Videoachievement,attitude,creative lies,creativity,curiousity,drive,focus,motivation,practice,talent
Now he runs Open for Ideas and helps individuals and companies become more creative.
You can find him speaking at conferences all over the world. And sharing his thinking in boardrooms, universities and dimly-lit pubs.
Hi i believe that creativity is centered around common sense which they teach very little of in school.I think its mostly learn at home. My sister just the other day told me she lived in Paso Robles California one cold winter and almost froze to death because her gas was off and she had no money to pay the bill.I Mr.idea said to her did you have a stove inn the house she said yes.I said you should have taken the stove a lose from the wall with the oven facing upward and got four bricks and place them under the stove to make a four inch space between the floor and the stove and got some wood and place it in the oven and started a small fire to keep warm. She told me she did not know you can do that to a stove.Well you can just leave a window and a door crack for ventilation.
David Smith