Over the last 45 years, I have written and published over 175 books for adults and children. Sometimes this number surprises me because I didn't plan to become an author.
Early in my career, I realized that being a successful writer wasn't just about creating compelling stories. I had to be a sponge, read widely and broaden my perspective.
Guided by Apple co-founder Steve Jobs' quote that “creativity is just putting things together,” I gave myself permission to follow my interests wherever they led me.
To this end, I have written on topics as diverse as marine biology, job interviews, teaching, creativity, baseball, archaeology, American history, resume writing, tsunamis, and creatures of the night.
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In my latest book “In search of the old ones”, about the longest living trees in the United States, I delved into the study of tree rings and social psychology. And I still have plenty of ideas that I will be happy to implement.
That's four creativity principles that have served me well for over four decades.
1. There is no one “right” answer
I was a professor of pedagogy for almost 30 years.
Many of us, both instructors and students, have been taught to believe that there is only one correct answer to every problem. This is simply not true. We are rarely offered the opportunity to consider multiple potential solutions to any intellectual challenge.
This in itself is a problem, because as inventor and author Roger von Oech says, “if you think there is only one right answer, you will stop looking as soon as you find it.”
You need to give yourself space to imagine all the possibilities.
I recently invited participants in a creativity workshop I was running to generate as many different uses for a paper clip as possible in five minutes. They came up with 57 ideas, including a cheap nose ring, an ear cleaner, a lock picker, a mini fishing rod, a bookmark, an ant spear, a cheese cube holder and a tie clip.
Focusing on a one-right-answer mentality forces us to adopt a “take no risk” mindset. However, creativity is about constantly generating options – rarely searching for solitary answers. When writing my texts, I am also constantly looking for various approaches and perspectives.
2. Give yourself permission to make mistakes
The most creative people tend to fail the most.
James Dyson created 5126 unfeasible prototypes before the invention of the Dyson vacuum cleaner. Thomas Edison spent over two years trying to improve his light bulb. When asked about this period of trial and error, – he noticed“I got a lot of results! I know several thousand things that won't work.”
When I wrote “In Search of My Old Ones,” I went through 21 separate drafts over the course of 12 months. I wasn't discouraged by the bugs 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.
Remember that creativity is not about perfection. Searching for the perfect idea seriously limits your thinking and expression.
3. The more curious you are, the more creative you can become
The most creative people I know are able to evoke and tap into a child's sense of wonder at the world.
Curiosity is the active consideration of what is possible. It is a catalyst for asking questions, and asking questions leads us to seek the unknown and contemplate the unknown. It opens our minds so we can explore the unexplored and create the unexpected.
My latest book was inspired to learn that Bristlecone pines have lived continuously in the White Mountains of California for over 4,000 years. I immediately had to find out how they managed to survive for now.
I found scientific articles, went to see the trees for myself, and contacted many experts in dendrochronology.
When I started this process, I had no idea that a book would be based on my research. However, 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 like we did when we were children. Unfortunately, our natural creativity often weakens over time.
The most creative people I know understand that creativity isn't about pleasing everyone. If you want people to approve of what you do, you are not creative. You're just confirming their preconceived notions of what you should do. As a result, there is no imagination, only confirmation.
As a professional educator for over half a century, I have come to the conclusion that creativity also has nothing to do with IQ and that traditional education quite often forces students to memorize what is irrelevant, memorize what is unnecessary and take into account the irrelevant. As a result, we rarely have the opportunity to create, we only pay attention.
True creativity is about being comfortable with chaos. In each book, writing is a journey for me through something I have never experienced before. It is a celebration of the unknown and we are all capable of it.
Anthony D. Fredericks, Ed.D. is professor emeritus of education at York College of Pennsylvania. He is the author of Psychology Today's book Creative insights blog and has written over 100 non-fiction books, includingFrom Fizzle to Sizzle: the hidden forces crushing your creativity and how to overcome them“Two-minute habits: small habits, dynamic creativity”and his newest”In Search of the Old Ones: An Odyssey among the Ancient Trees.“Follow him LinkedIn.
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