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Over the past 45 years, I have written and published more than 175 books for adults and children. Sometimes the number surprises me, as I did not decide 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 widely and broaden my perspective.
Embracing Apple co-founder Steve Jobs’ quote that “creativity is just connecting things,” I gave myself permission to follow my interests, wherever they lead me.
Therefore, I have written about topics such as marine biology, job interviews, teaching, creativity, baseball, archeology, American history, resume writing, tsunamis, and nocturnal creatures. .
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In my most recent book, “Looking for old people“, about the longest trees in the United States, I study tree rings and social psychology. And I also have so many other ideas that I’m excited to pursue.
These are the four creativity principles that have served me well for over four decades.
1. There is no “right” answer.
I was an education professor for almost 30 years.
Many of us, instructors and students alike, have been taught to believe that for every problem there is only one correct answer. This is simply not true. Rarely have we been afforded 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 think there is only one right answer, then you’ll stop looking as soon as you find one.”
You need to give yourself space to imagine all the possibilities.
Recently, I invited participants in a creativity workshop I led to generate as many different uses for a paper clip as they could in five minutes. They came up with 57 ideas including a cheap nose ring, ear cleaner, lock device, mini fishing rod, bookmark, ant spear, cheese cube holder and clip for tie, among others.
A focus on a one-right-answer mentality forces us into a “take no risk” mentality. But creativity is a continuous generation of options—rarely a solitary search for answers. In my writing, I, too, am constantly looking for multiple approaches and perspectives.
2. Give yourself permission to make mistakes
The most creative tend to have the most failures.
James Dyson created 5,126 impractical 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 remarked“I got a lot of results! I know several thousand things that don’t work.”
When I wrote “In Search of the Old Ones,” I went through 21 separate drafts over the course of 12 months. I did not feel discouraged by the mistakes that I knew would be present in these drafts. Instead, I saw it as an opportunity to make changes and improve.
The process itself is part of the joy of the experience for me.
Keep in mind that creativity is not perfection. The pursuit of 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 tap into a child’s sense of wonder about the world.
Curiosity is an active consideration of the possible. It is the catalyst for questioning, and questioning leads us to seek the unknown and contemplate the unknown. It opens our minds so we can explore the unknown 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 over 4,000 years. Immediately, I had to find out how they were able to survive so long.
I followed the scientific papers, went to experience the trees firsthand and reached out to a number of dendrochronology experts.
When I started the process, I did not expect that I would get a book from my research. But my curiosity has always been the foundation and engine of my creativity.
4. Believe that you have creative potential
We all have creative potential, just as we did as children. So often, our natural creativity unfortunately fades over time.
The most creative people I know understand that creativity is not for everyone. If you want people to approve of what you do, then you are not created. Just validate 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 has nothing to do with IQ – and that traditional schooling, quite often, forces students to memorize the irrelevant, remember the useless, and considered insignificant. As a result, we rarely have the opportunity to create, only regurgitate.
True creativity is being comfortable with chaos. With each book, I see writing as a journey through something I’ve never experienced before. It is a celebration of the unknown, and we are all capable of that.
Anthony D. Fredericks, Ed.D., is professor emeritus of education at York College of Pennsylvania. He is the author of Psychology Today’s Creative insights blog, and has written over 100 non-fiction books including “From Fizzle to Sizzle: The Hidden Forces That Crush Your Creativity and How You Can Overcome It“Two Minute Habits: Small Habits, Dynamic Creativity“, and his last “In search of the old: an odyssey among the ancient trees.“Follow him LinkedIn.
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