April 7th, 2011
Why aren’t you overflowing with creativity?
If you want creativity, then you need curiosity.
Be compulsive about it. Discover a new word? Look it up. Hear about an interesting book? Put it on hold at your library. Hear a familiar tune but you can’t quite place it? Shazam it. Like a new idea? Google it. Wikipedia it. Immediately. Since we no longer need to run back and forth between the shelves and the card catalog, curiosity has never been so easily satisfied.
Embrace curiosity.
Creative minds are curious minds. One of the most creative souls I have ever known is also a good friend of mine. His name is Bryn Martin (click photo above). He’s an artist, a musician, a creator, and a mad scientist. On a road trip in college, we ended up back country camping out in the White Sands Desert of New Mexico. If you’ve never been, add that to your Beer and Skittles List. It is incredible that such beauty can exist.
But back to Bryn and the back country deserts of New Mexico. So there we are, miles and miles from civilization and we come across a man and woman camping, or perhaps temporarily living in the desert? Either way, as we made small talk, I watched how Bryn’s curiosity about them plunged him deep in a new world of undiscovered knowledge, differences and similarities. The way he passionately interacted with these strangers, now friends, shook the core of my being. Bryn has this earnest desire to gather knowledge, and to also spread knowledge. He can learn something new and interesting about any topic at all, and from any person. For someone as smart and wise as he is, he is never satisfied or full. I’ve noticed how that curiosity has over the years also spread to me. I’m incredibly thankful for it. My friendship with Bryn has given me one of the most important gifts anyone can bestow on another: the passion of curiosity.
It seems to be a rare soul that has such an insatiable fervor for knowledge like Bryn. But maybe that’s why we have such a need for creative energy. And we need more creative minds. So be curious. Curiosity breeds creativity.
“Curiosity about life in all of its aspects, I think, is still the secret of great creative people.” –Leo Burnett
Seth Godin says that we often struggle to be curious people because of the seven, ten, or fifteen years of school that you are required to not be curious. Albert Einstein said that it is a miracle that curiosity ever survives formal education. That’s two wise men for you to argue with here… I’m going to side with them on this one.
Once you let that seedling of curiosity take root, it will never go away. Feed your curiosity. Pursue it with a passion and your creativity will follow. Spread curiosity. The world needs more beauty and it will come from your creativity.
This lack of creativity born from our schooling has been pretty nicely put in Ivan Illich’s ‘DeSchooling Society’. I read it while I was in France a few years ago when I was thinking of becoming a teacher. It put me off the education system for life.
This curiosity thing though.. you’re right. Sometimes I sit for hours and hours on Wikipedia, just clicking on different links and reading about the most obscure things. Every so often, one of those random articles will spark something within me to write something truly heartfelt, or to just go out and try something.
Without that creativity, I know for sure that I’d just be stuck in a dead end 9-5 job, which is why the government sees it as so important to squash creativity as soon as possible.
Sad times.
It’s tragic that so many people think that pursuing their interests (especially via wikipedia) is a waste of time. But that spark you mention, that’s what its all about.
I’ll be sure to snag a copy of the book you mention. Personally, I’m torn on the education system. I’m a product of it, but did it really shape me? Probably quite a bit. But more importantly, life and travel, people and cultures, these are the things that have really made me who I am today.
I guess for now, I can only keep learning and stay curious.
Hey,
I just foudn your blog through one of your comments at ThinkTraffic. I really love this article. Just lately I have been struggling to get creativity back into my life.
Especially with ours kids being on the verge to have to go to school this is a very interesting topic. Should I pass on to my kids what I know I didn’t enjoy back as a kid? I’d love them to grow up staying those amazing people they are – wondering about what surrounds them and questioning their reality.
Sadly this is not made easy for parents. I really wonder how that will turn out.
- Philipp
Welcome welcome! I’m glad you came by and shared your thoughts. They really bring up an important issue.
You’re in a difficult position as your kids enter the schooling age. I believe in education, but I am learning to believe in wonder and curiosity more. That seems to lead to a brighter education. Perhaps it is about staying connected with your kids and edifying that growth. Your involvement and encouragement will have a far greater reach than any schooling can give them.
That is exactly our plan – try to connect as much as possible with our kids. We encourage to question anything and discover things for themselves instead of waiting to be presented with solutions out of the box.
Thanks for your reply, appreciate it!
David, that is exactly our plan – try to connect as much as possible with our kids. We encourage to question anything and discover things for themselves instead of waiting to be presented with solutions out of the box.
Thanks for your reply, appreciate it!
I just read Joel Runyon’s post ‘Take Your Seat’ and I heavily encourage everyone to see it. http://www.joelrunyon.com/two3/take-your-seat
You nailed it with the importance of discovering things first and not waiting for others to present opportunities or solutions. So good!
Your words are far too soothing to my soul. Curiosity has been rejected so many times in my life, and standardization or one way to act is the key. Follow this one way, and do not stray from that path. Curiosity takes the kid into the forest to see where the rabbit lives. Curiosity puts a frog in the jar to stare at for hours. We squash that in children of today, because we don’t want to answer all their questions. The truth is we don’t know the answer, because we haven’t ever been curious enough to find out.
Well you are starting to sound like a new generation Seth Godin! I like it! And you’re absolutely right, we haven’t been curious enough! It’s time to let the children lead us!
I found myself in whole foods this morning opening all the health food books and reading the inside covers. Before I knew it, 30 minutes had gone by and I just added 10 books to the “I want to read list”. I was curious and wanted to know more. I think as kids in school we are forced to learn certain subject material and like Matt said when it comes to being curious outside of what is being taught we are almost looked sown upon or asked to “get back on track”.
I will be a witness to David’s thirst for knowledge, we will be watching a movie and all the sudden he is on his computer Googleing a song, character, movie theme. whatever it may be but he is always wanting to know more then what is presented to him. I admire you for that Dave. I think a lack of curiosity is laziness because like you said it’s all at our fingertips. We are foolish to not take advantage of that.
Now for the curve ball? Learning to not let the mass amounts of research overwhelm us and to learn what’s real and what’s just a ploy for money and product awareness.
These comments have more to offer than my post! Thanks for the great insights.
Meg, you bring up two great points that I wish I would have more eloquently highlighted. You said it best: “a lack of curiosity is laziness because… it’s all at our fingertips”.
Your second point is even better! Avoiding the overwhelming amount of info curiosity can bring is vital. We have to separate truths from ads, marketing, and agendas.
But either way, we must keep our curiosities alive!
Okay so another quote to share that this post reminded me of…
Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive. ~ Howard Thurman
Exploring our curiousity and creativity makes us come alive. We need more of that…
I hope you don’t mind me stealing this quote as my new life mantra. I can’t believe I haven’t heard this gem yet. This is exactly my mission in life! Thanks for sharing!!
I have to comment again….as someone who has been in the field of education for almost 20 years (OMG), my increasing frustration for years has been the squashing of creativity and curiousity in schools. I could go on and on about this but it breaks my hear to see what happens to kids – so many who are curious and creative and do not fit in a box are punished, scolded, assessed and labeled as disruptive and learning disabled…when they are simply wanting to learn the way they learn. They do not want to do worksheets, they want to explore and create.
Forgive me for another quote…
Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will spend its whole life believing that it is stupid. ~ Albert Einstein
And when this happens…creative and curious souls are limited….
Never apologize for comments!
You are very thoughtful and wise! You’ve certainly put in the long haul for our education system and I absolutely admire you for that. It is my hope that we can push that idea of worksheets and standardized testing out the window. We are desperate for more creativity and exploration. Einstein cannot be wrong! Everybody is a genius, we just need to help others realize their strengths!