Where do all your good ideas come from?
“So to be a creative person, you need to “feed” or “invest” in yourself by exploring uncharted paths that are outside the realm of your past experience. Seek out new dimensions of yourself—especially those that carry a romantic scent.”
There are countless stories about the exact moment of creation.
Take the structure of the benzene molecule, for example.
August Kekulé, the nineteenth-century German chemist, claimed to have envisioned its ring-like shape after dreaming of a snake eating its tail.
Or how about the Danish physicist Nils Bohr and his intuition about the structure of an atom, where the electrons circle a small, positively charged nucleus, similar to how planets orbit one another in the solar system?
But the most famous is the tale of the Greek inventor Archimedes, who noticed his body weight displaced the bath water and reasoned he could use this principle to measure the volume of unusually shaped objects.
In reality, these ‘eureka’ or ‘aha’ moments are just the final step in the creative process.
They tell you when the idea was born but not where it originated. And the latter is much more important if you want to become more creative.
Why?
Because you can then consciously think about improving the quality of thoughts you generate.
So where do your ideas come from?
Fundamentally, there are three sources influencing your creativity. Let’s take a look at them below.
1. Inputs
Creativity is about making connections between existing things.
And the more things you know, the more potential connections you can make.
So you must think carefully about your information diet.
How varied is it? What do you read, watch and listen to? How often do you introduce new topics of interest?
Exposing yourself to a wide range of information from various disciplines, industries, and perspectives is critical.
Focus on consuming high-quality material rather than overwhelming yourself with content.
2. Associations
The saying "you are the product of the five people you spend the most time with" is often attributed to the motivational speaker Jim Rohn.
The idea is that the people you surround yourself with can influence your thoughts, beliefs, and behaviours.
In other words, to be an idea machine, you need to hang out with other creative people.
The Bloomsbury Set was a great example of this.
They were a group of writers, artists and intellectuals, including Virginia Woolfe, John Maynard Keynes and E. M. Forster, who hung out together in Bloomsbury, an area in central London in the first half of the 20th century.
Being close to one another allowed them to share ideas and feedback on each other's work, helping to elevate it.
Fortunately, we no longer live in an age where your physical location restricts your ability to build networks of like-minded people.
Now, social media allows you to develop relationships with creatively-minded people who inspire you wherever they are.
3. Environment
Where you spend time is just as important as who you spend it with.
The right environment can be stimulating and encourage you to be creative.
In his book, The Medici Effect: Breakthrough Insights at the Intersection of Ideas, Concepts, and Cultures, Frans Johansson coined the term the ‘Medici effect’.
The name ‘Medici’ comes from the powerful Medici family of Florence, Italy.
They were renowned patrons during the Renaissance who brought together artists, scientists, philosophers, and thinkers from various fields.
The ‘Medici effect’ describes the phenomenon where the intersection of diverse disciplines, cultures, and ideas spark innovation and creativity.
It explains why travel is so valuable.
Different environments force you to look at things from another perspective. And this gives your mind a chance to make connections it might not have otherwise seen.
If you found the above helpful, you’ll love our Creative Thinking Course. Made in collaboration with some of the world’s greatest creative minds, it's packed with practical tools and tips to help unlock your creative potential.
