The Secret to Creativity

Wonderfull writing, again.
I have to agree on this one. As a musician I also have the reaction of observing other music styles, and try to use those influences to make my one music. Everything is – like you said – rearranged.
This text makes me go back to the beginning of everything: the Big Bang. It seems that every kind of ‘culture’ (art, music, …) al goes back to that one moment of creativity. But no one can explain how it all happened.
It reminds me of Eastern philosophy that talks about ‘a great explosion of energy with information. After the explosion, the energy spreads out, and we get the energy to have a culture’.

Sorry for my bad english.

I couldn’t agree with you more, John. I always look to different sources for inspiration, nature, music, graphics, writing, people watching… changing my environment changes my writing, or designing. It’s amazing how much is out there to inspire our creativity if we just take the time to look.

Quincy,

You’re English isn’t bad at all, at least not compared to my French. I’ve also wondered about that one unexplainable instant when music, art, etc. were created. That’s the great mystery of life I suppose and a reason you should never be too cynical about the world.

Well written…
Imitation? No. Influenced? Yes.

John,
Creation through influence, not imitation. Is that another way to say re-organization?

I agree, Steve. There is a big difference between imitation and influence. Imitators are rarely successful because they try to take someone else’s creativity without blending it with their own. Imitation always feels like it’s missing something, like it’s only a shell of the original.

Interesting stuff. I agree with you, there is nothing new under the sun, just new ways to put them together.

I just want to know…what influenced the creation of the Pet Rock? And why in the hell was that thing so popular?

My repurposed matter sure says the darnedest things. Things I don’t think anyone else has ever said before. Pretty good for a recombination of existing genetic material…

Good writing John. I agree with everything except the last paragraph. That paragraph doesn’t sound like you, more like someone else’s words.
I think genuine creativity does exist. Although 95% of the time people just rearrange things, as you say.
What did Mozart rearrange when he created his first piece at the age of five ?
Creativity is creation and it’s also reorganization. And it is so much easier to reorganize than to create
If nothing, you must consider Big Bang as genuine creativity, so it does exist.

Hi John, Very interesting article. I enjoyed it, though I have to disagree with the last paragraph. While it may be possible to say no *matter* has been created since the Big Bang, that doesn’t necessarily mean nothing at all has been created since that point. Is an idea considered “matter”? Is the manifestation of an idea always considered “matter”? For example, is a poem considered “matter”? The paper it’s written on…yes. The ink it’s written in…yes. But the concepts and ideas? The particular arrangement of words? I don’t think the notion can be carried that far unless you take scientific reductionism to its fullest extreme and assume everything — including ideas — can eventually be reduced to the smallest bits of matter (particles, strings, or whatever else is being touted by the latest popular theories.

Although what you say is true, isn’t it also true that you learn vasts amounts from observing what doesn’t work?

So you’re saying that everything we do is influenced by other people – the more ‘creative’ other people are the more it reflects upon ourselves?
Where does our own personal experiences or thought processes come into it? This is taking too much of a behaviourist explanation of human behaviour for my liking… I want my free will and the creativity that comes with it back!!!

[...] to keep their interest in reading your past and future posts. Check out Pick The Brain on the secrets to creativity. It may just help you on adding subscribers to your [...]

Jacki Jinx,

We certainly do learn from our mistakes. I should have emphasized that it’s not possible to learn from observation entirely, you need to starting doing and learn from the results.

Speaking about ‘re-arranging’: I once had a bad dream (literally) – I enjoy listening to music a lot, many different genres etc.
Completely failed at it, can’t read it, no hope. But. There is a limited number of notes, right? Wouldn’t that mean that sooner or later all combinations would have been used? Meaning, there can’t be created any new, original song or music anymore?

It was a bad dream, but the thought keeps recurring – perhaps some musicians out there could clarify it? (it is in a way similar to the saying about the monkeys, the typewriters and Shakespeare – but when I dreamed it, I didn’t know that saying yet )

There may in fact be something new under the sun, but there’d be no way to know. Great post, John.

Great article.
You make a valid and strong point regarding creativity. Creativity can’t be done alone without the help of inspiration and we know this based on experience.

You should have gotten Holiday Inn Express to sponsor this post:-)

Great post.

I’ll be reading…

Glenn

[...] The Secret to Creativity All ideas have been thought before and all artists, especially the most brilliant, have their sources of inspiration. (tags: creativity) [...]

[...] Wesley presents The Secret to Creativity posted at Pick the [...]

Great post. I believe that in most things that we do we need to have inspiration. We can’t be motivated in doing every task every time. There’s are a lot of factors that affects our willingness to do work.

[...] Wesley presents The Secret to Creativity posted at Pick the [...]

[...] Wesley’s examination of The Secret to Creativity, posted at Pick the Brain, also went completely against my perception of the world. I don’t [...]

Hi. I checked out and read your post because I have started my own blog recently. I have been looking at other blogs for inspiration for content and also to see what other blogs look like. I am definitely at that “making small changes daily” stage with my own blog. Thanks for the insights. Patricia

[...] Fitbuff talks about a very powerful moment when he experienced mind over matter in How I lifted 50 pounds with my Mind. John Wesley writes that creativity does not just burst from nothing but usually has it’s origins somewhere – hmmm… debatable but definitely interesting in The Secret to Creativity. [...]

[...] statement that “creativity isn’t creation at all, it’s reorganization” certainly rings true for me when I read most of the blog entries I come across. And more so when I [...]

[...] The Secret to Creativity by John WesleyCreativity is becoming more and more important in this information age. It is creativity that set you apart from the rest and prevent you from being commodity. This article gives you the secret to creativity. My favorite quote: The most creative people imitate rarer, more brilliant sources and cover their tracks. [...]

I like your statement, “The most important creative asset is curiosity.” I’m finding out that that’s so true from doing research on the “net” — it has helped to awaken my inner-creativity, which was asleep for a while.

[...] authors, one is by Steve Pavlina on Creative Observation and the other is by John Wesley on the Secret to Creativity. Each of these posts helps you inspire your inner thoughts and creative mind. Thinking differently [...]

Creativity is culture …… a common sense …. relations … mystery
that what i can feel

[...] The Brain: The Secret to Creativity Leave a comment? Like this article? Subscribe to my RSS feed (What’s this?). or Subscribe new [...]

1 night in Paris Hilton exposed lol…

Paris Hilton in the bath! Paris Hilton sex tape video…

I Googled on “secrets of creative people” and discovered this article. THANK YOU. I love your insights; many of your comments I’ll be memorizing to inspire me during those bleak dry dull periods. Needless to say, I’ve bookmarked this page!

[...] Vía Pick the Brain descubrí esta genial frase y el secreto que nos da el autor para despertar nuestra creatividad: Observando cómo otros han aplicado su creatividad de manera exitosa, y combinar sus ideas con las nuestras. [...]

[...] John Wesley breaks Einstein’s rule and reveals The Secret to Creativity. [...]

Sam…

…

Thanks John, your writing really helped me!

[...] The Secret to Creativity “The biggest misconception about creativity is that it involves a moment of magical creation when the incredible appears out of thin air. The truth is less romantic. Everything comes from somewhere.” [...]

[...] The Secret to Creativity “The biggest misconception about creativity is that it involves a moment of magical creation when the incredible appears out of thin air. The truth is less romantic. Everything comes from somewhere.” [...]

I’m doing a dissertation at Saybrook Institute about creativity and writing. The best model I’ve found so far is the Flow model. Can you say anything about flow in relationship to “the secrets” of creative people.

Victor wrote a piece about creative flow that might interest you: http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/how-to-achieve-the-creative-state-of-flow/

[...] is a secret of creativity that many successful people use.  You didn’t think that all the great ideas in the world [...]

I once read that Einstein said he got most of his brilliant ideas while lying in bed without being asleep. I think he was spontaneously experiencing Transcendental Consciousness. Why? Just because this state of consciousness is pure silence, which is the home of all creativity within. Everybody has Transcendental Consciousness, but most of us fall asleep before consciously experiencing this most silent state of awareness. Transcendental Consciousness is THE most desirable thing which you could ever possess and the nice thing is that you already possess it. You only have to become aware of it, that’s all.
Jan.

I completely agree Jan. Transcendental consciousness or “pure consciosness” is source of everything. Fortunately it is available to everyone. You can easely tap into that source through some good form of peaceful meditation. I think everybody should do that daily. Maybe then, the world would be a better place.

creativity doesnt exist? I dont know if I agree. All things are created. Creativity has influence yes but does that mean that all new thought is standing on the shoulders of others, I dont think so, at least I hope not. Thought, art, poetry, music, all have aspects that influence them, but if one is true in creating then that is just background. When one truly creates they take an idea in a moment, this may have influences yes but in the moment of creation of an idea or a piece of work that is not based conciously on another then you have true creation. It exists as a new phenomenon. Like art or poetry, everytime someone looks on a piece of work for the first time without a knowledge of the painter, writer etc, they see what they alone see, they enjoy it for what it is to them, they have their own subjective truth of what it means, stands for, tells them. Art is recreated every time it is looked at by eyes that have no predetermined knowledge. Creation can exist in itself as long as we allow ourselves to be truly creative. We are not doomed to recreate the works of others, be inspired yes, but we have a duty to ourselves to make something that exists only in the moment, not the past or the future but just in the second of its creation and what it means to us. Its up to us to choose to do that.

Yes we are influenced by others when it comes to creativity, but I agree with Adrian in that when we look at a painter or read a book, etc..we don’t really know what was in the mind of the painter or the author but we are influenced by what we see and/or read..we imagine what we want, not necessarily what the author/painter..etc. had intended, because we use are own imagination via our own creativity…but anyone else could have looked at that painting or read that book and have been influenced in a different way. So what we do as a result of what influenced us is our own new rearranged creation. It is a creation because no one else before had either wrote a book word for word like yours, or drawn a painting exactly like yours, so it is your own creation; driven from other influences, but still a creation in it’s own.

Brainwaves created when meditating are similar to that of creative genius. Meditation is one of the easiest ways to become creative.

Mother Teresa said ‘Before you speak, it is necessary for you to listen, for God speaks in the silence of the heart.’ Being aware and receptive is an important part of receiving, understanding, and benefiting from Creativity.

An easy way to do this is to repeat a word over and over again while lying or sitting. Every time the internal dialogue gets going use your chosen word to interrupt it. Suggested words are peace, love, or simply the word one has wonderful results.

Dr. Herbert Benson of Harvard Medical School reports that by eliciting this form of relaxation, or as he called it The Relaxation Response, reduces blood pressure when practiced three times a week for ten minutes each.

When you reduce blood pressure you counteract hypertension, hardening of the arteries, which may reduce development of heart disease.

There are a host of other health benefits from regular meditation including increased level of neurotransmitters GABA, the hormones DHEA, Melatonin, Serotonin, higher levels of Endorphins, and helps bring balance to the PH of the body. The health benefits are too many to list!

Warm wishes,
Ryan
PS for more information on how to become more creative with meditation check out…
—————————————————–
http://www.alternative-spiritual-healing.com/how-to-meditate-for-beginners.html
—————————————————–

You come up with great points in your articles and there are some – which I find very interesting – where I would say: Yes and no. Everything was always here, but still lots of artists come up with something new – even thought they were inspired having seen something somewhere. When I write something, it is based on knowledge I have read or heard somewhere and still I put it into another light and I would guess you do the same. Something which does not exist yet, we can’t imagine and it does not have words. It is a new combination of known things. Every inventor takes already existing material, but it makes the combination, for example which made the light bulb light up. Didn’t it take a thousand different tests with different elements.

Creativity. What’s the Creativity. I think creativity, combined with those in hand to set up and a new results. This result as a summary of this article, I take off work.

[...] was really inspiring. Until I turned to my best friend once again and found out here and on this blog that this expression was coined by the Great Albert Einstein. (Ha! Tell me about [...]

[...] The Secret To Creativity I Love Social BookmarkingSubscribeDiggdel.icio.usFacebookRedditStumbleUponWe respect your privacy more than anything. We'll NEVER sell, rent or share your email address. That's more than a policy. It's our personal guarantee! Tags: calmness, how to achieve calm, how to be centered, how to meditate, meditation, pickthebrain, self improvement, stillness [...]

[...] Read More Filed Under: Create Light [...]

Sometimes, people become creative when they go through some sort of pain. This may be in the form of a breakup or a death in the family, but this is how people are able to get the inspiration to do creative things.

While it is certainly true that many examples of creativity are mutated forms of other works, sudden creativity also exists. I’d argue that the sudden-ignition form of creativity is generally more impactful and revolutionary (but not necessarily “better”) than the kind discussed in this article. Examples of such epiphanies include Newton’s realization of how gravity works, and Einstein’s work on the theories of general and special relativity.

How does one become truly creative? Does he need to be able to produce a poem or piece of art? What if he does not have the capability to do any of those?

Deserve best for those who try’s….I agry with u, creativity Comes from curiousity….n success is key for every thin…..

Very powerful article..like enrich soup…Thanks for writing…keep it up & up..Regards !

I honestly believe that creativity also comes when other areas of your life are doing well. For example, if I’ve been eating healthy and working out, I feel more creative and full of ideas towards the end of that day, but if I’ve been lazy and eating junk, my mind does not want to even think about creating something. 

 awesome

Call Center Outsourcing for telesales offerings is constantly advantageous still is almost not noticed if for example the solutions conduct yourself sharp. Accordingly, all the engaging technique and then a process-understanding should eliminate made the effort this really is subject to having all the scripts. Investigating workout is normally each valuable using sociable proficiency production technique quickly keeper speak to coronary heart service plan coronary heart. Skilled individual is constantly measured top most , in the email coronary heart freelancing vendors, the installation of a fabulous screenplay is mostly a outstanding place emphasis to make sure you continue to keep prospects within the fast means.

I love this! Thank you for sharing! In addition to working to help site owners, like the site owner of http://www.qmattresses.com/, I am working on a novel. I sometimes get hung up on making my art amazing and finding my creativity after spending a full work day completing tasks for my clients. I will definitely enjoy some of these tips and might even drop in to let you know how well some of them worked. Again, thank you!

Good artists copy , Great artists steal – Steve Jobs

as a politican myself, I do feel the way of observing, and having influences from other collegeues.

I agree with your ideas.