There is a lot of talk about creativity these days. Creativity drives innovation, it sparks new thinking about success, it enriches our lives, and it connects us to other human beings. While this is all wonderful and true, schools and educators find great difficulty in figuring out how to get more creative. The subjects that Steve Jobs taught me.
Since creativity is individualized and it expresses itself in each person differently, it becomes difficult for educational systems entrenched in testing and standards to figure out how to unlock creativity in students.
Unfortunately, there is no ideal top-down solution. Luckily, creative people can be cultivated.
Here are the ingredients to cultivate creative and successful people:
Awareness
“If you don’t know where you’re going, the road will take you there.” – the Cheshire Cat to Alice
Any math teacher worth their salt will exclaim, “math is everywhere!” They see geometry on a pool table; they see calculus as a car slows to a stop, they hear it in the toe-tapping of the clarinet player, they see simple math in giving change at the store.
They know what math looks like in real time and real life because they have spent the time studying, practicing, and becoming aware of the many ways math is relatable. Creativity is no different.
A creative teacher is aware of what creativity looks like for themselves as well as how it might manifest itself in others. A creative person always keeps their radar up for “interestingness.”
Steve Jobs taught me … empowerment
Empowerment is not a gift bestowed upon you; empowerment comes from within.
Every individual is filled with greatness and flaws. An empowered person dares to accept themselves for who they are and chooses a growth mindset.
A growth mindset says creativity begets more creativity. A growth mindset says you can learn to be more creative. A growth mindset says you can create conditions in which creativity flourishes.
This is the kicker. It’s not enough to just read about creativity or to scour Pinterest for hours each day. Creativity requires getting in there. It gets messy. It requires some failing forward. That being said, there is real joy in creative practice.
The act of making something, however small the act may be, changes something within. It lights a fire.
One way to start a creative practice is with a little copying. Children do this instinctively. They trace letters; they repeat movie lines (sometimes with perfect voice inflections) and song lyrics.
Copying allows an individual to learn the ropes. Many great painters learned first as understudies, copying their masters.
The next step is a little something called remixing. The art of the remix is to take something that already exists and make it new. This might be a song; it might be blackout poetry, it might be improving on a coffee cup.
Remixing is different than copying in that an individual is adding a little of themselves into the mix. It’s like an homage to the original artist, but with a little kick.
Remixing fuels creativity, and serves to spark others. This is evident in the viral videos that arise each day with parents, co-workers, and children dancing, lip syncing, and singing to remixed works.
The last way a person might practice their creativity is through combining.
A great example of a combination is when Steve Jobs merged the idea of a graphical interface with the idea of a computer as a household appliance. The combination emerged as the wildly successful Macintosh computer.
Combinations are powerful forms of creativity. Unlikely pairings can often yield interesting results. It often takes many trials and failing forward to get the combination just right, but as the saying goes, “there is no glory in practice, but without practice, there is no glory.”
It is said that we are all born creative, but it can get buried and trampled in this modern world. Creativity thrives in classrooms where there is courage, awareness, and a culture that supports creative practice. When people light their internal fires, it serves as a beacon for others.
Everyone wants to be successful, whatever that means for the individual. But so many people struggle with getting there. Often, it’s because they don’t have a clear definition of what success is.
In my journey, I have spent time with entrepreneurs, executives, and billionaires. While they are certainly as diverse in personality as are their versions of success, I have noticed similar attributes. Here are nine you may want to incorporate into your practice.
In Simon Sinek’s popular TED Talk, which remains one of the most viewed ever, he explains how great leaders, like Steve Jobs, the Wright Brothers, and Martin Luther King Jr. succeed where many others failed because they put purpose first. “Start with why,” he says and then moves on to the “what” and the “how.”
That’s generally good advice. The best way to build a great organization is to start with a clear mission rather than a plan or a product. Still, it overlooks another very important truth. Success eventually breeds failure and, when that happens, you must venture into the unknown where your purpose becomes unclear.
That’s a very different type of problem and we need to approach it differently. We have to explore, probe new spaces and make new connections. That’s the only way you will come across the unexpected, random pieces of insight that can take you in a new direction. Starting with the “why” is one path to success, but sometimes it’s better to start with the “why not?”
They focus
So many people try to do too many things. Incredibly successful people have learned they need to focus on doing one or two things well. Then they can leverage those skills to build something great. They can easily team up with others who have complementary skills.
Steve Jobs taught me … to plan
There are many arguments in the entrepreneurial community about the merits of business plans. The mistake in thinking of those opposed to the idea is that a business plan is a hard and fast schematic for the business.
The most successful people always have a plan as a preliminary structure from which they can deviate. The benefit comes not from the plan but rather from the process of planning.
Steve Jobs taught me … to delegate
It’s difficult to obtain success without involving other people. There is little success that can be easily achieved by one person. Life and business are too complex today.
Incredibly successful people constantly engage another talent to help make a vision reality. They master the art of deconstructing process in their brain and sharing it.
Steve Jobs taught me … to learn
I have yet to meet a successful person of any age who believes he or she knows everything. In fact, the most successful people I know strongly believe they know less than most others.
They love to learn and are cognizant of how much knowledge is out there for them to explore. And so they do.
They lead
The world needs followers. Without them, so much would never get done. And certainly, a modicum of success can come to those who are not trailblazers. But incredibly successful people never sit back when they know the opportunity is theirs. They get out in front and bring worthy followers along for the journey.
Steve Jobs taught me … to respect
Incredibly successful people rarely look down on others. This is one of the factors that differentiate a successful person from just a rich one. Most incredibly successful people earn mutual respect based on their behavior and the value they bring to society. They relax and enjoy their success by sharing with humanity.
They evaluate
Many people take things at face value. They don’t question or investigate. Incredibly successful people are naturally curious. They like to dig down into the details to understand how things work and why the world is the way it is. Then they can decide how to engage most effectively.
Just because someone is smart or wealthy doesn’t mean others will want to emulate that person.
Incredibly successful people create an aura of their activity that makes people look up and take notice. Their work is purposeful, righteous, and worthy.
They thank
It takes a lot of support to create success. Incredibly successful people are mindful of showing appreciation sincerely and often to those who help them achieve success. It’s not hard, the thought of leaving someone un-thanked never even enters their mind.
Call today for a FREE consultation or a FREE quote. Learn about some options to scope your job.
Call Mike at 607-725-8240.
All you get is what you bring to the fight. And that fight gets better every day you learn and apply new ideas.
When things are not what you want them to be, what’s most important is your next step. Call today.
Test. Learn. Improve. Repeat.
Are you devoting enough energy continually improving your continuous learning?
Digital Spark Marketing will stretch your thinking and your ability to adapt to change. We also provide some fun and inspiration along the way. Call us for a free quote today. You will be amazed at how reasonable we will be.
More reading on learning from Digital Spark Marketing’s Library:
Mike Schoultz is a digital marketing and customer service expert. With 48 years of business experience, he consults on and writes about topics to help improve the performance of the small business. Find him on G+, Facebook, Twitter, Digital Spark Marketing, and LinkedIn.
