I think creativity is a pathological inability to accept the status quo.
I know of people in this world who can sit at a table with a blank piece of paper and a pencil in front of them and be fine with it. I'm not one of them. Never have been.
If I find myself in the presence of a blank piece of paper, I'm like, "Ops. That won't do. That's got to change. Best do something about that blank thing right now."
In minutes that piece of paper will have a drawing on it. Or a thought. Or a plan. Or a shopping list. Or my best guess at how motorcycle engines work. Something for God's sake.
It can't just sit in front of me like that with nothing on it. Some folks could let it be. Not me. Sorry. I can't do it. I can't help it. And and I can't stop.
And honest to God, the fucking "status quo" just asks for it.
You've pretty much covered the waterfront here, so applause for that — elements of novelty, previously unseen combinations of the new and existing, surprise. Interesting how "creativity," like the brilliant progeny we call "ideas" really does become more recognizable and useful when we add context — whether that's Ogilvy's "it's not creative if it doesn't sell" or Dorothy Parker's "creativity is a wild mind and a disciplined eye." Of course, got to love Einstein's "creativity is intelligence having fun," which where I think we'd all incline.
or Einstein's "creativity is intelligence have fun."
1+1=fish. I feel like that could be a little creativity question we can ask ourselves. “I think I’ve got something here, but is it fish?”
This is brilliant Rob. And I had never considered how odd it is the Fillet-O-Fish, which I love, has cheese on it.
Thanks, Jim! And btw, it’s actually only a half slice of cheese.
I did not know that!
Pays to be on Substack.
I ate one last night, Rob, in Yonkers. Half a slice. Mysterious, somehow.
Magic.
I think creativity is a pathological inability to accept the status quo.
I know of people in this world who can sit at a table with a blank piece of paper and a pencil in front of them and be fine with it. I'm not one of them. Never have been.
If I find myself in the presence of a blank piece of paper, I'm like, "Ops. That won't do. That's got to change. Best do something about that blank thing right now."
In minutes that piece of paper will have a drawing on it. Or a thought. Or a plan. Or a shopping list. Or my best guess at how motorcycle engines work. Something for God's sake.
It can't just sit in front of me like that with nothing on it. Some folks could let it be. Not me. Sorry. I can't do it. I can't help it. And and I can't stop.
And honest to God, the fucking "status quo" just asks for it.
You've pretty much covered the waterfront here, so applause for that — elements of novelty, previously unseen combinations of the new and existing, surprise. Interesting how "creativity," like the brilliant progeny we call "ideas" really does become more recognizable and useful when we add context — whether that's Ogilvy's "it's not creative if it doesn't sell" or Dorothy Parker's "creativity is a wild mind and a disciplined eye." Of course, got to love Einstein's "creativity is intelligence having fun," which where I think we'd all incline.
or Einstein's "creativity is intelligence have fun."
Oh by the way the Da Vinci Bear is great.
The rollicking memoir I’m wrapping up on having an autistic child. Ok, not all rollicking. But some.
🍤 + 🐪 =
Tiny camel?
Lump shrimp?
Love this - "Take two things that have no business being together. Combine them. Get something entirely new."
As perfect a definition as I’ve ever heard.