November 2006
Creativity at Work: Principles and Practices
What can we learn from art that we can apply in our own lives? In this newsletter I draw upon the artist Henri Rousseau as a source of inspiration:
1. If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing badly.
This is a bit cheeky, but it frees you from the tyranny of perfection. If you worry about how good you are, you may never begin. Be creative for the joy of it.
This principle is evident in the work of Henri Rousseau, the French artist best known for his imaginary jungle scenes. I saw a retrospective of his life’s work at the National Gallery in Washington last summer and was surprised to see how dreadful his early work was. <http://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/2006/rousseau/index.shtm>
How did he make a quantum leap into mastery?
2. Develop your craft.
Research shows that breakthroughs generally occur after 10 years of study on a particular domain. Genius is usually the result of thousands of hours of practice. <http://www.creativityatwork.com/articlesContent/whatis.htm>
After years of developing his craft and following his bliss, Rousseau eventually created memorable masterpieces. For a customs office clerk who was self-taught and only took up painting full-time in retirement, this was an extraordinary accomplishment.
3. Learning and creativity are soul mates. Learning sparks creativity and vice versa.
Rousseau never set foot outside France, yet he painted fantastic jungle scenes. To fuel his imagination, he studied plants and animals at local botanical gardens, the zoo and the natural history museum of Paris.
See pictures here: <http://www.tate.org.uk/modern/exhibitions/rousseau/inspiration/>
4. Be curious and follow your nose.
Get interested in something and it will later provide you with a goldmine of ideas if you follow the next principle.
5. Challenge convention.
Learn to make connections between people, places and things that would not ordinarily be connected. Combining ideas, and making connections are key practices of creativity.
Rousseau was an outsider and unfamiliar with the rules of artistic establishment. He challenged convention, but in his case I don’t think it was intentional. In contrast to academic art, he incorporated graphic images from popular culture—illustrated magazines, dime store adventure novels, postcards, and photographs— into his work.
6. Question your assumptions to achieve creative breakthroughs.
Rousseau’s bold and naïve paintings challenged the established art world but his work excited a new generation of artists and writers; Guillaume Apollinaire, Robert Delaunay, and Pablo Picasso. They saw the future of painting in the bold, primitive style and the dream-like quality of Rousseau’s art.
In the worlds of business, art and science, inviting outsiders to ask questions and give you feedback, can generate breakthrough ideas. Outsiders are more likely to challenge assumptions and help you see your blind spots.
7. Develop networks which support you and increase your visibility.
Rousseau moved to a studio in Montparnasse, a centre of artistic activity, frequented by various avant-garde artists, poets, writers and musicians who were important to his life.
8. Here is the secret to liberating your creativity: Let the desire to create come from love —love for what you have to offer the world.
When you create out of love, you have room to make mistakes. If you worry about how good you are, you may never begin.
Creativity takes on many forms. It may express itself through gardening, decorating, preparing a meal or business entrepreneurship. Creativity expresses itself through fresh thinking, seeing things in new ways, and acting on new ideas. Expressing your creativity is living your passion, being and artist in all areas of life and making your whole life a work of art—even your work. http://www.creativityatwork.com/articlesContent/workart.htm
Gift Ideas
I have put together a collection of books on art, creativity, design and innovation just for you: http://astore.amazon.com/creativitatwork
Check out Roger von Oech’s Ball of Whacks: A Creativity Tool for Innovators which includes a workshop in a booklet. The ball is made up of magnetic rhombic triacontahedrons (little pyramid shapes) that are easy to put together—unlike the Rubic Cube. One reviewer calls it “Geometric Hand Candy”
Change the World for Ten Bucks (Canada)
Change the World for a Fiver (UK)
Change the World 9-5.
Three charmingly upbeat, beautifully illustrated little books that offer 50 simple, everyday actions that can improve our environment, our health, and our communities. Makes a great gift. (for adults and kids), friends and co-workers.
If you are in Canada visit www.wearewhatwedo.ca to purchase your copies, otherwise please visit www.wearewhatwedo.org .
Happy Creating,
Linda Naiman
