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Kindle Notes & Highlights
The conclusion he came to was that there were only two differences between the creative and the uncreative architects. The first was that the creative architects knew how to play. The second was that the creative architects always deferred making decisions for as long as they were allowed.
It simply means they are able to tolerate that vague sense of discomfort that we all feel, when some important decision is left open, because they know that an answer will eventually present itself.
You see, leaving a question unresolved, just leaving it open, makes some people anxious. They worry. And if they can’t tolerate that mild discomfort, they go ahead and rush the decision. They probably fool themselves that they’re being decisive. But creative people are much better at tolerating the vague sense of worry that we all get when we leave something unresolved.
The greatest killer of creativity is interruption. It pulls your mind away from what you want to be thinking about. Research has shown that, after an interruption, it can take eight minutes for you to return to your previous state of consciousness, and up to twenty minutes to get back into a state of deep focus.
When you’re being creative there is no such thing as a mistake.
As Einstein once pointed out, if we know what we’re doing when we’re investigating something, then it’s not research!
the longer you sit there, the more your mind slows and calms down and settles.
It is, however, very important that when you first have a new idea, you don’t get critical too soon.
Exact copying can teach technique, but this little book is about creativity, not forgery!
the bigger the leap, the longer the creative period is likely to be.
We came to understand that the blockages weren’t an interruption in the process, they were part of it.
The good thing about panic is that it gives you energy. You never think, “I’m panicking, so I’ll have a nice snooze.” Instead, the panic will help you get down to the job.
So when you finish your first draft: Cut anything that is not relevant (there will be more than you think). Don’t repeat yourself unless you really want to.
As a general rule, when people become absolutely certain that they know what they’re doing, their creativity plummets.
The trouble is that most people want to be right. The very best people, however, want to know if they’re right.
if you are curious and keen to learn, the more experience you gain, the better your judgement will become. Of course, you’ll inevitably make some mistakes, but even these will help hone your skills for the future.
