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Kindle Notes & Highlights
by
Joey Cofone
Read between
January 5 - March 19, 2023
Familiarity is the mother of boredom, and boredom is kryptonite to creativity.
New ideas almost always face opposition. It’s why creativity—the practice of ideas—is viewed with so much apprehension and fear. Its very nature requires that the unknown be explored, that new paths be scouted. Because of this, there will often be friction when presenting an idea to a general audience, regardless of the quality of the idea itself.
The Law of Good Enough Aim for perfection and you will find yourself smothered by perpetual searching and disappointment. Instead, publish the simplest, clearest version of your creation, and go from there.
Salvador Dali famously said, “Have no fear of perfection—you’ll never reach it.” He understood what most do not, that striving for perfection inherently dooms a project to be steeped in feelings of disappointment.
the process of putting something into the world requires two elements: First, the creation itself. Second, the presentation of the creation.
creativity is the practice of ideas, and a creation is the expression of said ideas. The creation generally solves some kind of problem or expresses a concept.120 Once it’s made, there’s the challenge of presenting—or publishing—which is the second layer of creation.
The Prime Construct is the simplest version of your idea that can be shaped into an effective creation. Measuring whether you’re at the simplest version is a matter of pulling away components. If a creation no longer functions with even a single current component removed, you’re at the prime level. If it does function, then keep that component removed and take away yet another until you’ve reached prime.
Perfection is a double-edged sword. If wielded correctly, it can serve you well. If wielded incorrectly, it can harm you rather than help. Accept that perfection is unattainable in the physical world. Understand that to strive for it would be like trying to find the legendary (but nonexistent) lost city of Atlantis.
A sobering truth: Only 27 percent of college graduates work in a field related to their major.
We’re all human. Doubt is natural and common. It’s what we do with doubt that determines our success.
Art, schmart—don’t let the word distract you. Anyone who does something with heart and passion is an artist. Anything they make with that mindset is art.
“Find the torture you’re comfortable with.”
As you continue, your tiny snowball of perseverance becomes an unstoppable ice boulder until, finally, it catapults itself into orbit as a brand new, tide-changing moon in the sky.
It’s important to value discipline and planning, but it is equally important to balance them with impulse and adaptability. Remember to weave in and out of future and present thinking. Let your curiosities guide you. Don’t be concerned with where they’ll take you or how they’ll be judged.
Whenever you actively make the decision to do “just a little bit more,” you’re broadening your potential. Putting in three more minutes of effort may not seem like much in a given moment, but when you do it day after day, it adds up.
“Be diligent, don’t cut corners, give my full self to what I’m doing. Always go the extra mile that makes the difference between them and me.”
Every day there are dozens, if not hundreds, of opportunities for you to do better. The more you apply this approach to the small things, the easier it is to bring it to the big ones.140
You can do the same. Harness the power of your Micro and Macro Wills by consciously going one step further at every opportunity. Before long, your baseline will be beyond what others consider normal. As you keep pushing, your standard will be others’ excellent. And, if you keep going, little by little you will find yourself in the realm of greatness.
Alan Watts, Zen Buddhist and bestselling author, said, “Real travel requires a maximum of unscheduled wandering, for there is no other way of discovering surprises and marvels.” Whether adjacent or remote, you must include unscripted experiences—only then can they be called adventures.
See these buildings and more at lawsofcreativity.com/zaha-hadid.
Bruce Lee said, “All types of knowledge ultimately mean self-knowledge.” The act of learning is a journey that happens within yourself. While it’s from the outside world that knowledge is gathered, it’s inside that knowledge becomes something more. It melds with who you are. It dances with the ideas floating in your mind. And it contributes to the complex being that is you.
Keep in mind that you are what you eat, so be conscious of what you allow your mind to consume.
Weird is different, different is unique, unique is original. And everyone wants to be original.
exercise indirectly enhances your ability to be creative by releasing serotonin and dopamine, improving your mood, sleep, and overall ability to self-motivate. When you’re happy, it’s easier to create. When you’re well rested, it’s easier to think. And when you’re motivated, it’s easier to get to work.
“Exercise is the most transformative thing you can do for your brain today.”
The healthier you are physically, the more effective you are mentally.
The Law of the Now Connect to the present. Let time fall to the wayside, ignoring what was yesterday and what may be tomorrow. Let the now be all that exists—because it is—and you will go deeper than you ever thought possible.
It’s been shown that those who meditate for thirty minutes a day have over 400 percent more creative ideas. Even meditating for just ten minutes has been linked with over 20 percent wider range of ideas. And walking while brainstorming is said to increase creative thoughts by 60 percent.163
The Analects
Gratitude—for the past: Nothing is immune to the effects of appreciation. When you look at the past through a lens of thankfulness, you realize that even the worst of times produce something to be grateful for, whether it’s a lesson learned or a toughness earned. This allows you to recognize that no matter what happens, you will come out on the other side with something positive.
They say half the battle in life is showing up. In terms of achieving greatness, the other half is sticking around.
When you tightly plan your future, you anchor yourself to a set of expectations.170 As we’ve uncovered, that’s an unrealistic method for making progress. When you point yourself in a direction, however, you focus more on the present than the end goal. You accept that the future is a mystery, and though you aim yourself towards a vision, you also allow your path to be what it is rather than force a plan that may never be.
Of course, it’s easy to point to successes that have already come to pass. It’s also easy to point to big names doing big things today. Do not compare yourself. Rather, appreciate their successes and be inspired by them.
In the Introduction you first learned that creativity isn’t magic, it’s more like gravity: reliable and reproducible.
Download a free printable cheat sheet at lawsofcreativity.com/cheat-sheet
Download the bonus chapter at lawsofcreativity.com/creative-at-work
Download the bonus chapter at lawsofcreativity.com/creative-at-home
