Imagine: How Creativity Works

The secret’s out: we’re all born creative. Our experiences are what suck the creativity out of us.

But Jonah Lehrer spreads the glad tidings in Imagine: How Creativity Works—we can cultivate experiences to make it flourish again. That tired old myth of the “artsy type” is debunked. Developing creativity has never been in such easy reach.

Which is amazing news, because creativity has never been so important. Harnessing creative potential is key to success and growth in our ever-changing marketplace.

There’s oodles of ways to get more creative and a gaggle of aspects to creativity. Looking for an “aha” moment? Take the dog for a walk and stop thinking about your problem. Need to solve an apparently impossible puzzle? Don’t worry if it’s stumped experts for years: get a set of amateur outsiders on the job. Want to make sure your company’s next project blows the competition out of the water? Centralize the washrooms and get colleagues mingling in the coffee room. Want some fresh inspiration? Travel somewhere new and immerse yourself in the unexpected.

If these “fixes” seem counterintuitive, let Lehrer explain exactly how—and why—they work.

So shuck off that beret and get out of that garret. Creativity isn’t what you think, and those tired old stereotypes are just plain wrong. You don’t lack creativity. You only need to start nurturing it. 

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Michelle Superle writes books plus other stuff and earns a living teaching people how to do it too. She gets her wellness on by running around with the lovely human male, charming dog, and beautiful horses she lives with.