What Does It Really Mean To Be Creative?

In school, creativity belongs inside the box labeled “The Arts” in the corner of the classroom. That’s one place where creativity belongs, but it’s certainly not the only one. So what does being creative mean?

Creativity is a mindset that gives us a sense of inventiveness and excitement.

We can be creative in the way we approach a problem.

We can be creative in the way we communicate things.

We can be creative in the way we connect, synthesize, and assimilate ideas.

We can be creative in the way we use humor.

We can be creative in the way we engage in free play.

We can be creative in the spontaneous adventures we come up with.

What does being creative mean?

In other words, creativity is not limited to the arts.

It’s also not limited to brand new ideas. 

It’s rarely the case that a novel invention is entirely original. New creations generally result from combining existing ideas in novel ways.

What does being creative mean? When we come up with ideas that are new and useful to us, we are being creative. We are re-mixing creatively.

Kids who believe they are not the “creative type” fear and avoid the creative process. In this video, David Perell and I explore some common myths about creativity and the importance of changing the narrative around this fuzzy topic to unleash a generation of creators.

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I explore ideas like this in Fab Fridays, my newsletter on childhood education and new ways to learn.

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