#176: Trumpet Principle, Familiar Novelties & a Way of Being
3 Ideas in 2 Minutes on Creativity
I. Trumpet Principle
Creativity is the ability to generate ideas, solutions or products that are both novel and useful. So can anyone be creative? Not according to education researcher Dylan William.
A real problem with a lot of writing on creativity is that it ignores the second part of the standard defintion: having novel ideas that have value. Blowing through the wrong end of a trumpet is not creative; Miles Davis is. Creativity almost always requires disciplinary mastery.
II. Familiar Novelties
YouTuber Tom Scott made explanation videos about Things You Might Not Know for ten years. Here’s an insight on Familiar Novelties he shared while dining at the only float-through McDonald’s in the world.
One of the things I’ve learned over the years I’ve been making videos is that people like a combination of familiarity and novelty. If everything changes, people don’t like it and they move to other things. But if nothing changes, people get bored and they move to other things.
And in the same way, I think it’s fascinating to find something that’s very close to what you already know but that changes it in one or two interesting ways.
—Tom Scott, The world's only float-through McDonalds
…such as a highly-standardised McDonald’s restaurant giving you the option of buying a BigMac from the comfort of your Kayak.
III. A Way of Being
Rick Rubin is a legend in the music business. The wise old white-bearded record producer is known for having no music skills other than confidence in his taste and the ability to express what he feels. His view on creativity is more pragmatic.
Living life as an artist is a practice. You are either engaging in the practice or you’re not. It makes no sense to say you’re not good at it. It’s like saying, “I’m not good at being a monk.”
You are either living as a monk or you’re not. We tend to think of the artist’s work as the output. The real work of the artist is a way of being in the world.
―Rick Rubin, The Creative Act
So it looks like anyone can be an artist. As long as you dedicate your life to blowing through the wrong end of your trumpet. 🐘
Have a great week,
Chris
themindcollection.com