10 Traits Of The Greats
So you want to be a creative genius... If you really want to become a
creative genius, my first advice for you is: surround yourself with creative
geniuses for a few years. Work with them, play with them and take great
notes. If you're short on time and Spielberg refuses to return your calls,
take my second advice: Read this column.
During the last 20 years, I've had the good fortune to work closely with
dozens of brilliant and successful creative people. I've also studied the
lives and works of many early creative geniuses - pioneers of the arts,
science, exploration and business.
I can't read enough about people like Edison, da Vinci, Hawking, Jobs and
Mozart. In studying these innovators, in person and on the page, I'm
constantly looking for the traits, attitudes and actions that set them apart
from their contemporaries.
I am a prospector panning for creative gold. This is no fool's gold; this is
genius gold - creative currency. I'm far from done with my quest, but here's
a glimpse at some of the nuggets I've uncovered so far. Keep in mind that
this is a living list that will evolve as I continue to read, listen and
learn.
Call it a starter set. I call it the Traits of the Great Creatives.
1. Optimism. They believe most things are possible.
"The thing always happens that you really believe in;
and the belief in a thing makes it happen."
- Frank Lloyd Wright
Every great creative mind I've ever encountered has been optimistic. I don't
mean that they were starry-eyed and Pollyanna. They all approach their
challenges believing that a brilliant solution can and will be found; a
breakthrough discovery will be made.
This optimism includes confidence in their abilities. Joe Rodhi, the
Imagineer responsible for designing Disney's Animal Kingdom, once told me
that optimism was a key ingredient of the creative ego: "We first have to
believe that it can be done. Then we have to believe that we are the ones
who have the power to do it. If we don't believe those two things, the
battle is lost before we start."
2. Persistence. They never give up.
"Obstacles cannot crush me. Every obstacle yields to strong resolve. He who
is fixed to a star does not change his mind."
- Leonardo da Vinci
Throughout history, great creatives have shown that persistence is a
personality trait that can move mountains. Two good examples revolve around
light and flight.
Thomas Edison spent 52 years perfecting the incandescent light bulb. In the
process, he extended the life of the average light bulb from 40 hours to
1,500 hours. That progress took persistence and stamina. If he had given up
after 50 years, you might be reading this magazine by candlelight.
Da Vinci executed the designs on dozens of flying machines because he
desperately wanted to fly. As each design failed to get off the ground, he'd
immediately begin working on the next concept. He continued to pursue flight
until his death in 1519. Although he never achieved flight during his
lifetime, da Vinci's ideas have contributed to the development of several
working flying machines, including the modern helicopter.
3. Imagination. They see all of the possibilities.
Teacher: What are you drawing, Amy?
Amy (age 5): God.
Teacher: But Amy, nobody knows what God looks like.
Amy: They will when I'm done.
So many of the great minds I've worked with and so many famous creators
throughout history refer to the power of the imagination with great
reverence and respect. And no imagination gets more
respect than that of a child. I've heard so many gifted people refer to the
minds of kids with a sense of awe and wonder.
Some creative geniuses, like Picasso, considered the child's imagination to
be an absolute benchmark of creativity. Imagination is the talent that
allows us to see our ideas before they are realized. It's an ever-changing
set of mental blue prints and emerging concepts. For the creative genius,
the imagination is a mental gymnasium where they can work out their ideas.
Einstein bolstered many people's perception of the value of imagination when
he said, "Imagination is more important than knowledge."
4. Passion. They love what they do.
"Neither a lofty degree of intelligence, nor imagination, nor both together
go to the making of genius. Love, love, love, that is the soul of genius."
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
There is no creative genius without passion. It's a driving force and the
buoy that keeps creators afloat through failure and adversity. It's what
keeps them awake at night.
Passion is both a driver for the creator and an irresistible force which
attracts people to follow and support their creative efforts. It's an
essential trait of the greats and it is also one of the sources
of their often abundant supplies of energy.
Annie Leibovitz talks of loving the people she photographs. Einstein spoke
of his love of mankind and Shakespeare wrote sonnets to express his
passions.
5. Energy. They keep going and going and going...
"My mind is always going a thousand miles an hour. My body feels a need to
try to keep up."
- Jonathan Bailey
Another trait that seems to connect the vast majority of successful creative
people is high energy. It's rare to find a lethargic creative genius. I've
yet to meet one. This may explain some of the extraordinary productivity
that so often accompanies creative genius.
I once commented on the endless physical energy of Jonathan Bailey, a
brilliant young architect whose structures are changing the face of the
planet. He's not alone. Edison was renowned for his energy often working 18
hours a day, surviving on catnaps and four to five hours of sleep per night.
An over-the-top example of pure creative energy is the frenetic force of
Robin Williams. Thankfully, not all great creative thinkers bounce off the
walls like Williams, but his energy is a reflection of his mind - in speed,
versatility and endurance. It's an enviable gift.
6. Curiosity and Learning. They want to know more.
"We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because
we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths."
- Walt Disney
The brightest minds I have ever known have also been the most curious minds.
Creative minds are often insatiable, hungrily consuming information related
to their passions. I have never met a creative genius who was not actively
in the process of learning something new.
The greats are lifelong learners. At the height of his success as a sculptor
and a painter, Michelangelo told his patrons "I am still learning." It's
both humbling and inspirational in the same breath.
7. Focus.They choose a target and get lost in their work.
While I was working on a project for the Kennedy Space Center, Story
Musgrave, a 30-year NASA veteran and astronaut on six space shuttle flights,
told me that a rocket was really nothing
more than a controlled explosion. He said the difference between a rocket
and a bomb is that the rocket focuses its explosion in one direction.
I know several creative people who have learned to harness the explosive
power of their minds in a similar way. They have an ability to aim all of
their high-powered brain cells toward a specific challenge at a specific
time and the result is "Lift Off!"
When we think of creativity, we tend to think of free flowing ideas,
originality and divergent thinking. We don't typically think of focus. Yet
focus is clearly a cornerstone of creative genius. Many of the greatest
minds I've encountered have the ability to control their focus like a mental
zoom lens, making the shift from big picture to infinitesimal detail with
ease.
8. Courage. They reach beyond the boundaries of fear.
"I'm not funny. What I am is brave."
- Lucille Ball
Great creatives are courageous spirits. They put their reputations and
successes on the line everyday in pursuit of the next great idea. They are
known for breaking the rules, ignoring conventional wisdom and forging into
uncharted territory.
The path to creative genius is paved with insecurities, misunderstanding,
rejection, ridicule, and in some cases, outright hostility.
Consider the fate of Galileo who was deemed a heretic long before history
reclassified him as a scientific genius. Most of us are only risking our
careers and reputations when we leap out of the box. People like Galileo
were risking their lives.
The basic rule stands true in creativity as it does in the real world: No
guts, no glory.
9. Communication. They teach the value of their ideas.
I remember struggling to communicate an idea to my dad when I was 10 and
failing miserably. He told me then, "It doesn't matter how great your ideas
are. If you can't effectively communicate
their value to the people, who will benefit?" Dad's not a creative genius,
but he introduced me to one of the more valuable tools of the trade:
communication.
Da Vinci's hundreds of schematic drawings are legendary because they so
effectively communicate both the value (why) and the mechanics (how) of his
ideas. There are enthusiasts today who entertain themselves by building da
Vinci's machines using his original drawings as blueprints.
For a more contemporary example of brilliance, watch Steve Jobs on stage at
the next Apple product launch. He uses the full power of his mystique, his
environment, and his technology to show people how Apple's latest
innovations will change the world.
10. Bias for Action. They don't just think, they do.
"The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing."
- Walt Disney
Most of the great people throughout history have been people of action.
Great creatives are no different. In fact, all acts of creation require
action. This is another reason that creative geniuses tend
to be very prolific during their lifetimes. Most share a compulsion to
create.
Picasso didn't just sit in the Paris cafés thinking about painting; he
painted - sometimes all day and night. "Sometimes I don't want to paint."
Picasso would tell his friends "Sometimes I must
to paint."
Jobs and Steve Wozinak physically built the first Apple computer in that
legendary garage because having the great idea wasn't enough. They had to do
something with it. Action is not an option for the creative genius. It's a
vital part of the formula.
There is no one formula for creative genius, but these 10 traits represent
some of the most important ingredients. Keep stretching, keep searching, and
until next time, stay inspired!
source:
myselfdevelopment.net/index.php/2007/04/23/10-traits-of-the-greats/