On Creativity

Quite a while ago I put a video that my friend Nishant recommended on his blog into my Pocket queue. It’s a lecture given by John Cleese and it is wonderful, I highly recommend taking the time to watch it, it is worth the 30 minutes or so. And I think what he is talking about, creativity, is applicable to so many different areas of work, not just what we typically think of as creative such as artists, actors, writers, etc.

A few quotes that really grabbed me:

Creativity is not a talent, is a way of operating.

Give your mind as long as possible to come up with something original.

The essence of playfulness is an openness to whatever happens.

[Update: this video was taken down so I’ve removed the link, sorry!]