Comments on: 16 habits of highly creative people

By: Yu Kim Reed

Yu Kim Reed — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 17:07:24 +0000

Very nicely written, now I’m sure of whats happening around me KEKE,

NO more people keep pulling my strings when i know wats happening =P

By: gaurav

gaurav — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 08:05:06 +0000

nice article..!

By: Nikhil

Nikhil — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 10:00:16 +0000

Hi Shalu,
Amazing article, Kudos!!
I felt like I’m reading a horoscope of an entirely new kind of zodiac sign — Well that’s 1 point to me for making weird connections~
I wish we were handed these 16 points back in school! I particularly liked points 2,4,14,15.. heck, I liked them all! And I guess I need to get working on point 3!

By: Fakhruddin

Fakhruddin — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 17:03:33 +0000

Speechless.

Amazing.

The thing is so simple and still we don’t realize this.

Thanks for tickling my life with this article.

By: Jack Speer

Jack Speer — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 21:53:27 +0000

Not all creative people are positive. After all, it was Van Gough who cut off his ear in a depression. Einstein–the man who changed the world–was known as a poor mathematician and a bit lazy. The genius of people like Freud and Jung were brilliant, but their dark sides contributed to their genius. Most people would not be creative without all sides of their personalities, dark and bright. This article is well-written with great infomation, but fron a simplitic point of view that makes creativity seem like a photography class on a session on photoshop.

By: Ajith Kamath

Ajith Kamath — Fri, 08 May 2009 14:09:12 +0000

3 more:
Look at a problem from a cool sense so that problem will start feeling on my gosh,this guy isnt disturbed about how to tackle me….:)

Think simple yet complete and compact solutions to any problem at hand

Use the technology to its fullest to solve a problem.

I felt that all the16 points mentioned here are what keeps me creative all the time

1. Creative people are full of curiosity.
Keeping an eye on each instant of the problem description makes it possible for the solver to identify the real core problem in the problem statement which can be get done by being curious about everything.

2. Creative people are problem-friendly.
Never fear a problem instead just give it a smile…

3. Creative people value their ideas.
Yup bcoz if one is creative he will be aware of his creative capability

4. Creative people embrace challenges.
Because that entertains us by giving us another chance to prove ourselves

5. Creative people are full of enthusiasm.
The same as point 1 actually

6. Creative people are persistent.
Being and staying cool is another way of telling this

7. Creative people are perennially dissatisfied.
Logic is: Are you going to get anything by worrying about your failures…another thing is if your mind is feeling to be heavy enough to cry for your failure better handle it by thinking about what made way to that failure and preplan a strategy to solve such a problem in future.so on doing so you make sure failure has increased your rigidness and overall capabilities.

8. Creative people are optimists.
Dont believe in being optimistic be positive all time.Just question after all why should you have to think in a negative sense when you have the capability and logic to solve a problem which other non creative people face.

9. Creative people make positive Judgment.
point 8

10. Creative people go for the big kill.
You call it a big kill or a full positiveness in initiating a so called tough task both are the same bcoz impossible is nothing just stick to go getter mentality

11. Creative people are prepared to stick it out.
same as point 10

12. Creative people do not fall in love with an idea.
ideas are like bandiads. if you keep using one for one wound lomger then you live your whole life thinking about how well that wound has recovered.just remember any number of bandiads are available for any type of any number of wounds.So keep enjoying the task odf healing your wounds as its your capability which makes healing possible even on you being under process of being wounded continuously

13. Creative people recognize the environment in which they are most creative.
Yup.you can animate your world,the thinking zone in your brain which becomes 200 percent pleasure rich when you close your eyes and enjoy your strengths and the confidence which you are worth of..

14. Creative people are good at reframing any situation.
Change is the all time necessary in every topic and that makes possible fcing any number of mutations in the strategy followed by the problem

15. Creative people are friends with the unexpected.
Yeah…because thinking a solution to a problem is what makes possible to arrive at a solution which will not happen if you try to use a previously used successful strategy to solve a problem of past.

16. Creative people are not afraid of failures.
After all why should someone be afraid of…but be sure always that your strategy to solve the problem is perfect and makes complete sense.

At last i want to tell….just discover your strengths…you can achieve success of any hieghts…impossible is nothing..

kamat.ajith@gmail.com

By: Vasanthi

Vasanthi — Wed, 06 May 2009 08:59:51 +0000

Shalu
All points are really good and influential

By: vanita

vanita — Mon, 04 May 2009 12:32:23 +0000

Well ths article was awesome N VERY INFLUENTIAL bt very difficult to implement in real life…

By: AJ Kumar

AJ Kumar — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 06:09:07 +0000

Your points on creative people are dead on! Great post

By: Whitney Ferre'

Whitney Ferre' — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 22:20:21 +0000

I have written a book to promote that creativity is important to everyone! This article proves that you can’t put creativity in a box! The Artist Within, A Guide to Becoming Creatively Fit Thank you for spreading the word! Whitney

By: David Mills

David Mills — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 23:34:21 +0000

Wonderful article that I just day discovered as a result of some LinkedIn networking. Inspired conversation!! Thank you, David

By: Huma

Huma — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 18:57:34 +0000

Brilliant article,and I can see that all of those 16 points are really applicable if you allow it to be and for # 7 we can also say that they are always on the go, and not stopping to get comfortable.
Overall its fantastic.

By: Jet

Jet — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 07:50:55 +0000

Shalu, great article. At first read,I could relate them to my life, and the count is increasing ! cheers.

By: Munish

Munish — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 13:38:50 +0000

Indeed a nice read , Shalu. I will like to submit that though you have listed these 16 valid points here, but we can take them as some of the common threads which run in creative people. All of us are uniquely creative in our own way and may not necessarily possess most of the listed points!! All the non discript beings that we come across like an ordinary door to door salesman,a cobbler or whoever you can think of is trying to be more and more creative in an effort to sustain life!!
What you have listed above ( and this is purely my view, without being judgemental ot critical)most likely applies to the creative term when used in the most literal way…fields like Advertising,Fine arts etc.
Any comments pls..

By: Prabhjot Bedi

Prabhjot Bedi — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 18:26:57 +0000

If I change the word ‘creative’ to ’success’ it pretty much remains the same.

aren’t these traits required to be good at anything.

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 15:25:24 +0000

Shalu,
Awesome article! For #5, I think ‘passionate’ can also be substituted for enthusiasm. I know for me, I am driven by my passions…what I truly love and can dig my hands into….

By: Mohammad Abdur-Rehman Asif

Mohammad Abdur-Rehman Asif — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 05:23:31 +0000

Its intresting & thought provoking as well.

A.R.Asif

By: Citra

Citra — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 05:48:49 +0000

Beatiful words, excellent presentation for every aspect of a person’s Mind. I hv started fitting myself in the above frame.
From
Channel of Energy

By: Vyankatesh

Vyankatesh — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 08:08:04 +0000

GOOD ONE.

By: N.V.GURU PRASAD

N.V.GURU PRASAD — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 15:19:34 +0000

i feel happy to see this site this sould be utilised by everyone
thank you for the great hob

By: russel nouveau

russel nouveau — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 07:01:10 +0000

creatives are terribly competitive… so i’ve been thinking of new point to make… the tendency to outdo others in the list making department. So I would add point 17- creatives are competitive with each other.

ps what’s the difference between point 7 and 11

By: Rishan Saleem

Rishan Saleem — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 07:24:35 +0000

hello Sir,

Its realy facinating articles n i hope can enjoy many things from your wonderful ideas. keep it up

Thanx & Best regards

=Rishan Saleem=

By: Padmapriya Devaraj

Padmapriya Devaraj — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 20:58:49 +0000

Great article! I knew that I was creative, but did not think I was creative to the core coz I find I have all the 16..sorry 18 traits of the creative person.

I dont write like you much.. talk a lot.. may be I should pen down more…to sell my idea’s and not struggle to market them

By: glenn

glenn — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 20:56:03 +0000

This accuracy of this article is so laserlike that it is a bit scary. I had no idea I fit so neatly into a box w/ “16 sides”

By: saurabh

saurabh — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 14:50:31 +0000

“Everyone is born creative. In the process of growing up, educating yourself and adapting yourself to your environment, you slowly add blocks to your creativity and forget that you had it in the first place.”

Truly said …

By: Ron Wolf

Ron Wolf — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 09:45:00 +0000

I’m not sure what you mean by ‘creative’ partly because you don’t bother to list examples of who you consider to be highly creative people. Are you thinking purely in the business domain? Without this framing, its darn hard to tell what your habits are actually useful for. I might retitle your piece, “16 habits of people who are not afraid to suggest & try something different”. Trying something different is usually an aspect of creativity, but true creation is far more. Beyond that, lists of 16 attributes for anything are simply too long to be useful. Can’t you somehow reduce the list to a just a few items so that one would have a chance of remembering and putting them into practice? And, even with 16 attributes, you dance around around the key aspect of creation which is daring to ask if a question or goal is itself the ‘right’ question or goal. This is far more than mere reframing. Finally, I’ll point out that there is a previous, deep, and valuable body of work on the topic of creativity. For instance:

Rollo May’s – The Courage to Create
Julia Cameron’s – The Artist’s Way, A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity
Peter Drucker’s – Innovation and Entrepreneurship

By: Jesue Walker

Jesue Walker — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 23:03:20 +0000

Wow. I can’t believe I’ve come here today of all days. I’m brainstorming my creative whims at this very moment. @Heike_Miller led me here and I’m grateful for it. All of what you said applies. I’m currently in a creative recovery class as we speak! I’ll be sure to come back to read more.

By: Ambrosia

Ambrosia — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 17:44:28 +0000

Ah, this is fantastic! And the Alice in Wonderland references are sure to catch the attention of said creatives.

By: Sanjay

Sanjay — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 06:24:50 +0000

Wonderful lessons!

By: @gcrush

@gcrush — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 00:15:34 +0000

nailed it!

what a great collection of wonderful love!

I have learned a great way to share creativity is by excellent communication and this is most excellent.

kisses
georgette

By: Michelle

Michelle — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 12:37:05 +0000

Hey Shalu,

I love your article, and the comments that it generated. Thanks so much for sharing this!

When I checked myself against your 16 habits, I came out pretty high except on habit 11 and this is a shortcoming that I’ve known for sometime… but haven’t kicked yet. I’m not sure whether this should really be included in this list (many creative people need someone else to implement their creative ideas) but certainly it’s a very important characteristic for achieving SUCCESS.

Michelle

p.s. BTW, I agree that i would be nice if these were clustered into sub-groups.. maybe we can expand the list to 21 habits, then break it up into three sub-groups. Adding Nutan’s two habits, we’re only three habits away from 21 (notice how optimistic I am )

By: Muhammad Afzal

Muhammad Afzal — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 03:42:45 +0000

Dear Sir,

Thank you very much, its very nice, please keep it more up.

Thanks & best regards.

By: JoAnna Levenglick

JoAnna Levenglick — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 21:47:41 +0000

Great article! I cannot agree more with what you say, after being a creative person most of my career. First as a fashion designer for 6.5 years, then TV producer for 19 years, and now Broadband Television. One last ingredient to us creative people…we want to be famous for what we do. Without a doubt I want the world to know and enjoy my work; and hopefully that day will come!

By: Val

Val — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 12:11:21 +0000

Creativity is something we all have, just as a lack of creativity is in us all. Depending on your interpretation of ‘creative’ will inevitably lead to how it can manifest itself within ones pysche.

Creativity also needs inspiration. This begs the q “who inspires the creativity?” Of course my answer to this q is “me/myself/I” This can lead some to believe it is arrogant to think this way.

So my next q is, “Is it arrogant to think this way?”

By: jeteye

jeteye — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 05:54:08 +0000

Great Article Shalu. While I agree everyone can “learn” to be creative, not everyone can be good at it. Sort of like I can “learn” to dunk a basketball or hit a 95 mph fastball, or serve a 110 mph tennis ball, but it does not mean I can actually do it. So people are just “wired” to be creative. It does not mean that others cannot at least try an be creative, but it is sometimes best to leave the real “art” to the artist (so to speak).

I also see this in sales and marketing. You can learn everything you need to know about each in day, but it will take you a lifetime to master either.

Just my 2 cents.

By: Shalu Wasu

Shalu Wasu — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 01:35:07 +0000

Junaid – Thanks
Charlie – Thanks
Nutan – I agree. I get better ideas when i am in that frame of mind.
Ramesh – Nice idea. Having 5 cluster will make it easier to remember. (but it is not about remembering, it is about being!)I will try and cluster them one of these days! Or better still, would you like to do it – we could co-author the new version!)
Vish – Yes, the ability of making ‘connections’ between seemingly unrelated things is extremely important!
Irene – Thanks!
Alpay – Thanks. I see your point. The context is a bit different here
IP – thanks
Sankar – Thanks
Rich – . I guess dissatisfied optimists is a better way of putting it.
Florencia – Thanks
Stacy – Thanks. Happy that you liked it!

By: Stacy Miles

Stacy Miles — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 19:36:37 +0000

As a jewelry designer, mother of 4, military wife…I have learned that creativity exists within and is essential to one’s mental health. I agree that you adjust to your enviroment, and for a creative person “problems” tend to calm most creative thoughts or focus. That’s bad.

However, I do find that I am more creative when presented a challenge! That is why I welcome custom jewelry orders on my web site. I can take another’s ideas and build on it, making them creatively beautiful! I often find that I work best under pressure!

I really enjoyed your article and I will forward it on to my creative peers! There are some things stated that were “A-ha” moments for me! You helped me tinker with a few ideas and settle my curiousity as to why I am the way I am! Creative.

Stacy Miles
http://www.ajdbystacy.com

By: florencia

florencia — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 15:33:13 +0000

Great article! and sooooo right!

By: Rich

Rich — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 15:27:55 +0000

Wait a second! How do 7 & 8 go together?
7. Creative people are perennially dissatisfied.
8. Creative people are optimists.

You mean we’re pessimistic optimists? We’re misanthropic people lovers? We’re unhappy hopefuls?

Stop me, please, this is too much fun

By: Sankar

Sankar — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 15:26:15 +0000

Superb.

Nice explanation. Let me try to be creative by following these points. I know, it’s difficult for me. But still I want to try.

Say best of luck guys…….

Regards
Sankar

By: Inder P Singh

Inder P Singh — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 08:11:23 +0000

If I had to pick up one habit that leads to a successful venture, I would pick persistence.

By: Alpay

Alpay — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 12:07:55 +0000

Nice post, thanks for sharing. though I am not buying the “To be problem-friendly is to be life-friendly” line since this implies you need to have problems to go on. This is not the case. There are times where you should enjoy the problem-freeness (if there is such a word )
Cheers,
Follow me at http://twitter.com/alpayerturkmen

By: irene dakota

irene dakota — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 13:59:33 +0000

Great points!! Much better way to start a Monday than the oppressive hum of recession.

By: Vish

Vish — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 07:15:02 +0000

I loved the article.. It shows in many different ways how the creative mind thinks and how the creative person behaves..

In my view, it is OK to have many points.. because we are describing a set of traits..

I have a different view about the “eternal dissatisfaction” description.. Yes, they do question status quo and seek alternatives but it may not being “always” disatisfied. Sometimes, they are satisfied with things too (esp. when they have created something).

I also feel creative people have a deep memory and are able to connect things. FOr eg. what they observe in some other place, some other context, they are able to recollect and adapt to a completely different situation and this results in a creative solution..

By: ramesh

ramesh — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 03:22:23 +0000

i was thinking about the idea of simplicity and making it easy to follow and remember when I re – read the article and i found that I 16 is way too much..really way too much. I have heard from several soures that the mind starts to wane and dull if there are more than 5 points….5 digits in your hand…

And these points now with Nutan’s comments are 18…

Oh my goodness !!

How now/

Why not cluster them in 5 groups – it seems like there can be some common platforms under which some points can sit…

Would the writer consider?

By: PS Wasu

PS Wasu — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 07:47:23 +0000

Come to think of it, arrogance in that sense is a positive trait.

By: Nutan Thakur

Nutan Thakur — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 07:38:21 +0000

I would like to add two other major traits of such people-
1. An immense faith and self-confidence in themselves ( at times bordering to arrogance)
2. A very deep urge to succeed (what you can say motivation).

Dr Nutan Thakur,
IRDS
Lucknow

By: Charlie November

Charlie November — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 21:44:50 +0000

It´s a great article. Inspiring and motivating. Thanks for sharing it.

By: junaid

junaid — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 05:46:18 +0000

Excellent