Book Review: The Creative Curve by Allen Gannett
Do you consider yourself a creative person? The premise of the book “The Creative Curve, by Allen Gannett, is that you don't need to be a genius to come up with a successful creative idea/product, we can all do it. And even further, there's a sweet spot to creating things that, not only are genius-level creative, but are created at the right time (in terms of generating demand).
The book starts by showing countless examples of successful creatives and how people tend to refer to them as geniuses. From Paul McCartney to Elon Musk, Beethoven and JK Rolling, to name a few. But then Allen misconstructs this "genius myth" and brings numerous researches, studies, and discoveries he made by interviewing some creative minds to show a pattern that repeats itself and that can be reproduced by anyone. He shares how we can foster creativity and how can we launch our creative projects at the right time.
Allen is a data driven folk, founder of an analytics company used by Fortune 500 companies. By collecting and analyzing data, Gannett explores the science and patterns behind creativity and debunks the myth that it is solely the domain of geniuses.
Here are some key lessons from the book “The Creative Curve”:
Purposeful Practice: Creativity is driven by deliberate practice rather than innate intelligence. This means honing skills through constant and focused effort.
Timing and Context: Success often depends on impeccable timing and the right historical context. Understanding market trends and cultural shifts can help place creative work in a position to succeed.
Cultural Consumption: To be creative, one must consume a wide variety of cultural content. This broad exposure helps in understanding and leveraging the creative curve.
Imitation: Successful creatives often follow existing patterns before innovating. By mastering the rules, they can introduce novelty in a way that resonates with audiences.
Creative Communities: A supportive network is crucial for creativity. Gannett identifies four key roles within a creative community: a master teacher, a conflicting collaborator, a modern muse, and a prominent promoter.
Iteration: Creative success involves continuous iteration. This process includes generating ideas, testing them with an audience, refining based on feedback, and iterating again.
This book definetly changed my perspective on how I see myself as a creative person. In fact, I didn't used to think I was much of a creative, because I associated creativity with artistic skills (which I definetly lack 😅). But I can now recognize how I bring creativity in many other aspects of my life, and I also learned strategies to foster this creativity further.
