The Surprising Science of Creativity (with Dr. George Newman)
New episode of The Happiness Lab: “The Surprising Science of Creativity (with Dr. George Newman)“
When you think of a creative breakthrough, what do you picture? If you're like most people, you probably imagine a lone genius struck by a sudden flash of inspiration— the famous lightning bolt moment.
But creativity researcher Dr. George Newman argues almost never how great ideas happen.
George has spent years studying how breakthrough ideas emerge, and what he's found might change how you approach your next creative challenge. Great ideas are rarely invented from thin air. Instead, they're discovered through systematic exploration, like an archaeologist carefully surveying fertile ground.
This week on The Happiness Lab, I sat down with George (who literally wrote the book on this topic, it’s called How Great Ideas Happen) to explore a more practical approach to getting unstuck creatively. Whether you're solving problems at work, making art, or just trying to think differently about something in life, this conversation offers a roadmap.
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A lot of great ideas throughout history were about building on what has come before, and just tweaking it a little bit. I think about this as kind of like finding your own 5%.
— Dr. George Newman
What Actually Unlocks Creativity
Stop waiting for inspiration to strike and change your approach to exploration:
Start by surveying the landscape.
Before jumping into brainstorming, ask: Where have strong ideas emerged before? Which problems are actually worth solving here? The most fertile creative ground often reveals itself when you let the problem emerge from the situation rather than forcing it.
Use constraints strategically.
This one surprised me: limits unlock creativity. When Henri Matisse faced health setbacks that made painting difficult, he invented his famous cut-outs. Product teams routinely ship better work when they embrace real-world constraints. So ask yourself: what would you try if this had to be solved with half the time, half the budget, or only the simplest tools?
Borrow from unrelated domains.
Some of the best creative breakthroughs come from transplanting ideas across fields. Japanese engineers studying kingfisher beaks designed quieter bullet trains. Your "outside hobbies" might hold the missing piece to a challenge you're stuck on at work.
Dig first, judge later.
When you’re generating new ideas, quantity breeds quality. Set a quota: fill a page of sticky notes, generate 30 ideas in 20 minutes and aim for weird, bad, and obvious ideas. Research on what George calls the "creative cliff illusion" shows there's more in the tank than we expect, so keep going.
I hope George’s tips can help you get creatively unstuck.
Looking for more?
You can find all our companion guides from this season of The Happiness Lab on DrLaurieSantos.com/Newsletter.
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