11 Things Extremely Creative People Always Do

What do Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Albert Einstein, Marie Curie, Nikola Tesla, Georgia O’Keeffe, Steve Jobs, Grace Hopper, Elon Musk and J. K. Rowling, have in common?

They are among the most creative people in the world. And they have some common traits essential for their creativity, their discoveries and innovations.

A lot people think that a “creative genius” is born with the creative talents. I’m sure that that’s true for a few of them. But, even then, talent without dedication to develop it means nothing. And, in general, their creativity was developed and nurtured throughout their lives by fully practicing some habits.

Here are some of the things extremely creative people always do to express and unleash their creative potential.

Observe the world

The most creative people observe the world completely open-minded. They don’t try to impose their beliefs and assumptions in what they observe. On the contrary, they are like an empty cup waiting to be filled with the untouched content and reality of what they observe. Steve Jobs was a practitioner of such approach. Observing the world was a way for him to learn and unleash his ingenuity. If you trace every single discovery and innovation the world has seen you’ll be able to connect them with an incipient observation. That’s how creative people begin their work. They first observe, and then ask questions about what they observe.

Ask questions

Extremely creative people are exceptionally curious. They ask question after question. They know that curiosity and questioning are the seed of their discoveries and innovations. Asking questions, especially when they challenge the status quo, may seem an insubordinate or impertinent behavior. And it’s precisely that insubordination what makes creative people unique. Their curiosity allows them to unveil hidden truths that are invisible to the conformist. Like Mozart said “one must not make oneself cheap here - that is a cardinal point - or else one is done. Whoever is most impertinent has the best chance.”

Connect disconnected ideas

There’s always been a high level of intrigue around the origins of human creativity and imagination. How do some people create some seemingly unimaginable things? How do they come up with those ideas? One of the fundamental traits in exceptionally creative people is their capacity to connect disconnected ideas. That means that they are able to find valuable connections among things that don’t seem to have anything in common. To me, the ability to connect disconnected ideas is one of the superb traits of the smartest people. Together with curiosity, being a connector is perhaps the second most powerful skill to remain relevant in the challenging times ahead.

Imagine what could be

In the book Sapiens, author Yuval Noah Harari says that one powerful tool that made humans succeed over other species was our capacity to imagine. Imagination is painting in our minds a state of things that doesn’t exist yet, but could. Extremely creative people live in the now, but their minds are usually imagining what could be. They are mentally creating a state of things that doesn’t exist.

Take risks

Georgia O’Keefe said “to create one’s world in any of the arts takes courage”. Creative people take risks. It doesn’t mean that they are not afraid of the potential consequences of their risks. But their curiosity and drive to create, discover and innovate are so powerful that they surpass their fears. Grace Hopper said that “if it’s a good idea, go ahead and do it. It’s much easier to apologize than it is to get permission.” Taking risks isn’t the same as blindly going after something just for the sake of it. Creative geniuses fully think and meditate before taking risks.

Don’t get easily satisfied

Their creative spirit is always hungry for more, whether the next invention, discovery or innovation. Extremely creative people don’t complete something creative and say "I’m done". Instead, they pursue the next challenge. They are neither easily satisfied by what they create, neither content with staying there. Bruce Lee said “if you always put limit on everything you do, physical or anything else. It will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them.” Creative people keep such a mindset in all they do. It’s all about learning, creating and moving on to the next creative challenge.

Spend time alone

Most creative geniuses spend a lot of time alone. They aren’t hermits. But they need time to meditate and reflect about their ideas without external influence. Einstein would spend days in his studio, sometimes even forgetting he had to eat. He was totally immersed in his work. Time alone is fundamental to develop the creative potential.

Know the limits of their knowledge

Nikola Tesla said that “it’s paradoxical, yet true, to say, that the more we know, the more ignorant we become in the absolute sense, for it is only through enlightenment that we become conscious of our limitations. Precisely one of the most gratifying results of intellectual evolution is the continuous opening up of new and greater prospects.” Creative people know very well the limitations of their knowledge. That, instead of discouraging them to continue their work, is a force that drives them to learn more and discover more.

Ask for feedback

Elon Musk said that “I think it’s very important to have a feedback loop, where you’re constantly thinking about what you’ve done and how you could be doing it better. I think that’s the single best piece of advice: constantly think about how you could be doing things better and questioning yourself”. The most creative people trust their guts when they come up with a great idea. But they also know that a feedback loop is critical to strengthen such idea and make it succeed. Ask for feedback!

Don’t (blindly) believe in authority

Einstein said that “blind respect for authority is the greatest enemy of the truth”. Extremely creative people know that their ideas and creations will eventually be confronted by the authority entrenched in the old ways of doing things. However, creative geniuses are comfortable about challenging the status quo and the “authority” that represents it. Especially, they know that things change over time in the light of new knowledge and information. So, they don’t dogmatically believe that the “truth set in stone”.

Persevere

Discoveries and innovations didn’t come easy to any of their authors. They are the result of strong creativity and imagination. But they also required a lot of hard work and perseverance. Creative geniuses don’t despair when things don’t go as they’d like. Instead, defeat and adversity motivates them even more. Marie Curie said “life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained.”

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