A few years ago, I set out on a kind of strange quest.
I decided to read 26 books on creativity. Business books, art books, music books, poetry, even philosophy. I wanted to know: what is creativity, really?Is it just a talent some people are born with? Or is it something deeper—something we can practice, build, and grow?
The dictionaries weren’t much help. One said creativity is “the ability to create.” Another said it’s “using imagination to make something.” Pretty weak definitions. So I made my own.
After thousands of pages, dozens of underlines, and way too many cups of coffee, here’s what I landed on:
Creativity is letting your curiosity run wild, finding ideas, acting on them, and iterating until you’re proud.
That’s it. Four steps. Simple. But like most simple things, it’s not easy.
Curiosity is the spark.
It asks, what if? What if I wrote that story, painted that picture, launched that channel? The more you allow those “what ifs” to run free, the more inspiration you’ll catch.
Then comes finding ideas. Not waiting for lightning to strike—but filling your mind with music, books, films, and experiences that feed you. Surround yourself with beauty, and the ideas will multiply.
Next is the hardest part: acting on them. This is where resistance shows up. Resistance whispers that you’re not ready, not good enough, that you should wait until you have more time, more skill, more confidence. That voice never goes away. You beat it by showing up anyway.
Finally, you iterate. You don’t stop at the first draft, the first sketch, the first brushstroke. You refine, adjust, and keep going until you’re proud—and in the process, you create work that has real value for others.
If I could recommend just one book out of the 26, it would be Rick Rubin’s The Creative Act. I’ve read it three times already, and it reminds me every time that art doesn’t come from perfection—it comes from the heart.
So wherever you are today—whether you’re staring at a blank canvas, second-guessing your next move, or waiting for inspiration to strike—remember: creativity is already in you. It’s all around you. Make space for it, act on it, and iterate until you’re proud.
Because resistance? It only shows up when you’re onto something worthwhile.
Stay creative,
P.S. If you’ve been searching for a structure to actually put this into practice—to find your voice, create consistently, and push through resistance—you’d probably love our Mastery Program. It’s built for artists who want to go from curious to confident, and it’s where over 6,500 students have turned these same principles into real transformation. Click here to see if it’s right for you.
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