A great video is making the rounds this week. It’s a talk on creativity by John Cleese (of Monty Python fame) from way back in 1991.
John knows creativity, and he gives a great talk on how to create the conditions necessary for creativity in your work. Even if you never plan to get on stage, creativity (which is in many ways another way of saying strategic thinking) is crucial to reaching new heights of success.
But, creative work is hard. Not hard like lifting rocks, but hard like trying to focus your conscious efforts on breaking new ground rather than tending to easier miscellaneous tasks. It’s hard beacause, as John explains (about 3:30 into the video):
It’s easier to do the trivial things that are urgent than it is to do important things that are not urgent.
It’s also easier to do little things we know we can do than to start on big things that we’re not so sure about.
Watch the whole video, and in a little more than 13 minutes you’ll get some great advice on how to approach creative work by creating the conditions of space, time, time (not a typo), confidence, and humor.
