InGenius: A
Crash Course on Creativity (2012) by
Tina L. Seelig
My first encounter with Tina Seelig was gone I searched the internet for talks and documentaries on innovation and creativity. Her TED Talk on the same title amazed me. And her Talks at Google caused me to say, ‘This woman is brilliant!’ She is an international best-selling author and award-winning Stanford University educator and she teaches creativity to students at Stanford and to business leaders around the world. With this credibility, she is the most suitable writer to write on how to be (more) creative and uses simple tools to enhance each individual creative genius.
In today’s world,
innovation and creative problem solving are more important than merely having
knowledge and good grades. Albert Einstein once said, “Imagination (or creativity) is more important than knowledge. For
knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world,
stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution.” That is not to say
knowledge is not important – I vow to pursue knowledge every day for the rest
of my life – but knowledge alone is not enough. Tina Seelig argues that
creativity “is not just something you
think about (knowledge) – it is something you do.” And because it is
something we do, then, creativity can be taught and enhance from inside out –
it is doable. The word ‘ingenious’ is derived from Latin which means natural
capacity or innate talent. We can, Tina believes, ignite our inborn
inventiveness. Let’s do it!
In this book, Tina offers
a revolutionary creative model she called ‘Innovative Engine’ which explains
how creativity is generated on the inside and how it is influenced by the
outside world (refer to pic below, comment section). There are 6 crucial
components: the three insides are – knowledge, imagination, and attitude; and
the three outside are – resources, habitat, and culture. In the inside,
knowledge provides the fuel for imagination; imagination is the catalyst for
the transformation of knowledge into new ideas, and attitude sparks curiosity
to acquire related knowledge. From the outside, innovation is influenced by
resources, habitat, and culture (think of Google creative-culture).
Tina shows many easy and
fun examples in this book: Chapters 1 to 3 delve into the process of enhancing
our imaginations by reframing problems, connecting ideas (or ‘connecting the
dots’ said Steve Jobs) and challenging assumptions. Chapter 4 focuses on the
power of observation to gain knowledge. Chapter 5 to 8 investigates the factors
in our habitats that influence our creativity including space, constraints,
incentives and team dynamics. Chapter 9 to 10 address our attitudes in doing
and thinking about problems or new ideas. And the last chapter 11 she pulls the
components back together and shows how all the parts fit together to create the
‘Innovation Engine’, a powerful
engine for innovation.
In conclusion, Seelig
writes: “You hold the keys to your Innovation Engine and have creative genius
waiting to be unleashed. By tapping into this natural resource, you have the
power to overcome challenges and generate opportunities for all dimensions. Your ideas – big and small – are the
critical starting point for innovations that propel us forward. Without
creativity, you are trapped in a world that is not just stagnant, but one that
slips backward. As such, we are each responsible for inventing the future. Turn
the key.” Buy this book!
[Btw, I bought this book
from book fair last year, just RM10. I’m one happy reader!]
THINK BIG. START
SMALL. GO DEEP.
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