Top Creativity Myths That Hold You Back – Myth #3
Myth #3: The Lone Creative Genius
For example let’s take this fellow here – all alone it would appear in his lab. Want to take a guess as to who this inventor is? (If you give up, look at the big light bulb over his head for inspiration!)
That’s right…Thomas Edison!
Many people think of him as a lone creative genius, but even he said “Genius is 1 % inspiration and 99% perspiration.”
Let’s just stop and think about that a moment. Although in cartoons we might see something like a light bulb showing up over someone’s head or a bolt of lightning out of the blue – and boom a brilliant idea is born. But that’s not how it works in real life. You have to nurture a brand new idea.
He also said another great quote – that I absolutely love and think can be instructive for all of us… “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.”
You might have thought that Edison worked alone —- developing all those patents, but that’s not the case.
In fact he worked with a broad creative team. Here they are in 1876 on the site of their industrial research laboratory in Menlo Park, Pennsylvania. He called it “the invention factory” – because they were always working on several different inventions at any one time. Together they were more creative than Edison could have possibly been on his own. Together they found success – and over 400 patents.
Just like on your team – each one of you have a critical role to play to bring out the best in your team.
Because all of us are smarter than any of us.
