It’s Friday. Thank crikey! Which means it’s time to gather round and stick the boot in another myth. It’s time for episode four of our Creative Lies series.

This week we’re looking at the fact that some people just seem to find it so much easier than others to come up with ideas. Generally, the explanation for this is simply ‘talent’. And – yes – in episode 1 we talked about the possibility that some people may be better wired for creative tasks than others. And most ‘creative’ people love the idea of talent because it makes them feel special. But having spent most of my life working in creative industries with a wide variety of people, I just don’t think that explains the difference between the good and the great.

For anyone to get great at anything, it takes practice. And it’s no different for creative skills. The more time you spend creating and developing ideas, the better you become at it. The first song you write probably won’t be very good. The 100th song you write is bound to be at least slightly better.

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However, there’s something that you need before you get to that; the right attitude. You need to be curious enough to want to consume all the right stuff. You need to be focused enough on what you’re trying to become. You need to be driven enough to push on through, even when it seems impossible. You need to be more motivated by the achievement than by the rewards (I don’t think I’ve ever met a great creative person who just does it for the money).

None of that is about innate talent. It’s all about attitude.

And that’s something you can control.

My top tip on how to develop the right attitude is to mix with the right people. If you surround yourself with individuals who display all of these characteristics, you’ll catch it like a bad case of the flu. And that’s a really simple thing to do.

Catch the other episodes in the Creative Lies series right here.

http://openforideas.org/blog/2016/11/11/being-a-great-idea-generator-isnt-about-talent/ https://i1.wp.com/openforideas.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/work_harder.jpg?fit=1024%2C576 https://i1.wp.com/openforideas.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/work_harder.jpg?resize=150%2C150 Video achievement,attitude,creative lies,creativity,curiousity,drive,focus,motivation,practice,talent https://youtu.be/3NKB07ZXL-Q It's Friday. Thank crikey! Which means it's time to gather round and stick the boot in another myth. It's time for episode four of our Creative Lies series. This week we're looking at the fact that some people just seem to find it so much easier than others to come... Dave Birss Dave Birss davebirss@gmail.com Administrator Dave is obsessed with creativity. He's been a musician, illustrator, stand-up comedian, poet, radio DJ, television presenter and advertising creative director. He also wrote A User Guide to the Creative Mind. Now he runs Open for Ideas and helps individuals and companies become more creative. You can find him speaking at conferences all over the world. And sharing his thinking in boardrooms, universities and dimly-lit pubs. Open for Ideas