The Runaway Species

Creativity is taking what we already know and reshaping it – bending, breaking, or blending it into something new and surprising.

1. Creativity Builds on the Past

Creativity rarely arises in isolation. Great ideas and revolutionary inventions often emerge by reworking existing concepts or building on earlier attempts. We often think that trailblazing innovations like the iPhone materialized from nowhere, but they are deeply rooted in prior unsuccessful attempts such as the Simon smartphone of 1994.

Steve Jobs and his team used older technologies (like basic calling and stylus systems) as a foundation and refined them into a sleek, user-friendly interface. In literature, this process is mirrored by poets like Samuel Taylor Coleridge, who found inspiration from countless books that lined his shelves, reworking what others had written into his masterpieces.

This interplay between old and new reminds us that innovation is incremental. Even the most celebrated breakthroughs owe a debt to the creative momentum of the past.

Examples

• iPhone evolution from early digital communication devices.
• Coleridge's Romantic poetry inspired by earlier literary works.
• Development of electric cars stemming from earlier combustion engines.

2. Creativity Bends Existing Models

Bending involves taking something established and changing part of its function or structure while keeping its core utility intact. It’s about upgrades and reimaginings. A great example of this is artificial heart innovation, where doctors moved from creating a natural pulse-like pump to a completely new continuous-flow model.

This concept also applies to storytelling. Harold Pinter’s play Betrayal bends the rules of traditional storytelling by reversing the timeline, starting at the end of the love affair and moving backward. This innovative narrative structure captivated audiences by unveiling truths in reverse.

By bending pre-existing ideas, creators refine models and stretch utility, reshaping familiar concepts into progressive solutions.

Examples

• Artificial heart redesign with continuous-flow technology.
• Stories told in reverse like Harold Pinter’s Betrayal.
• Upgrading traditional paper calendars into digital, interactive scheduling apps.

3. Breaking to Innovate

Breaking involves deconstructing something into smaller, more manageable pieces to understand it better or reshape it entirely. This method often leads to breakthroughs across various fields. Picasso, for example, disrupted conventional art by fracturing images into abstract, angular shapes, as seen in works like Guernica.

In cinema, old rigid narrative formats underwent similar transformation as filmmakers started to cut scenes, compress time, and shift perspectives. Techniques like jump cuts and time lapses revolutionized storytelling by shattering linear progression.

Breaking is also seen in everyday language changes, such as shortening phrases into acronyms or abbreviations. This process of dismantling is a simple yet transformative way of creating something new.

Examples

• Picasso’s fragmented visual style in Guernica.
• Film techniques like time compression in Citizen Kane.
• Acronyms and abbreviations in our daily conversations, like "FYI" or "TV."

4. Creativity Thrives on Merging Components

Creativity often emerges by blending seemingly unrelated elements. Consider spider-goats created by Randy Lewis, where goat DNA was infused with spider silk genes to produce an entirely novel material in the goats’ milk. This blending of species created a functional solution to harvest stronger-than-steel fibers.

Throughout history, humans have imagined hybrids, from Greek myths like the Minotaur to modern characters like Spiderman. These combinations bring disparate ideas together to form something new, exciting, and practical.

The act of blending demonstrates how combining different fields – genetics, technology, or mythology – can lead to groundbreaking creations.

Examples

• Spider-goats producing silk-laden milk.
• Superhero characters like Black Panther combining human traits with animals.
• Fusion cuisines blending culinary traditions to create unique dishes.

5. Creativity Benefits from Generating Many Options

To find one great idea, you sometimes need to produce dozens of mediocre ones. Turning failure into a stepping stone is what nature does best by allowing endless variations and selecting the fittest results.

George Washington Carver embodied this philosophy with his peanut innovation campaign, presenting over 100 uses for peanuts. While not all ideas stuck, his perseverance helped create impactful changes. Similarly, Edison’s failure with the concrete piano didn’t derail his inventive spirit but fueled his continuing experimentation.

Having the courage to generate ideas without fear of failure is a fundamental part of creative success.

Examples

• Carver’s extensive peanut-related inventions.
• Edison’s concrete piano failure leading to later successes.
• Nature’s evolution through trial and error.

6. Schools Can Teach Creativity Through Experimentation

Educational environments can ignite creativity by encouraging students to question, test, and reimagine. Art teacher Lindsay Esola’s experiment with apples revealed this principle – at the start of her course, students mimicked her drawing. By the end, they transformed apples into surreal or pop-art creations after exploring various artistic styles.

By focusing on exploration rather than rigid replicas, schools can nurture creativity and show students how to make the familiar entirely new.

Examples

• Lindsay Esola’s art experiment with apples.
• Collaborative science fairs that encourage students to test original hypotheses.
• History classes asking students to rewrite significant events creatively.

7. Creative Workplaces Thrive on Experimentation

Organizations that foster creativity emphasize experimentation and prepare for future challenges. Microsoft exemplifies this with its underwater data-center project, aimed at reducing heat through ocean cooling. Although experimental, projects like this represent a willingness to explore unconventional approaches.

Creative workplaces stretch employees’ potential by rewarding innovative problem-solving and treating failure as part of the journey.

Examples

• Microsoft’s underwater data centers.
• Elon Musk’s reusable rockets at SpaceX.
• Google’s “20% time” policy for side projects.

8. Creators Innovate by Questioning Norms

Creativity begins with asking unconventional questions. Harold Pinter asked, “Why can’t we tell a story in reverse?” while filmmakers questioned linear time constraints in editing. By challenging norms, creators are free to explore alternatives and discover unique approaches.

The power to ask “Why not?” allows innovation to thrive, breaking away from predictability.

Examples

• Reverse storytelling in Pinter’s Betrayal.
• Questioning visual limits in abstract art movements.
• Breakthrough medical devices reshaping traditional designs, like continuous-flow artificial hearts.

9. Combining Human Ingenuity with Nature’s Processes

Many innovations mimic nature’s processes for efficiency and adaptability. Spider silk farming, inspired by nature’s designs, helps create flexible yet ultra-strong material. Similarly, biology-inspired designs in sustainable architecture have reshaped construction principles globally.

Concepts drawn from nature often highlight its simplicity and effectiveness, providing endless creative inspiration.

Examples

• Spider-goats for silk fiber production.
• Biomimicry in architecture, like buildings that mimic termite mounds for cooling systems.
• Velcro modeled after burr hooks in nature.

Takeaways

1. Adopt a "quantity leads to quality" attitude – generate multiple ideas without fear of failure before finding that one success.
2. Teach kids and employees how to bend, break, and blend concepts rather than just repeat established methods or ideas.
3. Foster an environment that rewards questioning and experimenting with unconventional solutions to everyday challenges.