DISTILLING CREATIVITY

WHAT IS CREATIVITY MADE OF?

Are there fundamental elements that apply to all creative fields?

Are there creative processes that span art, music, writing, cooking, science, business?

Do some people have more creative DNA than others?

Distilling Creativity is an independent project exploring the fundamental nature of creativity. We're talking to a spectrum of creative leaders, to better understand and harness it in new ways. And it's taking on a life of its own.

If you'd like to share your own creative principles and process, or just want to be kept in the loop on this amorphous project, let's talk. Contact Greg Cohen at greg@distillingcreativity.com

GOALS & METHODOLOGY

This project began with a hypothesis that all creative fields share some core, common elements – sort of a Grand Unified Theory of Creativity. And that unlocking them may be the key to optimizing creativity in the future.

Our methodology takes an iterative approach, with a balance of consuming creative material and interviewing leading practitioners:

STEP 1: Concoct creative theories in a collaborative environment.

STEP 2: Research to identify existing ideas and leading minds. Incubate.

STEP 3: interview creative leaders to gather data and identify insights.

STEP 4: Refine hypotheses and prototype models. Rinse and repeat.

THEORIES & MODELS (SO FAR)

After interviewing 10 creative luminaries and poring over countless creative works, we see three universal creative theories emerging, and have begun to develop insights and frameworks for each:

Unified Theory of Creative Elements

There are ingredients and catalysts of creative works that transcend different disciplines. See work in progress >

Unified Theory of Creative Process

The creative lifecycle follows common paths and approaches, which can be optimized. See work in progress >

Unified Theory of Creative Personas

There are common characteristics of creative people that combine into clear archetypes. See work in progress >

Want to get involved? We're still early, but moving fast. Contact Greg Cohen at greg@distillingcreativity.com

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