Creativity is the process of having original ideas that have value. It is a process; it's not random. — Ken Robinson

Creativity is the process of having original ideas that have value. It is a process; it's not random.

Author: Ken Robinson

Insight: Most of us think creativity happens in a flash—a sudden bolt of inspiration that either strikes or doesn't. But Robinson's point quietly demolishes that myth. Creativity isn't about waiting for lightning. It's a deliberate practice, something you can actually develop and improve at, like learning to cook or play guitar. The key phrase is "process." It suggests there are steps, habits, and conditions you can create to make original thinking more likely. This reframes what makes someone creative. It's not genius or innate talent as much as it's curiosity, experimentation, and the willingness to play around with ideas until something useful emerges. A writer rewrites dozens of times. A designer tries countless layouts. A problem-solver sits with a challenge instead of accepting the first solution. These are all creative acts happening right now in regular offices and homes, but we barely call them that because they lack the romantic mystique we've wrapped around the word "creativity." The value part matters too. Random originality is just noise. A truly creative idea has to solve something, move someone, or make something work better. That's why the most practical, grounded thinking—the kind that respects real constraints and real needs—often produces the most genuinely creative solutions. Creativity isn't an escape from reality. It's a way of engaging with it more inventively.