[This post is part of a series on creativity. If you don’t see a Table of Contents to the left, click here to view the series, where you’ll get more value than reading just this post.] Wow, I’m just learning about Altshuller and his discoveries. Amazing stuff. This man, Genrich Altshuller, was working in a patent clerk role in the Soviet Union after World War II. He was working for[…] Keep reading →

[This post is part of a series on creativity. If you don’t see a Table of Contents to the left, click here to view the series, where you’ll get more value than reading just this post.] I knew about Jacob’s research and what he consulted. Now I’m reading about the research that led to his — that of Genrich Altshuller, who researched creativity in post-war Russia until he was imprisoned[…] Keep reading →

[I replaced this post with a series on creativity. Click here to view that series, where you’ll get more value than reading just this post.] The next few posts will be on creativity, mainly exploring counterproductive mainstream myths about it. I used to view the topic as vague, but a few sources dramatically and convincingly changed my perspective. One was a class at Columbia Business School called Systematic Creativity in[…] Keep reading →

If you accept mainstream ideas of creativity, then your understanding of creativity is holding you back from creating things and being creative. Mainstream views on creativity sell books, movies, magazines, and so forth. They sell over-romanticized myths that, while entertaining, undermine your ability to create things and solve problems. Let’s start with two contradictions to lay bare the counterproductivity in mainstream views. First, mainstream views value creative, original, so-called outside-the-box[…] Keep reading →

Andy is Executive Chef at Lenox Hill Hospital, in the Northwell Health network. He has over 28 years of experience, including foundational years working with renowned chefs Raymond Blanc and Daniel Boulud in both his native England and his adopted home of New York. His signature style of cooking developed while he was the executive chef of the health-focused, Michelin-starred restaurant Rouge Tomate; combining a nutritional and seasonal approach to[…] Keep reading →

Adam Alter is a Professor of Marketing at New York University’s Stern School of Business, with an affiliated appointment in the New York University Psychology Department. Adam’s academic research focuses on judgment and decision-making and social psychology, with a particular interest in the sometimes surprising effects of subtle cues in the environment on human cognition and behavior. His research has been published widely in academic journals, and featured in dozens[…] Keep reading →

Regular listeners and blog readers know I talk about litter and how much we wreck nature, especially my neighborhood’s back yard, Washington Square Park. Click the links below to see some of the worst litter you’ve seen, in a supposedly nice part of town. Today the opposite: someone who brings joy, fun, creativity, music, and dancing to the park. Alan began playing drums in the park three years ago and[…] Keep reading →