The last segment of "Creativity" talks about enhancing personal creativity. There are many suggestions. The first is to overcome obstacles to have incommitted attention to deal with novelty. People who are too taxed and overworked can not be expected to learn a domain. But often the obstacles are internal. Too much energy defending the ego, too much energy centered on selfish goals. So the sick, hungry and cold need to spend all their energy on survival, the very rick and famous devote much of their time to getting more money and fame. So one needs to divert some attention to the world around us on its own terms.
1. Cultivate Curiosity and Interest
a. Try to be surprised by something every day. Experience this one thing for what it is, not what you think it is. " Be open to what the world is telling you. Life is nothing more than a stream of experiences--the more widely and deeply you swim in it, the richer your life will be."
2. Try to surprise at least one person every day. Break a routine, express an opinion, experiment with your appearance.
3. Write down each day what suprised you and how you surprised others. Keep a diary or notes. (Darwin and other intellectuals of his time kept journals of scientific thought.) Keep it simple and it's fun to do. (I always lose my journal or notebook. Always. Sounds so easy, "keep a notebook and jot things down." Lost.)
Then try to look for patterns.
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