The only way to maximize group creativityโto make the whole more than the sum of its partsโis to encourage a candid discussion of mistakes. In part, this is because the acceptance of error reduces cost. When you believe your flaws will be quickly corrected by the group, you're less worried about perfecting your contribution, which leads to a more candid conversation. We can only get it right when we talk about what we got wrong.
Jonah LehrerEvery creative story is different. And every creative story is the same. There was nothing. Now there is something. It's almost like magic.
Jonah Lehrerthere simply is no way to describe the past without lying. Our memories are not like fiction. They are fiction.
Jonah LehrerThe vocational approach at NOCCA (New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts) helps build grit in students. It teaches them how to be single-minded in pursuit of a goal, to sacrifice for the sake of a passion. The teachers demand hard work from their kids because they know, from personal experience, that creative success requires nothing less.
Jonah Lehrer