Cities force us to interact with strangers and with the strange. They pry the mind open. And that is why they are the idea that has unleashed so many of our new ideas.

The inconsistency of genius is a consistent theme of creativity.

Every creative story is different. And every creative story is the same. There was nothing. Now there is something. It's almost like magic.

Creativity is not a trait that we inherit in our genes or a blessing bestowed by the angels. It's a skill.

The best way to solve a problem? Try explaining it to somebody outside your field.

The 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.

In fact, the only way to remain creative over time--to not be undone by our expertise--is to experiment with ignorance, to stare at things we don't fully understand.