The Creativity Formula by Amantha Imber: how to get better at better ideas

Steph's Business Bookshelf Podcast

About the Author

Dr Amantha Imber is an innovation psychologist, founder of Australia’s leading innovation consultancy Inventium, and co-creator of the Australian Financial Review’s Most Innovative Companies list. With a PhD in organisational psychology, Amantha has helped companies such as Google, Apple, Disney, LEGO, Virgin Australia, Commonwealth Bank and many others innovate more successfully.

Amantha’s thoughts have appeared in Harvard Business Review, The Huffington Post, Forbes, Entrepreneur and Fast Company and she is the author of two best-selling books: “The Creativity Formula” and “The Innovation Formula”. In 2016, Amantha was inducted into the Australian Business Women’s Hall of Fame.

Source: https://www.inventium.com.au/dr-amantha-imber-bio/

Click here to buy on The Book Depository

https://www.bookdepository.com/Creativity-Formula-Amantha-Imber/9780646509624/?a_aid=stephsbookshelf

About the book

The Creativity Formula will take you through the latest scientific findings about how you can use your brain to think more creatively and come up with better ideas more easily and quickly. The book will explain:

• How to instantly ‘switch on’ your creativity
• Why traditional brainstorming is bollocks
• How exposing yourself to certain types of images can significantly boost your creativity
• Why your physical environment may be killing your creativity
• And much much more

Source: https://www.amanthaimber.com/books/

Links

Check out the How I Work podcast (and it’s seriously impressive guest list) here: https://www.amanthaimber.com/podcast/
I particularly enjoyed this episode with Atlassian’s Work Futurist, Dom Price: https://www.amanthaimber.com/podcasts/atlassians-dom-price-on-how-he-uses-imposter-syndrome-to-his-advantage/

BIG IDEA 1 (5:08) – Identify

This is the need to identify yourself as creative. Having a mindset and identity of creativity allows you to be more creative. In an organization it’s important for team leaders not to refer to some teams as the creative team because it makes it seem like it’s attainable only if you work in that team.

Also within a team it’s important not to identify some as the creative ones and other less creative because it will make them like it’s something they can’t achieve because they are born with it instead of it being nurtured and practiced over time.

It is a mindset more than a skill set.

BIG IDEA 2 (7:13) – Go broad.

This is about finding expansive ideas from multiple fields. Finding new connections and new applications for ideas. You can go to a place you wouldn’t usually go to or work from somewhere new and invite different thinking into your mind.

BIG IDEA 3 (9:05) – Create stimulus.

Almost all of the tips involve manufacturing something to create creativity. You need to think intentionally to switch on or stimulate your creativity. What can you do to mix things up which will stimulate a different environment and conversation.

There is evidence that shows that the things around you can spur or hinder creative thinking. It’s really up to you to create creativity with intent and aligned to what you are looking to achieve.

Music By: A Look Out Song by Assaf Ayalon

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