Getting Creative Without Taking Drugs

How to get creative (without taking drugs): pic.twitter.com/ClNOrUsklB

— George Mack (@george__mack) June 3, 2023

At a first principles level:

1. The brain has inputs and outputs

2. Creativity is an output that is both novel and useful pic.twitter.com/hxSslKBuwy

— George Mack (@george__mack) June 3, 2023

The mistake people make is treating creativity like productivity

We try to work harder and expect creativity to appear

Instead, add new inputs... pic.twitter.com/hyAfiQ9w7I

— George Mack (@george__mack) June 3, 2023

1. The Swedish House Mafia Technique

Get a room with friends away from the outside world.

Throw ideas back and forth like a tennis rally.

Here's Swedish House Mafia creating the iconic "One". pic.twitter.com/zZHXL3zVz7

— George Mack (@george__mack) June 3, 2023

2. Consume Niche Content

Go to YouTube or Twitter.

Step 1 - Scroll through explore page

Step 2 - Only click on content that has under 5K views

— George Mack (@george__mack) June 3, 2023

90% is often a waste of time.

But 10% turns into an incredible niche input that nobody else on the internet is tapping into.

That 10% input is like a VC's investment portfolio - it makes up for all the failed investments

— George Mack (@george__mack) June 3, 2023

3. Balaji's Transformer

If you have a written idea -- try to draw it

If you have a visual idea -- try to write it

If you have a numerical idea -- try to explain it out loud

The process of transforming the idea from one language to another produces a new perspective

— George Mack (@george__mack) June 3, 2023

E.g. Walt Disney's business plan

Turning a dry 10,000-word business plan into an interconnected diagram opens up creative pathways. pic.twitter.com/vV7EazKjj8

— George Mack (@george__mack) June 3, 2023

E.g. Christoper Nolan's Plot for Inception

Turning the written script into a sketch opens up creative pathways pic.twitter.com/dnslvJ2vmA

— George Mack (@george__mack) June 3, 2023

4. Wake Up Early -- Or Stay Up Late

Most people hit peak creativity whilst others are asleep.

Why?

The brain is free to stop worrying about other people -- and fills the vacuum with ideas instead.

— George Mack (@george__mack) June 3, 2023

5. Create An Evil Twin

Imagine there's an evil identical twin of you whose sole job is to out-think you.

What are they thinking?

This thought experiment allows the mind to explore creative ideas -- because you can blame it on the twin. pic.twitter.com/sqBtCqk5Pe

— George Mack (@george__mack) June 3, 2023

6. Spin Wheels

1. Collect the best questions you find

2. Add them to a spinning wheel app

3. Spin the wheel before bed

4. Leave the question with the subconscious overnight

5. Brainstorm on the question first thing in the morning before any input pic.twitter.com/b8Xx6ywLwK

— George Mack (@george__mack) June 3, 2023

7. Study History

Most people only consume content made in the last 24 hours.@david_perell calls this the "Never-Ending-Now"

If you study history, your inputs go from the best content in the last 24h to the best content ever made.

— George Mack (@george__mack) June 3, 2023

8. Be Like Japan

When I ask people where they want to travel to: Most say Japan

Japan practiced an isolationist policy called Sakoku for 265 years. They cut off the outside world -- resulting in their unique culture

Once per quarter, practice Sakoku for a weekend or a week pic.twitter.com/w8sCgD0RRm

— George Mack (@george__mack) June 3, 2023

Sakoku is intermittent fasting for the mimetic mind

In the interconnected age, your thoughts feel like your own -- but it's often society's voice echoing.

When you spend a week alone with 0 external inputs -- the echoes disappear and you hear your own creative voice

— George Mack (@george__mack) June 3, 2023

9. Create A Mood Log

When you feel creative -- log the causes.

When you feel uncreative -- log the causes.

Once per month, review it and redesign your environment based on this log. pic.twitter.com/xWbN0lAAm6

— George Mack (@george__mack) June 3, 2023

10. Julian's Creativity Faucet

The incredible @Julian has this idea:

1. Visualize creativity as a backed-up pipe of water

2. The first mile is wastewater that needs to be emptied

3. After emptying the bad ideas, you begin to spot patterns as to why they are bad pic.twitter.com/VIxpHOiLeZ

— George Mack (@george__mack) June 3, 2023

Shapiro shows this great example of John Mayer applying the creativity faucet live in real-time.

Notice how he empties all the bad ideas -- and the good ideas begin to click. pic.twitter.com/M2tdI1mSyE

— George Mack (@george__mack) June 3, 2023

11. AirBnB's 11* Thought Experiment

Ask people: "What would a 5* experience look like?"

When they answer this, surprise them by asking what 6* would look like.

Keep cranking it all the way up to 11*. pic.twitter.com/LsWy9H9BZF

— George Mack (@george__mack) June 3, 2023

12. Avoid Dramatic People

Human Brain Paradox: Your brain is a supercomputer -- but it can only have 1 thought at a time.

Every thought has an opportunity cost.

Toxic and dramatic people are so dangerous to creativity -- they eat your supercomputers RAM.

— George Mack (@george__mack) June 3, 2023

13. Never Identify With Ideas

People don't have ideas. Ideas have people.

You are just a vessel for ideas to pass through

2nd album syndrome and writer's block are often caused by the creator building an identity to defend pic.twitter.com/ux4qamobw8

— George Mack (@george__mack) June 3, 2023