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The Creative Curve: How to Develop the Right Idea, at the Right TimeMerchant Video

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The Creative Curve: How to Develop the Right Idea, at the Right Time Hardcover – June 12, 2018

by Allen Gannett (Author)

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Big data entrepreneur Allen Gannett overturns the mythology around creative genius, and reveals the science and secrets behind achieving breakout commercial success in any field.

We have been spoon-fed the notion that creativity is the province of genius -- of those favored, brilliant few whose moments of insight arrive in unpredictable flashes of divine inspiration. And if we are not a genius, we might as well pack it in and give up. Either we have that gift, or we don’t. But Allen shows that simply isn’t true. Recent research has shown that there is a predictable science behind achieving commercial success in any creative endeavor, from writing a popular novel to starting up a successful company to creating an effective marketing campaign.

As the world’s most creative people have discovered, we are enticed by the novel and the familiar. By understanding the mechanics of what Gannett calls “the creative curve” – the point of optimal tension between the novel and the familiar – everyone can better engineer mainstream success.

In a thoroughly entertaining book that describes the stories and insights of everyone from the Broadway team behind Dear Evan Hansen, to the founder of Reddit, from the Chief Content Officer of Netflix to Michelin star chefs, Gannett reveals the four laws of creative success and identifies the common patterns behind their achievement.

Print length

288 pages
Language

English
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Currency
Publication date

June 12, 2018
Dimensions

6.4 x 1 x 9.5 inches
ISBN-10

1524761710
ISBN-13

978-1524761714
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"In this stimulating business manual, Gannett, founder and CEO of the marketing analytics firm TrackMaven, asserts, 'There is in fact a science behind what becomes a hit,' namely, neuroscience. He discusses recent psychological research into the appeal that both the novel and the familiar hold for people, writing that successful innovators “find the sweet spot” between 'safety and surprise, similarity and difference.' Gannett debunks the myth that creativity is imparted to select individuals by sharing the little-known but entertaining backstories to enduring creative breakthroughs by the Beatles, J.K. Rowling, and others. He also examines whether hard work and practice can compensate for a lack of innate talent. The central focus of Gannett’s treatise for entrepreneurs with an idea centers on his 'four laws of the creative curve,' which include consumption (familiarizing oneself with a chosen field), imitation (learning from successful predecessors), creative communities (finding collaborators and/or a support group), and iterations ('the use of data-driven processes to refine ideas'). Gannett offers the ideal balance of valuable instruction, accessible writing, and refreshing stories, providing tangible evidence that the creative process he advocates actually works for businesspeople."
— Publishers Weekly review

"The Creative Curve takes on one of the most pernicious beliefs about creativity -- that it is limited to natural-born geniuses. In fact, as Allen Gannett argues so capably, we all have the potential to come up with ingenious ideas and make them a reality. Seasoned with lively anecdotes, The Creative Curve will take you through the science and practice of creativity so that you can start tapping into your own breakthroughs.”
— Daniel Pink, author of WHEN and TO SELL IS HUMAN

"A juicy, rollicking tour along the path toward creativity. The good news is that there is no writer's block, and if you want it badly enough, creativity awaits."
— Seth Godin, author of Linchpin

“To anyone who thinks they are uninspired, stifled, or creatively infertile... this book is for you. Allen Gannett shows that you aren't truly any of those things. You're just doing it wrong.”
— Ann Handley, bestselling author of Everybody Writes

"Insightful, inventive and practical. . . The Creative Curve shifts our understanding of creativity from a difficult-to-repeat light-bulb moment into a well illuminated and researched path to continual inspiration and creative success."
— Shawn Achor, New York Times bestselling author of Big Potential and The Happiness Advantage

"All human beings have the potential for great creativity. Gannett explodes the myth that creativity is some mystical talent some are born with while others are not. Read this book to help understand how to unlock your own creativity, and the creativity of every person on your team."
— Kim Scott, New York Times bestselling author of Radical Candor

“The internet leveled the playing field for content creators, the creatively inclined and just about anyone interested in sharing their thoughts with others. The Creative Curve provides a learned perspective on how the structural barriers that prevent people from connecting with one another, and ultimately understanding each other, have shifted while showing how everyone has the ability to create their own creative masterpiece.”
—Alexis Ohanian, Cofounder of Initialized Capital, Reddit

"The perfect book for any marketer who feels that they want to be more creative but doesn't know how. Gannett makes clear that creating hit products and campaigns, is not something mystical, but rather a critical skill to learn and arm yourself with."
—Meagen Eisenberg, CMO of MongoDB

“If you want to understand creativity, and cultivate and maximize your own, The Creative Curve is the book you need.”
—Richard Florida, author of The Rise of The Creative Class

“The Creative Curve is a must read for digital marketers. Our job is to tell amazing stories that resonate with our audience. Gannett makes it clear that honing this skill is not only possible, but has a well-traveled roadmap.”
—Beverly Jackson, VP of Social Strategy for MGM Resorts International

“In The Creative Curve, Allen Gannett demystifies creativity and gives readers the tools to launch more creative lives. Through a powerful combination of research, stories and surprising insights, this delightful read makes creativity accessible for the self-identified non-creatives and empowers the creatives to maximize their potential”
—Sanyin Siang, CEO Coach and Executive Director, Duke University Coach K Center on Leadership & Ethics

“The Apollo lunar program is arguably humankind’s single most creative endeavor. Being a personal and professional passion of mine, I can say with certainty Apollo came from hard work. Now, fifty years later, Allen Gannett shows you a remarkable system to harness that same creative power for your idea or company and he does so in an engaging fast-paced way. What are you waiting for? With Allen as your guide, it’s time for your moon shot!”
—David Meerman Scott, bestselling author of ten books including Marketing the Moon: The Selling of the Apollo Lunar Program, soon to be a major film

“Drawing on interviews with highly successful entrepreneurs, Gannett shows that the generation of creative ideas is not the result of a stroke of genius—any more than are the winning performances of Olympic athletes. Both are the culmination of years of preparation and practice. His book uncovers the effective practice methods, such as intensive self-study and experimentation, the search for feedback from masters and peers, and gradual refinement of product ideas.”
—K. Anders Ericsson, Conradi Eminent Scholar and Professor of Psychology, Florida State University; and co-author of Peak: Secrets from the New Science of Expertise

"The Creative Curve is a must-read for anyone in the business of innovation. And Allen Gannett is one of the smartest entrepreneurs and writers of his generation. His writing is fresh, compelling, and delightfully fun to get through. You'll find yourself wishing for even more."
—Shane Snow, author of Dream Teams and SmartCuts

“Can we learn to be creative? The Creative Curve demonstrates, persuasively, that yes, you can. Gannett interviewed living idols and leading researchers. From this, he paints a picture of creativity not as some mystical event, but as a practical skill rooted in neuroscience. Ultimately, he delivers on the cover's promise, demystifying how to develop the right idea, at the right time. An essential read."
—Emma Carrasco, CMO of The National Geographic Society

About the Author

ALLEN GANNETT is the founder and CEO of TrackMaven, a software analytics firm whose clients have included Microsoft, Marriott, Saks Fifth Avenue, Home Depot, Aetna, Honda, and GE. He has been on the “30 Under 30” lists for both Inc. and Forbes.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Chapter 1

The Making of a Dream

It was November 1963.

Paul McCartney woke up obsessed with a melody he had heard while dreaming. The twenty-one-year-old pop star stumbled over to the small piano nestled in his room on the top floor of 57 Wimpole Street in central London.

What was that melody?

He sat at the piano, trying to re-create the notes he had heard in his sleep.

It felt so familiar.

He finally put it together: G, F-sharp minor 7th, B, E minor, and E. He played it again and again. He loved the way it sounded but was certain the melody must come from some half-forgotten song he had heard before. Like many musicians, he fretted that he might be borrowing the melody of another song. Too familiar, he thought. Where have I heard this before?

The melody McCartney heard in his dream would ultimately become “Yesterday,” the most recorded song in music history with three thousand different versions. It has been played more than seven million times on American television and radio and is the fourth-highest-grossing song of all time.

McCartney himself once said of his famous song, “It is possibly the smash of this century.” Indeed, “Yesterday” may well have been one of the twentieth century’s biggest hits, and, apparently, it was the result of a dream. He told an interviewer for The Beatles Anthology that the experience had a profound impact on how he viewed creativity: “It’s amazing that it just came to me in a dream. That’s why I don’t profess to know anything; I think music is all very mystical.”

For creativity researchers, Paul McCartney’s sudden melodic epiphany is a classic example of creativity coming to an artist unplanned, in a flash of genius: a “moment of inspiration,” in which an idea suddenly rises to one’s conscious awareness. It is the unexpected nature of these bursts of inspiration, with no apparent origin, that gives them a supernatural quality. Anyone who has had a great idea in the shower or on a run or walk has experienced some version of these moments.

Whether it is J. K. Rowling being struck with the idea for Harry Potter on a train to London, or Mozart being able to compose songs without effort, these accounts have become modern-day staples of what I call the inspiration theory of creativity: the idea that creative success results from a mysterious internal process punctuated by unpredictable flashes of genius. And our culture has embraced the idea that a self-reliant person, born with the right innate talents, can produce hits out of sheer inspiration.

What’s more, this view is not confined to the traditional arts, like music and literature. Steve Jobs, the prototypical genius of the digital age, explained, in an often-repeated quote, that creativity is an organic process: “When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn’t really do it, they just saw something.”

The inspiration theory of creativity dominates how most people think about creative greatness today. But why do these sudden moments of inspiration occur? Is sheer IQ genius the only explanation? If we studied the settings of these creative moments, would they verify or disprove the inspiration theory?

Name That Tune

The morning the melody for “Yesterday” came to McCartney was a typical lazy day. As was his routine, he awoke around noon. He and his girlfriend Jane would often stay out late at London’s restaurants and clubs.

McCartney worried about why the melody he woke up with was so clear, so concise. It seemed too finished, too complete. He assumed he had accidently plagiarized it. Was it from one of the classics he had heard his father play so often? “Stairway to Paradise”? “Chicago”? “Lullaby of the Leaves”?

The Beatles were thoughtful about creating their hits. Lennon once described to an interviewer how intentional the band had been when writing their first number-one single, “Please Please Me”: “We tried to make it as simple as possible . . . we aimed this one straight at the hit parade. It was my attempt at writing a Roy Orbison song.”

For McCartney, “Yesterday” was an explicit exception to his typical methodical songwriting process. The tune of “Yesterday” was like “a jazz melody,” McCartney later said. “My dad used to know a lot of old jazz tunes. I thought maybe I’d just remembered it from the past.”

He went to his friends and asked if they recognized the song.

First, he asked his songwriting partner, John Lennon. Lennon told him he had never heard it before. Still skeptical, McCartney tried his friend Lionel Bart, who had composed numerous hit songs. When McCartney hummed the melody, Bart drew a blank. It seemed as if the song might be original.

Still not convinced, McCartney pressed on. He tried to think of someone older and more experienced, someone who might be able to clear his conscience.

A few days later, McCartney visited Alma Cogan, a British singer known for the song “Dreamboat” and sixteen other hits. If anyone could recognize the song, she could.

He sat down at the piano and played the melody for Cogan and her sister. “It’s lovely,” Cogan said when he was done.

Had she heard it before? McCartney asked. Was it someone else’s song?

Cogan said, “No. It’s original. Nice song.”

Finally, McCartney was persuaded. He had seemingly dreamed a masterful melody, following the mystical nature of the inspiration theory of creativity.

We can interpret the inspiration theory in one of two ways.

The positive view is that a flash of genius can strike anyone. “Yesterday” came to McCartney in a dream, outside of his control. It’s possible that all of us can dream a chart-topping melody.

On the other hand, most of us believe that if we lack the raw talent or innate genius, these moments will never strike. The inspiration theory of creativity is only relevant for those born with so-called genius.

As a result, many of us are tempted to put aside any ambition to become the next great musician, novelist, or entrepreneur, settling instead to be a consumer or patron of the arts. Meanwhile, the optimistic ones are just waiting, hoping for a sudden flash of inspiration to visit them.

The inspiration theory is supported by countless anecdotes from the creative artists of our time. Authors talk of waiting for creative inspiration. Entrepreneurs talk of waiting for a great idea to strike. Musicians talk of falling into a creative groove.

There are countless books and blog posts on creativity, offering suggestions on how we can push through writer’s block or discover our “flow.” Biopics of great artists amplify the inevitability of their creativity, as well as suggesting it is the domain of mad geniuses.

Meanwhile, the rest of us are left on the sidelines.

But what if this entire theory is wrong? What if you don’t have to wait for lightning to strike?

The Road to “Yesterday”

While the sudden creation story of “Yesterday” is relatively well known, what is less known is how McCartney went from the original melody to crafting the full song.

The notion that this song came to McCartney in an instant is wrong.

All that had come to him in the dream was a simple chord progression. When McCartney awoke with a melody in his head, it was a long way from a completed song. For one thing, the tune had no words. He knew he needed to come up with placeholder lyrics while he continued working on the song’s structure.

As he was playing the melody to Alma Cogan, her mother walked into the room, asking, “Anyone like some scrambled eggs?”

This gave McCartney the temporary lyric he needed: Scrambled Eggs.

The initial lyrics he came up with were:

Scrambled eggs

Oh, my baby, how I love your legs

Diddle diddle

I believe in scrambled eggs.

From there, it took almost twenty months of grueling work to complete the song. McCartney became obsessed. While he worked on it, the people around McCartney became sick of hearing about his ever-changing song in progress.

As George Harrison told an interviewer about that period, “He’s always talking about that song. You’d think he was Beethoven or somebody . . .”

Even when the Beatles started filming their second movie, Help!, McCartney didn’t waver. He worked on the song during breaks. At one point, the film’s producer, Dick Lester, was so fed up that he said, “If you play that bloody song any longer, I’ll have the piano taken offstage. Either finish it, or give it up!”

Later, on their first tour through France, Paul had a piano placed in their hotel room so that he could continue working on “Yesterday.” It paid off. When producer George Martin first heard the song, he was mesmerized. It was different. In fact, it was so original that he was worried that it wouldn’t fit into a Beatles album.

McCartney realized that the song needed melancholy lyrics (scrambled eggs were not a valid topic for a brooding song). “I remember thinking that people liked sad tunes; they like to wallow a bit when they’re alone, to put a record on and go, ‘Ahh.’ ” He finally finished the song, sketching out the final lyrics, on a trip to Portugal in May 1965.

A month later he went to the studio with George Martin to record “Yesterday.” According to Martin, McCartney came into Studio Two at EMI and played “Yesterday” on an acoustic guitar. The only change Martin could think of adding was orchestral strings. Paul, however, thought that was too much. In response, Martin suggested a quartet, and with that melodic but dark addition, “Yesterday” was born.

The iconic song that is remembered as the result of a flash of genius was, in fact, a nearly two-year odyssey—one that at times wore McCartney (and his friends) down. While the mythology behind the Beatles celebrates the story of “Yesterday” as one of sudden creative genius, as we’ve seen it was hardly a linear path from dream to recording. “Yesterday” was not a pure product of a light-bulb moment. It was hard, grueling work.

But couldn’t you argue that it began with an initial moment of divine inspiration? How do we account for that?

There is a cottage industry of researchers who are fascinated by the origin story of “Yesterday”: academics interested in creativity, music historians, and avid Beatles fans. All have worked to answer the question of where the melody really came from.

The most enlightening theory of the origin of “Yesterday” comes from Beatles expert Ian Hammond, who points out that the song “is a direct evolution of the melody from the Ray Charles version of ‘Georgia on My Mind.’ Not only does ‘Yesterday’ share a chord progression with the earlier song, but it also mirrors the bass lines of ‘Georgia on My Mind.’ ”

True enough, the Beatles and Paul McCartney were big admirers of Ray Charles. They kicked off their career playing his covers in the bars and clubs of Hamburg, Germany. John Lennon said that when they started playing their own songs, it was a “quite traumatic thing because we were doing such great numbers of other people’s, of Ray Charles and [Little] Richard and all of them.”

For Paul McCartney, what looked like divine inspiration was in fact likely the result of subconscious processing of music he loved. Like most music, it was an evolution of the chord progressions that already existed. In fact, as Hammond points out, Ray Charles’s version of “Georgia on My Mind” was an evolution of Hoagy Carmichael’s original version of the song. This type of ingestion, reinvention, and influence is common in stories of creative success.

When McCartney reflects on how he wrote “Yesterday,” he tends to focus on his sudden inspiration for the tune. But, in at least one interview, he acknowledged that there was something more mechanical at work: “If you’re very spiritual then God sent me a melody, I’m a mere vehicle. If you wanna be a bit more cynical, then I was loading my computer for millions of years listening to all the stuff I listened to through my dad and through my musical tastes, including people like Fred Astaire, Gershwin, and finally my computer printed out one morning what it thought was a good tune.”

The things we view as unexplainable genius often have a genesis of some sort.

The inspiration theory of creativity has been around for thousands of years, since the era of ancient Greece. While the theory is still breathlessly recounted in the press, modern research that I’ll discuss demonstrates that creative potential is within all of us.

However, if our perception of McCartney and other creative artists is flawed—if they are more accurately described as tireless and intensely focused—that still does not explain how they achieved commercial success. Plenty of artists toil away for years at their craft without recognition or acclaim. An endless procession of novelists has labored tirelessly for years writing novels that never sell a copy. Many painters, sculptors, choreographers, and musicians work for years without ever tasting critical or commercial success. Clearly, popular success is not just a matter of sweat equity.

Could it be possible to identify the true causes of creative success?

Chapter 2

Learning a Lie

As I said earlier, I have always been addicted to recognizing patterns. Much of the phenomena we observe that seem organic or unique are actually the result of repeating processes and systems. By decoding the right patterns, I believe you can achieve goals ranging from the frivolous to the meaningful.

When I was eighteen, I set my sights on getting on a game show. It seemed like an unusual challenge, yet one that offered a potentially fun and lucrative reward. So, I applied to all the shows I had heard of (and some I hadn’t known existed).

Some asked for essays. Others, like Jeopardy, asked you to take online tests. Still others, like Wheel of Fortune, simply requested you fill out a form.

I sent away e-mails and filled out web forms, and then I waited.

After months of not hearing anything, one day an e-mail appeared asking me to audition for Wheel of Fortune. Rather than study the puzzles, I decided I would spend the weeks before my audition trying to figure out what the producers wanted. I watched dozens of episodes, looking for common elements in the contestants’ behavior. I delved through message boards about how the game worked, and read blog posts about other peoples’ experiences auditioning. After hours of research, I found a pattern: the casting team wasn’t looking for expert puzzle-solvers. They were seeking contestants who could enunciate (and really loudly, too), were willing to embarrass themselves, and who came across to a home audience as over-the-top and energetic.

That’s why instead of studying vocab words, I came up with various ways I could embarrass myself. I worked on an Elmo impression that I thought might make the audience laugh—or cringe—and on the morning of my audition, I drank two shots of espresso. A lack of energy would not be an obstacle.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Currency; Illustrated edition (June 12, 2018)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 288 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1524761710
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1524761714
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.1 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.4 x 1 x 9.5 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #221,333 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #193 in Popular Psychology Creativity & Genius
- #2,476 in Personal Finance (Books)

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Allen Gannett

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Allen Gannett was the founder and CEO of TrackMaven, a marketing analytics platform whose clients included Microsoft, Marriott, Saks Fifth Avenue, Home Depot, Aetna, Honda, and GE. In 2018 it merged with Skyword, the leading content marketing platform, where he now serves as Chief Strategy Officer. He has been on the “30 Under 30” lists for both Inc. and Forbes. His book The Creative Curve, came out June 2018 from Currency, a division of Penguin Random House. The book has been featured on CNBC, Forbes, numerous top podcasts, and has been translated into eight other languages. Most importantly, he was once a very pitiful runner-up on Wheel of Fortune.

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AllieC

Great read for creative nerds...

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 30, 2019

Verified Purchase

The Creative Curve strikes a good balance of analytical, historical, mathematical, and creative research. The book reads like an intellectual novel, a plus for someone like me who doesn't read fiction. :) I am thankful to have supported Allen Gannett by purchasing his first book. However, I began to notice (after quite a few stories), that something was missing and because of that missing piece, the book wasn't resonating with me wholeheartedly. What was missing, you ask?
While inspiration can be found in most of the stories, what is less inspiring is the fact that the stories highlighted more male Caucasians, and only a few women. As a minority/African American woman having worked as a creative for decades, this was disheartening. Though there is an "aside" in Law III: Creative Communities in Chapter 9 stating the following: "Unfortunately, the importance of the creative community also makes it harder for women and minorities to find recognition in creative fields. In all my research, the lists of "top" entrepreneurs, artists, chefs, and other creative people were dominated by white men." While parts of that statement may be true, I feel the statement is half-baked. I am disappointed and somewhat surprised that Allen (and those who may have helped with the book's research and content) did not attempt to find, research, and interview a few of the many minorities who have contributed and continue to contribute to the creative communities that African Americans proudly represent.
There are TONS of musically gifted (modern) minority creatives that could have helped add "color" and more inspiration to this book range from Sean (Puffy) Combs, Jay Z, Beyonce, Trombone Shorty, Wynton Marsalis, Chance the Rapper, and soooo many more.
Not to mention the great literary creatives - Nikki Giovanni, Toni Morrison, Zane, Alice Walker... this list definitely goes on and on and on.
Last but not least, since the author mainly highlighted film/movies/TV - Shonda Rhimes, John Singleton, Spike Lee, Tyler Perry, Chadwick Boseman... oh my! The lists are endless.
After reading the book, I spent some reflective time on my thoughts and feelings of the content and that which was "missing" in my eyes. Whether it's a justification on my part or not, this is what I resolve to believe... Allen set out with an intended audience and targeted research "samples" (interviewees) as any good researcher would do. His audience and research "samples" (interviewees) would not include the deep, historical, and evident richness of the minority/African American people. It is my hope that in a future publication he will choose to include and highlight them and the many CREATIVE CONTRIBUTIONS our people have made to this world. Happy reading.

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Isa Adney

And it’s not easy. But it is possible

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on June 12, 2018

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I heard about this book and Allen a couple months ago on LinkedIn when he posted the list of people he interviewed for the book, and I just knew; any book that features Kenya Barris (Blackiish, Barbershop), Brenda Chapman (Lion King, Brave) and the song-writing team Pasek and Paul (Greatest Showman, Lala Land, Dear Evan Hansen) together is my kind of book.

It lived up to my initial excitement, with the cherry on top being its closing with a story of one of my personal heroes - J.K. Rowling, and how her flash of creative inspiration on a train that led to Harry Potter was more than just inspiration - it was also coupled with an intense organization, focus, and dedication over many years.

But what really makes this book special is this underlying question throughout all the scientific and personal interviews.

Could you be a J.K. Rowling?

A Kenya Barris?

A Pasek and Paul?

Could your work actually reach people in the ways you’ve only secretly dreamed about but counted yourself out because, really, that's crazy?

What if?

Why not you?

And are there things you could be doing to get closer?

That is what The Creative Curve is all about – Allen combines his interviews with professional artists and creatives and with interviews with scientists to explore the patterns behind creative work that reaches a lot of people.

The most exciting conclusion? (Spoiler alert.)

Creative genius is more accessible than we're traditionally taught.

It’s also the most terrifying part.

Because it might make you - for a moment - dip into a potential you never allowed yourself to believed you had.

It’s hard work to make a massive impact with your work, that’s for sure. And while it’s definitely not all in our control, there’s a lot more we can do to move closer to our big creative dreams.

A lot more.

It’s not a formula. And it’s not easy.

But it is possible. And there are actions you can take, real ones, that go beyond hoping for a big break. But it must, indeed, start with hope. And that is what The Creative Curve - to my mind - is all about.

“Achieving your creative potential isn’t for the faint of heart,” Allen writes. “It requires countless hours, days, and even years of work. But it’s no longer a mystery.”

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Raymond A. Ubaldo

Life is about living and learning something new on a daily basis

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on May 2, 2019

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I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Creative Curve. Even though it took me forever to read (purchased the book back in January), I dissected the chapters and words and I applied what Allen has written on a daily basis.

We as humans, learn something new on a daily basis, whether it be something common or not so common. Life is about learning, and in that learning process, we realize that we are nowhere near perfect. We all make mistakes, but over time, we learn from those mistakes and we move on, to bigger and onto better things.

For some reason, when I read "exemplar", I immediately thought of Starcraft and I'm pretty sure that's not how Allen meant to describe anything in his book HAHA however, my thoughts from start to finish were all over (in a good way of course!): I thought of movies and music that follow similar patterns, such as Santana's "Maria Maria" and Rihanna's "Wild Thoughts", to the styles and fads of fashion that may be long gone, but are making a comeback, such as wrapping a plaid long-sleeved shirt around your waist and overalls (haven't seen this trend since the '90s!)

Even with our brains accepting what's familiar and the "fear of the unknown", in my spare time I watch Anime and one of the ones I came across, The Promised Neverland,, was not my go-to genre (psychological, sociological, thriller), however I gave it a chance and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Probably because I'm not a judgmental person either, but it reminded me of one of the very first anime's I watched over a decade ago (shameless plug: Death Note is my number one at the moment!).

If you have time to spare and are looking for some enlightenment in your life, do pick up Allen Gannett's The Creative Curve. Promise you won't be disappointed! :) Great job, Allen! <3

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Cliente Kindle

Very inspiring reading

Reviewed in Brazil 🇧🇷 on September 11, 2020

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This book is a very good reading for those looking to learn more about creative and the creating process I love it.

Mariana

Creatividad con ciencia

Reviewed in Mexico 🇲🇽 on June 11, 2020

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Si eres de los que piensa que la creatividad solamente es para un par de personas, con este libro te darás cuenta que no es así, el autor toma referencias de grandes autores para demostrar que se requiere una visión para poder ser creativo. Muy interesante, demasiado revelador y ligero de lectura.
No se requieren muchos conocimientos en marketing o publicidad para poder entender el punto del autor. Se hace muy sencillo de leer y lo mejor es que te deja con ganas de aprender más. 5 horas en promedio de lectura.
Ampliamente recomendado.

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Mlčhl

One of the first and best creative advice book I ever encountered

Reviewed in Japan 🇯🇵 on September 30, 2018

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I purchased this book as I was about to create my very first blog and I happen to have a wonderful encounter with the author online. Though he is young, his experience and knowledge surpass unlike any others and am so glad that I have the opportunity to get to know the author as well as to read his book. Although I'm still reading his book, it is very easy to read and very thought provoking at the same time. I never thought I could be creative but by reading Allen Ganett's book, I may be able to say I am creative upon finishing the book and start what I want to start, which is to create my blog. It's been a big difficult for me due to health issues, but hopefully, I can slowly start something that could change my life for the best.

One person found this helpful

Marcelo Torres Llamas

Accionable y Útil

Reviewed in Mexico 🇲🇽 on March 22, 2019

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Tan importante me parece el contenido de este autor que internamente hemos adoptado algunos de sus principios para llevar a cabo conversaciones con nuestros clientes. Adicionalmente, tiene algunas premisas que son fáciles de entender y compartir y nos ayudan a desmitificar el valor de la creatividad, sobre todo aquella creatividad que parece más cercana a la magia que al trabajo ordenado y recurrente.

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Natasha

Useful, clear, and interesting.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on October 20, 2018

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This book does a great job of combining and reducing the "great" and academic esq like ideas.
It was easy to read, easy to understand, and honest about the hard work in creative patterns.
It also doesn't fall into the typically plight of going on a bit too long even though there isn't anymore unique content.

However, the audible really needs to be done by a different voice. While the excitement and cadence are engaging the pitch and pronunciation are often jarring.

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The Creative Curve: How to Develop the Right Idea, at the Right Time

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Customer Review: Creativity is hard, but it can be learned. This book will show you how!

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Allen Gannett

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FREE delivery: Wednesday, July 12 on orders over $25.00 shipped by Amazon.

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