10 Traits of the Greats
Based on an Article of the same name
by Bob Kodzis, published in
Create Magazine, Fall 2005.
Spend a life time studying brilliant and creative geniuses, work with them, play with them and take good notes and you will discover that they all share some very interesting qualities. Bob Kodzis is a prospector panning for creative gold. This is no fool's gold; this is genius gold – creative currency. As you read you'll discover his subjects come from the arts, science, exploration and business. Kodzis is constantly looking for the traits, attitudes and actions that set creative geniuses apart from their contemporaries. Here's a glimpse of just some of some of the nuggets he's found.
1. Optimism. They believe most things are possible.
"The thing always happens that you really believe in; and the belief
in a thing makes it happen."
- Frank Lloyd Wright
* Creative minds all approach their challenges believing that a brilliant solution can and will be found; a breakthrough discovery will be made.
* "We first have to believe that it can be done. Then we have to believe that we are the ones who have the power to do it. If we don't believe those two things, the battle is lost before we start." - Joe Rodhi, designer of Disney's Animal Kingdom.
2. Persistence. They never give up.
"Obstacles cannot crush me. Every obstacle yields to strong resolve.
He who is fixed to a star does not change his mind."
- Leonardo da Vinci
Throughout history, great creatives have shown that persistence is a personality trait that can move mountains. Two good examples revolve around light and flight.
* Thomas Edison spent 52 years perfecting the incandescent light bulb. In the process he extended the life of the average light bulb from 40 hours to 1,500 hours. That progress took persistence and stamina. If he had given up after 50 years, you might still be reading to candle light.
* Da Vinci executed the designs on dozens of flying machines because he desperately wanted to fly. As each design failed to get off the ground, he'd immediately begin working on the next concept. He continued to pursue flight until his death in 1519. Although he never achieved flight during his lifetime, da Vinci's ideas have contributed to the development of several working flying machines, including the modern helicopter.
3. Imagination. They see all of the possibilities.
Teacher: What are you drawing, Amy?
Amy (Age 5): God
Teacher: But Amy, nobody knows what God looks like.
Amy: They will when I'm done.
Many great minds throughout history refer to the power of the imagination with great reverence and respect. And no imagination gets more respect than that of a child.
* Imagination is the talent that allows us to see our ideas before they are realized. It's an ever-changing set of mental blue prints and emerging concepts. For the creative genius, the imagination is a mental gymnasium where they can work out their ideas.
* Einstein bolstered many people's perception of the value of imagination when he said, "Imagination is more important than knowledge."
4. Passion. They love what they do.
"Neither a lofty degree of intelligence, nor imagination,
nor both together go to the making of genius.
Love, love, love, that is the soul of the genius."
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
* There is no creative genius without passion. It's a driving force and the buoy that keeps creators afloat through failure and adversity. It's what keeps them awake at night.
* Passion is both a driver for the creator and an irresistible force which attracts people to follow and support their creative efforts. It's an essential trait of the greats and it is also one of the sources of their often abundant supplies of energy.
* Annie Leibovitz talks of loving the people she photographs. Einstein spoke of his love of mankind and Shakespeare wrote sonnets to express his passions.
5. Energy. They keep going and going and going…
"My mind is always going a thousand miles an hour.
My body feels a need to try to keep up."
- Jonathan Bailey
Another trait that seems to connect the vast majority of successful creative people is high energy. It's rare to find a lethargic creative genius. This may explain some of the extraordinary productivity that so often accompanies creative genius.
* Edison was renown for his energy often working 18 hours a day, surviving on catnaps and four to five hours of sleep per night.
* An over-the-top example of pure creative energy is the frenetic force of Robin Williams. Thankfully, not all great creative thinkers bounce off the walls like Williams, but his energy is a reflection of his mind – in speed, versatility and endurance. It's an enviable gift.
6. Curiosity and Learning. They want to know more.
"We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things,
because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths."
- Walt Disney
* The brightest minds I have ever known have also been the most curious minds. Creative minds are often insatiable, hungrily consuming information related to their passions.
* I have never met a creative genius who was not actively in the process of learning something new. The greats are lifetime learners.
* At the height of his success as a sculptor and a painter, Michelangelo told his patrons "I am still learning." It's both humbling and inspirational in the same breath.
7. Focus. They choose a target and get lost in their work.
"A rocket is really nothing more than a controlled explosion;
and the difference between a rocket and a bomb is that the
rocket focuses its explosion in one direction"
- Story Musgrave, 30-year NASA veteran
and astronaut on six space shuttle flights.
* When we think of creativity we tend to think of free flowing ideas, originality and divergent thinking. We don't typically think of focus. Yet focus is clearly a cornerstone of creative genius.
* Many of the greatest minds have the ability to control their focus like a mental zoom lens, making the shift from big picture to infinitesimal detail with ease.
8. Courage. They reach beyond the boundaries of fear.
"I'm not funny. What I am is brave."
- Lucille Ball
* Great creatives are courageous spirits. They put their reputations and successes on the line everyday in pursuit of the next great idea. They are known for breaking the rules, ignoring conventional wisdom and forging into uncharted territory.
* The path to creative genius is paved with insecurities, misunderstanding, rejection, ridicule, and in some cases, outright hostility. Consider the fate of Galileo who was deemed a heretic long before history reclassified him as a scientific genius.
* Most of us are only risking our careers and reputations when we leap out of the box. People like Galileo were risking their lives. One basic rule stands as true in creativity as it does in the real world. No guts, no glory!
9. Communication. They teach the value of their ideas.
"It doesn't matter how great your ideas are, if you can't
effectively communicate their value to the people,
who will benefit?"
- Dale Carnegie
*
Da Vinci's hundreds of schematic drawings are legendary because they so effectively communicate both the value (why) and the mechanics (how) of his ideas. There are enthusiasts today who entertain themselves by building da Vinci's machines using his original drawings as blueprints.
*
For a more contemporary example of brilliance, watch Steve Jobs on stage at the next Apple product launch. He uses the full power of his mystique, his environment, and his technology to show people how Apple's latest innovations will change the world.
10. Bias for Action. They don't just think, they do.
"The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing."
- Walt Disney
* Most of the great people throughout history have been people of action. Great creatives are no different. In fact, all acts of creation require action. This is another reason that creative geniuses tend to be very prolific during their lifetimes.
* Jobs and Steve Wozinak physically build the first Apple computer in that legendary garage because having the great idea wasn't enough. They had to do something with it.
* Action is not an option for the creative genius. It's a vital part of the formula.
There is no one formula for creative genius, but this list of 10 great traits certainly represent some of the most important.
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