Unpacking creativity: inspiration and research, the foundation

I couldn't start writing about creativity without exploring the roles of inspiration and research more deeply. Upon reflecting on everything I've studied over the years, I realize I didn't consider these concepts as deeply as I do now. Come with me to better understand why.

I used to perceive inspiration as something transcendental, beyond our control, appearing suddenly, working its magic, and then fading away—a true burst of inspiration. While I still believe in experiencing that, I now see inspiration commonly occurring in two forms: an intentional process with a clear goal in mind (initiating a new project, writing an article, etc.), and an ongoing process where you passively get inspired by something. Personally, I equate the former to research, so let's set it aside for now and concentrate on the latter.

We can lead lives filled with inspiration, drawing from various influencing factors around us: nature, culture, design, emotions, politics, fashion, art, overcoming constraints... While the first step to unlock the potential of this deeply inspired life is to recognize the richness of our world, keeping an open mind is what will take you to the next level. Despite its apparent simplicity, living our lives with this blank state of mind can be challenging. I tend to believe that a learning-it-all attitude is key, being open to whatever we experience as a potential source of inspiration. I've been feeling constantly inspired since I started reading Your Brain on Art: How the Arts Transform Us, a book that explains how not only our brains but also our bodies are positively impacted when in contact with any form of art (even for as little as 15-20 minutes per week!). I started paying closer attention to the environment around me, the music on the radio… Without having a specific target to feel inspired for, we can experience the feeling of inspiration more fluidly. Have you ever experienced that "wow look how cool" kind of feeling? That's it!

Reconnecting to the intentional process for inspiration, and aligned with this ongoing state, curiosity prompts you to learn more about something or to dive into what you're being inspired by. Have you ever come across experiences where you find something so interesting that you want to know more about it? Or even that initial inquisitiveness about the "why" behind a new project or a specific problem?

In my experience, this curiosity is what can enhance your research, taking an idea and a whole set of data to a more creative solution. I've been learning a lot from design thinking to define a research strategy, in which I usually adopt a combination of methods - interviews, focus groups, exploratory research (studying articles, books, etc.), surveys. As someone who excels in simplifying complex information into easily understandable concepts, the most fun part for me is taking all the data to break it down into highlights, which I can use to further develop my idea. Personally, I prefer to hold my action-oriented thoughts until this point so I can start ideating solutions based on the abstractions from the initial research. And here's a lesson learned from an agile mindset and, again, design thinking: start small, then iterate, and never stop asking for feedback. I've become a huge fan of research, and all the knowledge you can gain from it.

I wanted to conclude this article with one of my favorite cases: Nespresso. This video gives you an overview of how the brand transformed the coffee business. My highlight is how Nespresso drew inspiration from unexpected sources, like jewelry, to create the concept of their boutiques - once you know this, it's impossible to not see the resemblance:

In case you want to learn more about these topics, check out these additional resources:

• Article: Why Inspiration Matters, by Scott Barry Kaufman, for Harvard Business Review
• Podcast: Brené with Domee Shi on Creativity, Curiosity, and Turning Red, Unlocking Us with Brené Brown