Embrace Your Inner Child
Have you ever heard someone dismiss modern art with a comment like, "That's not art; my kids could do that"? Austin Kleon responded perfectly: "Yeah, but can you?"
It's a great reminder that the creativity we often admire in children stems from qualities many of us have lost, curiosity, fearlessness, and the ability to think without constraints. My wife, Jackie, sees it every day in her art studio with kids. While adults agonize over whether their tree looks "tree-enough," trying to do their best Bob Ross impression, children fearlessly paint purple trees with snake leaves and are proud of their work. They approach art as play, and play is where creativity thrives.
Art and creativity aren't about perfection. They're about exploration, experimentation, and discovery, and should include a lot more play.
Creativity’s Superpower – Associating
One of the first lessons I teach each semester is associating, the ability to connect unrelated concepts and create something new. During class, I challenged my students to merge the functionality of a microwave with a dishwasher. Here’s what they came up with:
A self-cleaning microwave that eliminates post-meal mess.
A countertop dishwasher for apartment dwellers.
A device that sanitizes dishes with UV light in seconds.
By practicing association, you unlock your ability to connect disparate ideas. It’s not about being “original”, it’s about being creative.
“Creativity is connecting things… Creative people connect experiences they’ve had and synthesize new things.” - Steve Jobs
This is the heart of innovation: combining what exists to create something better.
The Power of Great Questions
The second pillar of innovation is questioning. Great questions reveal unseen problems and unspoken needs. They can challenge the status quo, impose or eliminate constraints, or consider the future using “what-if?” scenarios.
When I asked my students how we might improve the Longhorn football game day experience, they brainstormed:
Why are restroom lines so long?
Why is there no shade in the student section?
Why don't tickets include food and drink credits?
Why can’t the fans override the coach’s decision not to put in Arch Manning on a first down and one yard from the goal? Sorry, that one still hits hard.
These questions identified frustrations and hinted at opportunities for creative problem-solving. The exercise reinforced an important lesson: innovation isn't about answers, it's about asking better questions.
If you're building something, whether it's a business, a product, or your personal brand, start by asking yourself:
What's the problem you're solving?
Is your hypothesis falsifiable, as in, can it be tested?
How can you test it quickly and cheaply?
Who else can you learn from by observing or questioning?
Most importantly, how are you connecting the dots to create something truly unique?
Think Like Picasso, Create Like a Child
Pablo Picasso once said, "It took me four years to paint like Raphael but a lifetime to paint like a child." Why? Because children ask questions, challenge assumptions, and see the world through fresh eyes.
As adults, we stop asking "Why?" and settle for the status quo. Or worse, we avoid asking questions altogether because we fear looking foolish. But to innovate, you must unlearn your fear of asking "dumb" questions and rediscover the art of relentless inquiry.
So, embrace the mindset of a child. Ask better questions. Make surprising connections. So, let’s see the world through fresh eyes, because innovation starts where curiosity and courage collide.
