Creative spark Archives – Creative Thinking Hub

Misfits: The people who make a difference

Jim Connolly February 16, 2026

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Over the past few weeks, I have been thinking a lot about misfits. I think of misfits as people who do things their own way. People who stand out from the crowd. People who tread their own path through life.

It started with some research I was doing. I was looking at common factors behind the people who achieve great success in their chosen field.

And in 100% of the cases I studied, they were misfits. From Shakespeare, Dieter Rams and Steve Jobs, to Grandmaster Flash, Richard Feynman, Picasso and Robin Williams.

This is true, regardless of whether the person is a musician, politician, activist, industrialist, designer, writer, actor, or whatever.

The only exception I could find were sports stars, where genetics played a huge part. But even then, the very top achievers in sport are often misfits; people who demonstrated a rare level of commitment, focus, grit and determination.

The creative adult

There’s a wonderful old saying that goes like this: The creative adult, is the child who survived.

I love the idea of the child who survived. The kid who grew-up, whilst still hanging onto their child-like imagination and curiosity. Schools tend to try and make kids conform to a measurable norm. Teachers and fellow students make life tough for kids who are different. So, kids soon learn to fit in. This robs many children of their chance to be their unique-self… the misfit they were born to be.

Just as the creative adult, is the child who survived, I think the same is true of misfit adults.

Embrace your inner misfit

You were born unique. Plus, your life experience was, and remains, unique. That uniqueness is still within you. Yes, it may take time, but you can reconnect with it.

How?

A great place to start is to observe the freedom with which your kids, siblings or grand-kids behave. Look at how they create. Observe how curious they are and how much fun they have. There’s so much we can learn from them.

In the age of AI, those of us who choose the less-travelled path of originality, have a fantastic opportunity. It’s an opportunity to stand out and make a difference, simply by being ourselves. By being the unique misfit we truly are.

Increasing numbers of people are choosing to hand over as much of their work and their thinking as possible, to AI. And AI is becoming increasingly capable of doing more for them.

In every area of creativity, there has never been a better time to be a misfit. It’s increasingly rare. And increasingly valuable.

PS: Here are 15 ways creative misfits stand out.

Photo by Bob Jenkin

Uncreative branding: How to avoid it!

Jim Connolly January 22, 2026

creative thinking, branding, uncreative, commodity

Friends. Here’s how to avoid being yet another victim of toxic branding advice.

If you’re following advice that’s from a video with hundreds of thousands of views, or following the advice from a book that’s read by hundreds of thousands of people, you’ll simply be copying the same branding strategy as millions of others.

Think about it.

When you feed your mind with identical advice to the masses, you’ll fade into an ocean of beige.
You’ll have an instantly forgettable brand.
And you’ll have just turned your art, your work/products and your business into a commodity. Ouch!

The reason there’s an entire branding industry, is because this type of mass-market crap doesn’t work. People watch the video, read the book, attend/buy the course… only because the last one failed. The next one will fail, too. And the next. Repeat.

The branding industry works for so-called branding experts, because their advice doesn’t work. If it worked, everyone who followed the advice from all those best-seller books, or watched those videos, would have a kick-ass brand. They wouldn’t need more branding books, videos or courses.

Successful branding isn’t a DIY project

To craft your unique brand, get advice that’s specific to you, your art, your work/products, your goals and your personality.

Anything less is not just ineffective, it’s toxic.

P.S. You’ll find this really useful. Stop buying crap: You’re already creative.

Uncreatives: Tech YouTube creators

Jim Connolly January 16, 2026

jim connolly, youtube creators, creative thinking experts

I recently watched some YouTube tech reviews. I was in the market for a new, high-end tablet device and wanted to make an informed choice. As someone with a keen interest in tech, I knew exactly what to expect from tech reviews by YouTube content creators.

I knew that most reviewers would evaluate tablet devices as if their viewers requirements were just like YouTube content creators. That’s to say, people deeply interested in video shooting, editing and conversion, who love lots of benchmarks, and speed-test data for video production apps. (Plus a little on gaming and Netflix performance).

Of course, most of their viewers don’t make YouTube videos every day. So, how did this happen?

Here’s my theory!

An early, viral YouTube review included lots of benchmarks, showing how the device handled the creator’s workflow, which was mostly video production. Other creators copied the format. Today, that’s the standard template.

Why are they using templates? They’re under extreme pressure. They’re getting new devices to review all the time, which they need to spend hours learning about. Then they have a limited amount of time for the development work and production of the video. The sooner they publish their review, the less competition they will be up against.

Extreme pressure?

Oh yes!

As I have said before, YouTubers who work without a production team, work both long hours and extremely hard. They’re feeding Google’s YouTube algorithm, which is relentless if you want to get the subscribers and views you need, in order to make a significant income.

I know a few YouTubers, including one with almost half a million subscribers. Today, she makes a very good living and has a team working with her. Yet she’s still working hard to build her subscriber-base and feed the insatiable algorithm.

However, there’s no need for tech YouTubers to produce such similarly formatted videos. They could build their own template. A template that’s more aligned with what a typical viewer is looking for, before they make a purchasing decision.

Surely, there is an opportunity out there, right now, for a creative thinking, tech savvy YouTuber to own a massive slice of the market?

Could it be you?

After all, in the age of anti creativity we need more, unique material out there to combat the AI slop problem.

Photo by ilgmyzin

15 Attributes of creative misfits

Jim Connolly January 4, 2026

The greatest creative thinkers and artists have all been misfits. Here are 15 ways they differ from the less creative masses.

The misfit risks rejection. The masses fear exclusion.
The misfit values truth over harmony. The masses value harmony over truth.
The misfit is prepared to stand alone. The masses measure safety in numbers.
The misfit builds from first principles. The masses build from precedent.
The misfit creates culture. The masses consume it.
The misfit is brave enough to rock the boat. The masses avoid making waves.
The misfit creates their own path. The masses follow the pack.
The misfit seeks out opportunities. The masses look for guarantees.
The misfit uses their creative instinct. The masses pick up the handbook.
The misfit does what’s required. The masses do what’s comfortable.
The misfit experiments and actions. The masses wait for permission.
The misfit tolerates uncertainty. The masses cling to certainty.
The misfit acts before they feel ready. The masses wait until it feels safe.
The misfit builds momentum. The masses build consensus.
The misfit learns from failure. The masses avoid it.

You’re unique. And your uniqueness is one of your greatest attributes. So, be yourself. Soon you’ll stand out… which is how you become outstanding.

Einstein explains why your imagination is so important

Jim Connolly October 15, 2025

Creative thinking experts, Einstein, jim connolly, imagination

We all know that Albert Einstein had one of the greatest scientific minds in history. What many people don’t know, is that Einstein was also a passionate artist, a creative genius, who called upon his artistic imagination to see into the mysteries of the universe and unravel them.

Here’s a quote from The Saturday Evening Post in 1929, which shows the importance Einstein attributed to his artistic imagination:

“I am enough of the artist to draw freely upon my imagination. Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.”

Yes, it is essential for us to build our bank of knowledge. However, it is just as important to embrace the power of our imagination and develop our creative thinking skills.

Knowledge alone is not enough. As Calvin Coolidge famously said, the world is full of educated derelicts.

This post is dedicated to creative powerhouses everywhere, who work in areas not usually associated with creative thinking. Including, Howard Neiswender, Ish Samarakoon and Dr M Anand.

Photo by Maks Key

Thinking differently?

Jim Connolly October 14, 2025

creative thinking, studio with macbooks on desks

Have you ever noticed how those creative geniuses you see on TED videos or Creative Mornings videos, almost all use Macs?

Ironically, none of them are embracing Steve Jobs’ mantra, “think different.” Instead, they’re using the same predictable design tools. They stand on stage, eager to share how uniquely original they are, creating from the same limited tool kit as their fellow creative thinking pals.

I find that odd — odd, limiting and narrow minded.

Thinking different with different tools

As well as pencils, pens and paper, I use 2 Macs, a Windows PC, a Linux PC and a number of android devices. Each works differently. Each has different software.

Each causes you to (literally) think differently, when you use them.

Maybe a more useful way to come up with creative ideas, is NOT to limit yourself to one hardware or software platform.

I wonder how Warhol’s art would have been limited, if he’d followed the crowd and insisted on using only oil on canvas? Think about that for a moment!

4 Ways to refresh your mind and work smarter

Jim Connolly July 21, 2025

creativity, work smarter, refresh your thinking

The 4 ideas I’m about to share with you are very personal to me. They’re based on improvements I had to make, when I needed to work a lot smarter. In each case, the results have been exceptional. My hope is that you find them equally helpful.

Let’s go!

1. Improve your mindset

I used to go to work every day at an office. It wasn’t very motivating. So, one day I decided to change things. I decided to spend my days creatively solving problems in a studio.

All that actually changed was my mindset.

I was still doing the same type of projects. I was still sitting at the exact same desk in the exact same room. Yet, I was spectacularly more productive and enjoying my ‘work’ more than ever before. I also started unconsciously altering my office, until it looked like a creative studio. No desks, just a couple of production tables. Art and colour all over the walls. What once was work, was now creative play. What once was a dull office, was now an energetic studio.

When we change our mindset regarding work, everything else changes according to our new mindset. If you feel like you need to work smarter, try adopting a smarter mindset. Think of your current mindset regarding work. Then, make some exciting adjustments.

2. Improve your inputs

One of the easiest ways to work smarter is to be more intentional regarding what we feed our mind with. So many people start their working day by catching up with the news or our social media apps. They’re feeding their mind with inputs that are designed to grab their attention, with typically bad or tragic news stories. Social media apps know what makes us keep on scrolling, so they can feed us with ads.

And to a lesser or greater degree, they all combine to set our mental state for the rest of the morning or day.

If we want to start the day refreshed, so we can be at our productive best, we need to change our inputs; those things we feed our mind with. This means choosing to focus on what inspires us, teaches us, improves our mood, lifts us up or anything else that helps us be more productive and work smarter.

3. Improve your diet

You don’t need to be a nutritionist to know there’s a direct link between what we eat and how we feel. I’m not going to give anyone advice on what they should eat or avoid. However, I am going to recommend you take time to study nutrition.

You’ll see that there are certain foods that release a steady flow of energy, and others that give you spikes and lows. There are foods that make you feel good and foods that make you feel sluggish. So, do some research. Look for improvements. Eat better. You might be amazed how well your mind and body responds, just as I was.

4. Improve your working hours

An essential part of working smarter is to improve your working hours. The majority of self-employed people and business owners I know, typically work over 50-hours a week. Some work closer to 70-hours. Each has a different reason for doing it. But whatever their reason, it isn’t sustainable.

Here’s the thing: it’s pretty-much impossible to create our best work, when we’re working too many hours. A tired mind isn’t optimal. And a suboptimal mind isn’t capable of working smart.

It’s really important for us to set hard limits on how many hours a day we will work. Then stick to it. Broadly, this means either learning to be more productive, delegating more work to others, or taking less work on. There are tons of books on the subject, mostly saying the same thing.

Creativity and the tools we use

Jim Connolly July 5, 2025

Dylan thomas, writing hut, writing shed, creativity

Photo credit: Tony in Devon.

I’ve seen the shed where Dylan Thomas did much of his writing (see above). It reminded me of the tiny shed where Roald Dahl wrote.

Something that struck me about these amazing writers, was how extremely sparse their surroundings were.

Nothing fancy.

Just a space where they could think and work. A place where they could create.

The mechanics are secondary

Often, we get caught up in the mechanics of creativity. What software to work with, what type of pencils to use, whether to use a digital or analogue notebook.

And many creative professionals send more time searching the internet for so-called creativity hacks, than they spend producing their art.

To a lesser or greater degree, these are all stalling tactics. Once we have the basics in place, it’s time to start creating. Even if it’s in a tiny shed.

Dylan Thomas photo credit.

Think creatively, like no one else

Jim Connolly March 31, 2025

There’s a wonderful quote from Albert Szent-Györgyi, which I’d like to share with you. It’s a simple, powerful insight into how geniuses think creatively.

“Genius is seeing what everyone else sees and thinking what no one else has thought.”

Szent-Györgyi is best known, as the man who discovered vitamin C. Vitamin C had always been there. Every time someone ate an orange, they were holding, looking at and consuming vitamin C. However, no one before Albert Szent-Györgyi had ever thought about vitamin C.

Creative thinking: From oranges to apples

Millions of people saw apples fall from trees. It was only Sir Isaac Newton who asked, “why?”.

Here’s the thing: We each possess a unique mind. However, it takes courage to use it uniquely… rather than accept perceived wisdom and false limitations.

Improve your creative thinking, with more colour

Jim Connolly March 26, 2025

creative thinking colour, colour and creativity

There’s a direct link between the use of colour (or color for my US readers), and creative thinking. If you could see the explosion of colour in my studio, you’d know I’m a big believer in this.

It’s hard to think in colour, when your world has the brightness turned down. Yet as adults, many non-creative people surround themselves with a very limited range of colours. Their homes, furniture, offices and clothes are toned down to the point where they almost blend into the background.

Here’s the thing: As scientific studies have found, colours can have a measurable impact on how we feel and how we think.

Children, colour and creativity

Have you ever noticed how colourful kids stuff is? Pretty-much everything they use is extremely colourful. From their toys and cutlery to their books, clothing, bedding and toiletries, everything is bright and pumped full of colour. These colours help keep children engaged, interested and it stimulates their mind.

The good news for us as adults, is that colour can be deliberately used to stimulate your mind, too.

Introducing colour to your creativity

Now, whilst I am not suggesting you start dressing in technicolor, unless you want to, I am suggesting you introduce as much colour into your creativity as possible.

Pens I’m using in the studio today.

For example.

Use multicoloured pens and pencils when you think on paper.
If you do a lot of your thinking in your office, have some really colourful desk items around you. Highlighters, pen holders, Post-it notes, your phone charger, writing pads and your coffee mug, etc., these all come in a multitude of creativity inspiring colours.
Put some bright, colourful pictures or posters on your office or studio wall.
… You get the idea.

The blue secret

Will the introduction of all this colour instantly turn you into a creative thinking powerhouse? No. No they won’t. But colours do have an impact.

For instance, blue has been shown to help with creative thinking. It’s believed this happens, because we associate the colour blue with relaxation, cloud-free skies and cool blue water. I use blue here on this site for links and certain buttons. They perform very well.

Here’s a suggestion. Start small. Get yourself some different coloured pens or pencils and use them, the next time you are developing ideas. Use bright coloured highlighters to mark-up your work. When you see the difference this makes, it may inspire you to introduce more colour to your creative thinking universe.