Design Archives – Creative Thinking Hub

Misfits: The people who make a difference

Jim Connolly February 16, 2026

creative thinking expert, misfits, outsiders, jim connolly

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

Creative thinkers: Lazy competitors are handing you their market share

Jim Connolly December 16, 2025

creative work, creative marketing, creative thinking expert. jim connolly

I have an amazing opportunity to share with you. The time is perfect to use your unbridled, gloves-off creative thinking chops, to eat the lunch of your AI-obsessed, lazy bastard rivals.

It’s so easy. It really is.

I use the example of the marketing industry here, but the same idea can be used across dozens of industries.

I’ve spent decades working as a creative thinker with artists and brands. Even at the start, there wasn’t much creativity required. Thats to say, you didn’t need to be a creative person whatsoever, to make a reasonable living as a marketing provider.

Why so little creativity?

It was mostly about matching techniques and ideas that were already proven, to your client’s campaign. You needed to learn the basics. Things like what type of: copy, promotion, promises, language, hooks, packaging, timing and design etc., worked best with what type of product.

You then simply matched it up with the campaign’s targets. Boom!

Today, you have even less need to be creative.

Your creative thinking opportunity

Back at the very beginning of my marketing career, I took a 180-degree different approach. I relied exclusively on my creative thinking expertise to market my own business. This had an almost instant, powerful impact in the marketplace. My way of working was far more effective and radically different. I spill the beans on my creative approach to marketing here.

But TODAY, there are even fewer highly creative thinkers in the marketing industry. Going solo with your own, unique blend of creative marketing, you can own whatever corner of the marketing industry you want to.

A single, creative thinking expert can now compete against the agencies. That’s because in many, perhaps most cases, the marketing agencies are offloading much of their creativity function to AI. And AI is shit when it comes to creative output.

It’s not just marketing providers who have handed-over their creative thinking to AI. It’s everywhere:

artists
retailers
hospitality
financial services
real estate
music
sports
medical
publishing
entertainment
motor
design
construction
… and dozens more

And with each passing week, they’re looking and sounding increasingly like facsimiles of one another.

Whatever industry you’re in, your creative thinking is your greatest commercial asset. It always has been. But not like it is today, and for the foreseeable future.

So use it!

It’s never been easier to get noticed, and it’s only going to get easier, as more and more competitors outsource their creative thinking to AI. And leave a lucrative market wide open for you.

Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash

Good artists copy. Great artists steal

Jim Connolly December 6, 2025

Many people think that they are not truly thinking creatively, unless they come up with something that is wholly original. This is absolutely not the case and it’s what this article is all about. You see, it turns out that all truly great artists steal.

Great artists steal?

Pablo Picasso is often quoted as saying: ‘Good artists copy, great artists steal‘.

Whether Picasso did indeed say that is open to some debate, but it’s an extremely valuable insight, for anyone interested in developing their ability to think creatively.

So, what does Picasso’s saying actually mean and what can we learn from it?

Picasso was referring to the fact that good artists and great artists work very differently:

A good artist will see another artists style and then try and emulate that style as closely as they can,
A great artist is creative. They selectively take (steal) elements from multiple sources and then creatively combine their influences to create something that is uniquely their own.

Some well known examples include.

Apple did not create tablet computing. Toshiba and other companies had manufactured tablet devices almost a decade earlier. What Apple’s iPad team did, was take the concept of tablet computing and build it into something that worked extremely well, was wafer thin and looked great.
Google was not the first company to create a search engine. In fact, Google was late to the game. What Google did was take the concept of search engines and apply a super simple interface to it, with a unique program that consistently delivered very good search results. They created a unique looking product, which worked extremely well.
When George Lucas created Star Wars, he fused the best of science fiction, with old time stories of the battle between good and evil.

Creative thinking, stealing and original thought

Many people assume they are not creative, because they set the bar impossibly high for themselves.

They are happy to regard Apple, Google and George Lucas as creative, yet they feel that unless they come up with utterly unique, they themselves are not creative.

The reality is that even if you believe you have had an idea that no one has ever had before, someone in a robe probably had the same idea, 3,000-years earlier.

Give yourself the creative freedom to steal like an artist. Pull influences in from your whole life experience and forge them into your own; answers, paintings, ideas, marketing, designs, stories, lyrics, sculptures, articles, products, recipes, services, melodies… anything!

You will be amazed what you can create, when you learn to steal like an artist.

Photo by Ari He

This Anti-Creative era: How to survive?

Jim Connolly December 5, 2025

Anti-Creative, Creative thinking, Jim Connolly

We’ve entered what I call the Anti-Creative era. An era where true creativity is dying. I want to show you how to survive, and create your best work ever.

First, here’s my definition.

Anti-Creative: The homogenization of original thought, caused by the pervasive distribution of simplified, prescriptive, and iterative ‘creativity advice’, resulting in a decrease of novel output.

The seeds of Anti-Creative were planted by creativity-focused content providers. I’m referring to YouTubers, Podcasters, Medium publishers, social media influencers, bloggers, TikTokers, etc. We also see this generic content in books, TED talks and seminars. And it’s turned countless people in the creative industries into facsimiles of one another.

The fruit of Anti-Creative is everywhere

Think for a moment about the uncreative dross that’s out there.

For example.

How Anti-Creative has hit the music industry

Music today has some stand-out performers, doing interesting things with their sound. We could name them, too. That’s because there are so few. But there are no music movements out there, having a fraction of the cultural impact that early hip-hop, punk, new wave, acid, or grunge had. Artists and record companies are now making decisions shaped by decades of simplified, prescriptive, and iterative creative thinking advice. And so have their competitors. It’s now reduced one of the most creative industries in history, to a predictable enterprise.

How Anti-Creative has hit the car industry

Despite billions being spent on design and innovation, cars in every class are remarkably similar. You used to be able to identify any make or model of car from a considerable distance away. Today, Anti-Creative inputs have resulted in car companies making design decisions, based on the same simplified, prescriptive, and iterative creative advice as their competitors. It’s no wonder they’re almost making the same cars!

How Anti-Creative has hit housing

Look at recent housing developments. The majority, and in many places vast majority, are based around very similar designs. They lack imagination. There’s no creative attempt to make these developments beautiful and uplifting for the people who will live there. Yes, there are exceptions here. But exceptions are, by default, exceptional. Not common. Sadly rare. It happens because of this pervasive deluge of simplified, prescriptive, and iterative creative advice.

I could list more examples of a total lack of creativity everywhere: from fashion, coffee shops, street art, publishing and dance, to urban landscaping and even the total lack of thoughtful creative design in art galleries! Remarkably, this is also true of the look and layout I see, inside the offices of leading creative agencies.

Here’s the thing: if we follow the same script, we write the same story. Following the same generic advice only leads us to create work that is indistinguishable from the masses.

Entertaining, hard working, content creators

I said earlier that content creators are a huge reason why we’re in an Anti-Creative era. I need to add it’s not them individually. It’s their combined millions of hours of content, billions of pages of content, and how prescriptive and iterative their content is. Not one person producing content on the topic of creativity, is intentionally causing this Anti-Creative era.

Why are they producing so much stuff?

In every content niche, the most popular (highest earning) content creators have something in common. They’re the perfect blend of being charismatic or entertaining, with extremely high content output.

Basically, they’re interesting people, who work really, really hard!

If they fail to make enough content, the various algorithms will reduce the number of people it shows their content to. This reduces their income, directly and indirectly.

Surviving and thriving in the Anti-Creative era

After scratching my big, very dented bald head, I realised there’s a perfect solution. It’s something that is proven to work. That’s because the most creative people in the world still do it, and all creative professionals used to do it.

It’s this simple.

Do what creative people did before the advent of global digital communications. After all, we managed to be extremely creative and productive.

These suggestions should help you bypass Anti-Creative content.

The most obvious suggestion is to spend less time, or no time, consuming mass-produced, prescriptive and iterative creative thinking advice. This doesn’t apply to content on any other topics. It’s about shielding yourself from Anti-Creative thinking, not locking yourself away from enjoyment.

A proven way to become more creative, is to go direct to the source.
- Whenever possible, study masters, not methods. For example, study Walter Isaacson’s biography of Steve Jobs. Not a video or article from a content provider with ‘The secrets of Steve Jobs’ success’.
- Also, whenever possible, learn from those who personally knew the source. For example, I spent a lot of time working with my late friend, Keith Levene. Keith was a founding member of both the Clash and Public Image Ltd. If I were to write about how his genius helped my creativity, it would be first-hand.

Be very selective regarding who you take creative advice from. Even if someone is being sincere and trying to help. Remember, sincerity is not a test of truth. It’s possible to be sincerely wrong!

Keep a record of creative strategies, ideas or processes you use. The ones that worked wonders and those that didn’t. By doing this, you’ll build a 100% trustworthy log. Something you can learn from and rely on, to help you make better and better creative decisions.

I hope you’ve found my introduction to Anti-Creative useful. More importantly, I hope it inspires you to create better work, solve better problems and thrive in an era where we desperately need your creativity.

Note: Here’s more information on anti creative.

Image credit: Jim Connolly

Jean-Michel Basquiat and creativity

Jim Connolly November 15, 2025

Jean Michel Bisquiat, creativity, artist, creative thinking

My friend Kashif attended a course on creative writing. He shared a valuable experience with me. I thought you may find it useful. So, with his permission, here it is. I also include a wonderful insight, from the genius, Jean-Michel Basquiat.

Here’s an excerpt from Kashif’s email:

“There were 23 of us in the class. We were different ages and from different educational backgrounds and cultures. What really frustrated me was by the end of the course our work started to read remarkably similar. […] The structure of our writing was silencing our voice”.

It reminded me of a great artist, who shunned art school.

Jean-Michel Basquiat

This quote from the late great Jean-Michel Basquiat, highlights a foundational element of all creative learning. And it doesn’t involve a classroom.

“I never went to an art school. […] I just looked at a lot of things. And that’s how I learnt about art… by looking at it.”
Jean-Michel Basquiat.

Basquiat observed the world around him. He looked through his own lens. That’s how he developed his uniquely powerful style. It was based on his individual, artistic interpretation. Not the guidance of a well-intentioned teacher, the content of a course or what might look best in his portfolio.

As Jean-Michel Basquiat discovered, classrooms are not the only place to harness your creativity or artistic skills. In my experience, they tend not to be the best place, either. Far from it. Many kids who have the gift of a divergent mind end up doubting their artistic ability, when, in many cases, they’re exceptional.

Learn more about Jean-Michel Basquiat here.

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!

An unlimited supply of unique, creative inspiration

Jim Connolly July 6, 2025

Nature has inspired creativity in people, since the first cave art. It’s a constant, beautiful and limitless source of creative inspiration.

I was thinking about that earlier, when I saw a photo I took a few weeks ago. The shot was taken during a walk through Sherwood Forest. As you can see, it’s just a close-up shot of the bark on a Silver Birch tree.

Unique, creative inspiration

As I looked deeper into the photo, I was able to see lots of shapes, shades, cracks, textures and colours. It’s also unique, as no two trees are exactly the same.

That got me thinking.

I wondered how useful that kind of unique combination would be to a visual artist.
How might that totally original composition inspire a fashion designer, in search of a new look?
How could it inspire the creativity of a web designer?
How would it inspire a furniture designer, looking for a fresh pattern or colour mix?

The next time you’re in search of some creative inspiration, remember that it’s all around you. You simply need to expose your senses to it and let your mind go where it takes you.

And remember: You don’t wait for inspiration to arrive. You command it to appear, because it’s there. All around you. All the time.

Paul Rand: Defining design

Jim Connolly July 4, 2025

I was recently asked for my definition of design. I then recalled something the late, great Paul Rand said and decided to look up the full quote.

Here it is:

“Design is the method of putting form and content together. Design, just as art, has multiple definitions; there is no single definition. Design can be art. Design can be aesthetics. Design is so simple, that’s why it is so complicated.”
~ Paul Rand.

I thought I’d share this with you for 2 reasons:

It’s a great definition from a legend of design.
It may introduce some of you to Rand’s work.

I hope you find it useful.

NB: As well as designing the ABC, IBM and UPS logos, Paul Rand was also the man Steve Jobs turned to, for the branding at NeXT, the computer company he started when he left Apple.

Photo Copyright: Apple Computer/Chiat Day agency.

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.

How to massively improve your creative output!

Jim Connolly January 30, 2025

Why is it, that some creative professionals seem to struggle more than others, when completing an important project?

When we look at the most successful creative professionals, we usually find that they are no more creative or intelligent than their less prolific counterparts.

However, they are different in one important respect: They look at their work in a very different way. They have discovered the importance of breaking large or daunting creative projects down, into manageable, achievable chunks.

Think about this for a moment.

No one writes a book.
No one composes a symphony.
No one develops a software package.

Instead, they write a little every day. They compose a little every day. They code a little every day. As a result, they don’t feel overwhelmed. They just do a little every day. And every day they move closer to completing their next creative project.

Chunk your project down. Commit to doing a little, often. When you do, you’ll never be daunted by the size or scale of a creative project again.