Inspired: Understanding Creativity: A Journey Through Art, Science, and the Soul

How does creativity work? Where does inspiration come from? What are the secrets of our most revered creators? How can we maximize our creative potential?

From the Pulitzer Prize–winning New York Times science reporter acclaimed for “bring[ing] scientific concepts to life” (Bill Gates), a pathbreaking new investigation into the mysteries of human creativity

THIS IS THE STORY OF HOW WE CREATE.

Creativity is perhaps the defining human trait. It sparks achievement and innovation in art, science, technology, business, sports, and indeed virtually every activity. It has fueled human progress (and its discontents) on a global level, but it equally is the source of profound personal satisfaction for individual creators. And yet the origins of creative inspiration and the methods great creators tap into it have long been a source of mystery, spoken of in esoteric terms, our rational understanding shrouded in complex science. Until now.

Inspired is a book about the science of creativity, distilling an explosion of exciting new research from across the world. Through narrative storytelling, Richtel marries these findings with timeless insight from some of the world's great creators—spanning art, science, business, technology, sports, music—as he deconstructs the authentic nature of creativity, its biological and evolutionary origins, its deep connection to religion and spirituality, the way it bubbles in each of us, waiting to be tapped, urgent and essential.

Many of the questions Richtel addresses are practical: What are the traits of successful creators? Under which conditions does creativity thrive? How can we move past creative blocks? The ultimate message of Inspired is that creativity is more accessible than many might imagine, as necessary, beautiful, dangerous, and fulfilling as any essential part of human nature.