Creativity in Large-Scale Contexts: How Environments Shape Innovation with Professor Jonathan Feinstein #364
Description
Creativity in Large-Scale Contexts: How Environments Shape Innovation with Professor Jonathan Feinstein
#364
In this episode of the SuperCreativity Podcast, James Taylor speaks with Professor Jonathan S. Feinstein, the John G. Searle Professor of Economics and Management at Yale School of Management, and one of the world’s foremost thinkers on the science of creativity. His acclaimed new book, Creativity in Large-Scale Context, explores how creative ideas don’t emerge in isolation—they evolve within complex networks of people, places, experiences, and guiding principles.
Feinstein shares why pure inspiration is rarely enough in today’s interconnected world, and how individuals and organizations can navigate vast creative systems by using “guiding conceptions” and “guiding principles.” From Virginia Woolf’s literary maps to Indigenous Australian painter Clifford Possum’s dreamings and Steve Jobs’s design insights, this conversation reframes creativity as a dynamic process that connects the individual imagination with its wider context.
Whether you’re leading innovation, designing strategy, or nurturing creative talent, you’ll learn a framework for creativity that is structured, scientific—and profoundly human.
Notable Quotes
“We create in context. Every creative act is shaped by the world we’ve built around ourselves.” – Professor Jonathan Feinstein
“A guiding conception is your creative compass—it points to what’s exciting, even before you know what form it will take.” – Professor Jonathan Feinstein
“You can’t connect everything; there are infinite possibilities. Guidance helps you find the fruitful paths.” – Professor Jonathan Feinstein
“Artists are far more conceptual than we give them credit for—they’re constantly modeling ideas in their minds.” – Professor Jonathan Feinstein
“Each of us follows our own unique path of creativity, but within a common human framework.” – Professor Jonathan Feinstein
Resources and Links
- Book: Creativity in Large-Scale Context – Stanford Business Books
- Previous Book: The Nature of Creative Development
- Website: jonathanfeinstein.com
Connect with Fredrik: Search “The Creativity Explorer” on Google or LinkedIn
Takeaways
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