Some decisions are so important they’re worth waiting to make. As Tina Fey discovered in one of the most important decisions of her career, delaying a decision is a legitimate creative strategy.

Seinfeld brilliantly details the core molecular structure of the creative process: equal parts idea generation and scientific testing. And he approaches the process with yeoman’s determination.

Steve Martin’s reflection routine as a fledgling magician gives a masterclass in learning through experimentation: if you don’t reflect, you can’t connect the dots in unexpected ways.

To arrive at a breakthrough, you have to take a break from the breakneck pace. Without reflection, important insights get missed. Just ask Steve Martin…

Lorne Michaels, the most-nominated person in Emmy history, has accomplished something that very entertainers do: sustained creative excellence. His mantra for creative success is quite surprising…

The stars of Second City recite a profoundly moving mantra before heading onstage together. It illuminates the nature of collaborative creativity.

In design, HOW you’re working — speed, reflection, iteration, and all — is every bit as important as WHAT you’re working on. Perhaps even more so.

Some problems can be hard to see from different perspectives. William Hardaway, a design leader in higher education recommends taking a light-hearted approach to exposing unexplored angles.

Wildly inventive and creative individuals have a habit of gathering conceptual pieces — aka legos — before they know exactly what they’re going to do with them. The more legos you collect, the more unexpected combinations you can make.

If you’re experimenting broadly and entertaining trivialities like Elon Musk, then you’re going to fail a lot. A critical corollary to the recent pieces inspired by comedy is that you can’t take yourself too seriously.

It’s an enormous mistake to wait for lightning to strike. Seinfeld’s relentless approach to developing new material — and his mindset in so doing — gives him an incredible advantage in the creative process.

There are no shortcuts to breakthrough outcomes. Even legends like Jerry Seinfeld — after long success — have to endure the pain that accompanies the early experiments on the way to the next innovation.