I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how creativity and memory are connected. One of my favorite books on this topic is Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything by Joshua Foer. A powerful idea in that book stood out to me: Creativity is like a future memory.
We usually think of memories as things from the past. But creativity involves using your mind to shape the future. To be creative, you need a good “inventory” of ideas. And to have that inventory, you need to keep learning and reading.
The Importance of Building Knowledge
Your brain works by connecting new ideas to things you already know. The more you learn, the more connections you can make. Think of it like building a bridge. Every new piece of knowledge connects to something you’ve already learned. The more you refer back to these ideas, the stronger those bridges become.
This is why learning and memorizing go hand in hand. You need content in your mind to learn more. As a baby, everything is new. But very quickly, you start attaching new things to what you already know. The more you learn, the easier it is to be creative. You can create more associations between ideas.
Two Ways of Reading
There are two main types of reading:
- Intensive Reading: This is when you deeply study a book and understand it. For example, someone studying the Bible can quote specific chapters and verses. Intensive reading helps you analyze the book so well that you can easily find and use its information. This type of reading was common in the past when books were rare.
- Extensive Reading: This is when you read many different books but not as deeply. After the printing press was invented, books became easy to find. So, people started reading widely instead of memorizing a few books. While extensive reading helps you get lots of ideas, it can sometimes be too quick and superficial.
Balancing Intensive and Extensive Reading
Finding a balance between these two types of reading can make you a better learner and more creative. One tool that helps me is Zettelkasten.
Here’s how it works:
- First, I read a book and take simple notes on note cards.
- Then, I go back and write detailed notes about ideas I want to remember.
- Finally, I file these notes away to easily find them later.
This method helps me slow down and think deeply about what I read. I still read widely, but I also take time to study and apply essential ideas.
Why Reading Matters
Intensive and extensive reading helps you build your “inventory” of ideas. This inventory is what makes creativity possible. The more you know, the more creative you can be.
So, if you want to be more creative, go out and read! 📚
