digging

for

fire

Recent science PROVIDES NEW INSIGHTS ABOUT how and when breakthrough ideas arrive / FASCINATING PATTERNS suggest a process THAT MORE CLOSELY RESEMBLES discovery than creation / Valuable new ideas are “out there” waiting to be found / Archeological excavation provides a rich metaphor for UNDERSTANDING this DISCOVERY process / Abandon popular myths about genius and success / Digging for Fire invites you to adopt this archeological lens & see creativity in a new WAY: What it is, how it works, and how it can work better for you.

STAGES OF CREATIVE EXCAVATION

1. SURVEYING

Learning the “conceptual landscape” of a field or industry

2. GRIDDING

organizing a problem into its core elements

3. DIGGING

“unearthing” potential ideas

4. SIFTING

critically analyzing and selecting which ideas to pursue

ANYONE CAN DISCOVER A GREAT IDEA. The key part is knowing where to look, how to dig, and what to do once you’ve found something.