Isaac Asimov on finding new ideas: Embrace your alone time

Isaac Asimov, the science fiction author and essayist, had a pretty good grasp on creativity. Here’s one of his best tips on finding new ideas and nurturing creativity from a previously unreleased essay.

In the essay, published for the first time in the MIT Technology Review, Asimov asks how people get new ideas. He suggests that you need to be able to make strong connections and that being an expert in your field isn’t enough. You should also be willing to take a step away from reason. But most importantly, Asimov suggests that spending time alone with your thoughts is to your benefit.

He writes: “...As far as creativity is concerned, isolation is required. The creative person is, in any case, continually working at it. His mind is shuffling his information at all times, even when he is not conscious of it. The presence of others can only inhibit this process, since creation is embarrassing.” So take a note from one of the most wellknown science fiction creators there has ever been and learn to make connections, ignore common reason and spend some time alone to explore the vast reaches of creativity.