The Sense of Wondering (The Creativity Explorer. Episode 167)

 

Albert Llorens is a Spanish magician who, amongst other things, performs magic on cruise ships. I met with Albert, and his assistant, in Barcelona because I wanted to understand what we could learn about the creative process by listening to a master of magic.

Albert told me how the trick to creating a great magic trick is to have the audience full of wonder by keeping them wondering how the trick was done. The unique thing with magic is that you give people a puzzle that they cannot figure out – and still they are inspired. (Normally, people get frustrated when they cannot solve a riddle/puzzle/problem. But in the case of magic, people are disappointed if they can figure out how the trick was done.)

Sometimes Albert will show the audience how a trick is created, but before he shows them, he tells them to โ€œremember the feeling of awe they had when they did not yet know how the trick was done.โ€

Because the minute you find out how a trick is done, the magic is gone.

And, in a way, itโ€™s the same with the idea process, as soon as we find the solution to a problem, we move from problem-solving mode to execution, and a lot of the wonder is gone.

Letโ€™s use a simple example of solving the Rubik’s cube. When you try it out for the first time, you are full of frustration, curiosity, and trial and error. You are in problem-solving mode. But as soon as you have learned the moves to solving it you are just going through the motions to get it done. It can still be a satisfying feeling, but itโ€™s not a creative feeling.

Listening to Albert describe the magic of being in wonder, I think we should follow his suggestion and try to cherish that feeling of โ€œhow?โ€ that we feel until we solve a creative project.

To value “the sense of wonderingโ€ more.

(Picture of Albert performing a card trick on me that I am STILL wondering how the hell he did itโ€ฆ)

 

??????? ????? – ??? ?????????? ????????

14

Jun

SIGN UP
FOR THE
NEWSLETTER

Follow us