Creativity Quote by Ed Catmull
““That uncertainty can make us uncomfortable. We humans like to know where we are headed, but creativity demands that we travel paths that lead to who-knows-where. That requires us to step up to the boundary of what we know and what we don’t know. While we all have the potential to be creative, some people hang back, while others forge ahead. What are the tools they use that lead them toward the new? Those with superior talent and the ability to marshal the energies of others have learned from experience that there is a sweet spot between the known and the unknown where originality happens; the key is to be able to linger there without panicking. And that, according to the people who make films at Pixar and Disney Animation, means developing a mental model that sustains you. It might sound silly or woo-woo, this kind of visualization, but I believe it’s crucial. Sometimes—especially at the beginning of a daunting project—our mental models are all we’ve got.””
About This Quote
Source Interview: Disney Animation leadership talk, 2015
Creativity thrives at the edge between known and unknown; lingering there without fear yields originality.
In simple terms: Creativity lives between certainty and uncertainty.
Embrace uncertainty to innovate.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- product development
- artistic projects
- team brainstorming
- problem solving
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you manage anxiety at the unknown?
- What mental tools help you stay in the creative zone?
Staying in uncertainty can cause paralysis.