---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To achieve creativity in an existing…"
description: "\"“To achieve creativity in an existing domain, there must be surplus attention available.”\" — Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa1/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi-1255_creativity_to-achieve-creativity-in-an-existing-dom_1183601.jpg"
---

#  To achieve creativity in an existing domain, there must be…

![“To achieve creativity in an existing domain, there must be surplus attention available.” quote by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa1/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi-1255_creativity_to-achieve-creativity-in-an-existing-dom_1183601.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa1/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi-1255_creativity_to-achieve-creativity-in-an-existing-dom_1183601.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa1/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi-1255_creativity_to-achieve-creativity-in-an-existing-dom_1183601.jpg)

> ““To achieve creativity in an existing domain, there must be surplus attention available.””

[Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Creativity thrives when extra mental focus is available beyond routine demands.

**In simple terms:** Extra attention fuels new ideas.

Key Takeaway

Protect time for undistracted thought.

Themes

creativity focus productivity

Mood

inspired thoughtful

Type

psychological motivational

When to use this quote

- research
- artistic work
- problem solving

Key Concepts

flow cognitive surplus

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you allocate mental space for innovation?
- What tasks can you delegate?

A Different Perspective

Too much surplus can lead to burnout without direction.

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[Achieve Creativity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/achieve-creativity-3480885/) [Creativity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creativity/) [Creativity Existing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creativity-existing-3480883/) [Domain Surplus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/domain-surplus-3480884/) [Focus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focus/) [Spare time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spare-time/) [Surplus Attention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surplus-attention-3480882/)

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