Creativity is for Everyone
- Mario Mattei
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
Ever notice your best ideas come when you’re not trying?
John Cleese calls this the “Tortoise Mind”—slow, unconscious thinking that thrives when we stop forcing solutions. This can actually invovle taking a nap to "be productive'.
Anyone can do it. Everyone is creative in their own ways.
Creativity isn’t reserved for painters, filmmakers, or designers. It’s not some exclusive club my clients hire me to belong to. Every time I sit down with a marketing director, an attorney, an accountant, a CEO, or a small-business owner, I’m reminded of something we often forget:
We’re all solving problems together — and problem-solving is creativity in action.
You don’t have to wield a camera or a sketchbook to be creative. Drafting a legal argument, restructuring a workflow, analyzing a budget — these are all forms of making something new out of what exists. They require imagination, insight, perspective, and courage.
In action, this means that when you hire Castleview to be creative, we're going to collaborate with you and draw out your creativity, too!
To dig deeper into this idea, I recently read an excellent book that unpacked how creativity really works — not as a magical spark, but as a process anyone can engage with.
I’m going to summarize some of the key ideas here, because I think they’ll redefine how you see your own creativity and the role you play in any project we collaborate on.
John Cleese is a legendary British comedian, writer, and actor—best known as the co-creator of
Monty Python and the Holy Grail—who brings his sharp wit and insight to the topic of creativity.
In Creativity: A Short and Cheerful Guide...
John Cleese demystifies creativity as a learnable skill rather than a mystical gift.
Drawing from his comedic career and psychological research, Cleese introduces the concept of the “Hare Brain” and “Tortoise Mind”—fast thinking versus slow, reflective pondering.
He argues that creativity flourishes in a relaxed, open state where playfulness and curiosity thrive. Cleese emphasizes the importance of creating boundaries of time and space to nurture this mindset, allowing ideas to incubate without pressure.
He encourages embracing uncertainty, resisting premature decisions, and seeking second opinions to refine ideas.
With wit and clarity, Cleese makes a compelling case that creativity isn’t reserved for artists—it’s essential in business, science, and everyday problem-solving.
The book is a brisk, humorous invitation to slow down, think differently, and trust the unconscious mind to do its best work.
I encourage you to—take a long, slow walk, or a nap—and check out John's fun and easy book, whether you consider yourself a "creative person' or not.
