A DIARY FOR YOUR CURIOSITY

#Curiosity #PersonalDevelopment #Growth

If the world is more and more complex, and we want to have control over that complexity, then it is clear that we have to cultivate our curiosity.

We intuitively know that if something is difficult, what we should do is throw darts of questions at it, move in around it to see it from all its different angles, ask others what they think, and what they see, and converse at length about that complex thing.

In the previous paragraph I was going to put “discuss” instead of “converse”, but the word “discuss” has a negative connotation. This is a thorn in the side because what the word argue means is “stirring up ideas”. Discussing does not mean fighting but proposing ideas, presenting ideas, considering, and mulling over ideas that someone proposes or those that occur to oneself. Yes: one can argue with oneself. I insist: it does not mean fighting with oneself but opening up space for oneself or for others. The word “argue” means to set the table or shake a tree to make its fruit fall.

Curiosity is critical to professional success. A curious mind will spot and solve problems without being afraid to try something new. It will seek out the ideas of others and open itself to broader thinking. A curious person will never succumb to apathy, but will constantly strive to grow, innovate, and improve. Anyone looking to build a successful career must embrace curiosity.

So, let’s come up with some ideas for keeping a “creative journal.”

A LIST IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER:

Ask someone, “what are you up to, what project/idea are you mulling over?”

At your usual restaurant or service, order something you’ve never tried.

Visit a museum you haven’t visited before, or attend that new exhibition.

Jump into a discussion on Quora or Reddit and post a question to the comments that you find most interesting.

Get into the habit of asking “Why?” Yes, like children.

Answer, what would you like to be an expert on? Set yourself two specific actions (read, watch a video, talk about, join a forum) a week to learn a little more about it.

Start a discussion at work about the long-term strategy for a project, whether you are working on it or a hypothetical one.

Schedule a weekly Google Alert on the topic of your interest, and review the notes it sends you.

Give space to your hobbies. Don’t put financial pressure on yourself, you know there are many areas in which you can develop a hobby.

Read a dialogue by Plato. Even ChatGPT or Gemini can recommend one of the short ones.

THEN…

For these ideas to become part of a Creative Diary, you should write down what you did about them and the experience you had, in a notebook.

And what if you give it a structure, if you create an index or if you divide that notebook as you see fit?

That is also developing creativity.