Ep. 262: Creativity Hacking

Deep Questions with Cal Newport

When it comes to generating fantastic ideas – the type that can make your career – you don’t have to passively wait for inspiration to strike. You can, instead, *hack* the creative process to increase the odds of coming up with something great. In this episode, Cal explores one of the more powerful forms of “creativity hacking”: making use of strange locations.

Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: bit.ly/3U3sTvo

Video from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmedia

Today’s Deep Question: Why do you work better in strange locations? [3:31]

- Does Cal read online articles? [34:35]

- Is fitness tracking on my Apple Watch an excuse to stay distracted? [40:09]

- Which is better for original thinking: the city or the country? [43:05]

- How do I organize the pursuit of deep ideas? [47:19]

- Does reading books from unrelated genres help idea generation? [51:57]

CAL REACTS: Over stimulation is ruining your life! [59:11]

Links:

blog.computationalcomplexity.org/2020/02/pre-publish-and-perish.html

calnewport.com/on-using-inspiring-locations-to-inspire-deeper-work/

youtube.com/watch?v=yYWvUoN4yt8

Thanks to our Sponsors:

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/deepquestions and get on your way to being your best self

hensonshaving.com/cal

blinkist.com/deep

ladderlife.com/deep

Thanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, and Mark Miles for mastering.