The Creative Curve: Unplugging the Myth of the “Lightbulb Moment” – Allen Gannett

Smithsonian Associates, The Not Old Better Show

Welcome to The Not Old Better Show. I’m Paul Vogelzang and this is episode # 428.

As part of our Smithsonian Associates, Art of Living Interview Series, our guest today is Allen GannettAllen Gannet is the founder and CEO of TrackMaven, a software analytics firm, and now serves as chief strategy officer at Skyword, a global marketing platform, and his new book The Creative Curve: How To Develop the Right Idea at the Right Time, is the subject of our conversation today and his upcoming Smithsonian Associates presentation, titled The Creative Curve: Unplugging the Myth of the “Lightbulb Moment.” Check out our web site for links and ticket details. 

Many in our Not Old Better Show Smithsonian Associates audience are focused on their second act career-wise and professionally looking for the spark to write a hit screenplay or book, or design an effective marketing campaign, or start a successful company. The key, according to our guest today, technology entrepreneur Allen Gannett, is not to wait until that proverbial light bulb flashes on during a moment of inspiration. 

Instead as Allen Gannett will tell us based on recent psychological research which indicates that there is a predictable science behind success in creative endeavors…Allen Gannett calls it “the creative curve”—the point of optimal tension between the novel and the familiar.

Allen Gannett joins us today to examine the stories in his new book, The Creative Curve, of innovators including the Broadway team that developed Dear Evan Hansen, the founder of Reddit, the chief operating officer of Netflix, and Michelin-starred chefs to identify the common patterns behind their achievements. Their examples and lessons, says Gannett, demonstrate that the ability to generate and develop creative ideas is not just the province of so-called geniuses, but within the reach of everyone.

Please join me in welcoming to The Not Old Better Show, Smithsonian Associates author interview series via internet phone, Allen Gannett.

My thanks to author Allen Gannett who’ll be presenting at the Smithsonian Associates program titled The Creative Curve: Unplugging the Myth of the “Lightbulb Moment.” Check out our web site for links and ticket details. As always, my thanks to the Smithsonian team for all they do to support the team, and my ongoing thanks to you, our wonderful Not Old Better Show audience. Please keep your show ideas and emails coming to me at info@notold-better.com. Remember, let’s talk about better. The Not Old Better Show. Thanks everybody.

For tickets and other details, please check out the Smithsonian Associates site, HERE: 

https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/creative-curve-unplugging-myth-of-lightbulb-moment?utm_source=RAad&utm_medium=OAtsa&utm_content=mwX&utm_campaign=MayWe