Creativity as Uncertainty

"Keeping your mind open in the face of uncertainty is the single most powerful secret of unleashing your creative potential." ─ Michael Gelb

Keeping your mind open when you are uncertain sounds simple enough, but for me, it seems to be the opposite of what is my brains default setting. Most of the time there seems to be a set idea or viewpoint that my brain tries to paint the answer to the problem with, regardless if it is a problem that requires a broad brush, a fine brush, or a big sloppy roller for that matter. 

People are often expected to be able to quickly respond to situations, and there is where the concept of an open mind seems most difficult. A trained, disciplined mind─say a mind like a soldier would possess─needs to react instantly at times, ignoring the uncertainty that would surround it. The "open mind" needs time to take in more than a simple, quick viewpoint. Hyman G. Rickover, a U.S. Navy Adm. who was a rare military man of conscience said the following: "Sit down before a fact with an open mind. Be prepared to give up every preconceived notion. Follow humbly wherever and whatever abyss Nature leads or you learn nothing. Don't push out figures when facts are going in the opposite direction."

Seems like wise advice in these hurried times, especially if we want to reach the creativity that we are offered with our lives.