Whether you're an artist, an actor, a lawyer, a doctor, a writer, or an engineer, there is one skill you need to be successful at your profession: Creativity.

After researching the lives and careers of hundreds of innovators across industries, I’ve learned a number of practical strategies you can apply to your own work.

Here are nine techniques that will help strengthen your creative muscle.

Stephen King: Your 'muse' lives in your basement

Many writers believe in the myth of the muse. Legendary author Stephen King is here to burst your bubble: “There is a muse, but he’s not going to come fluttering down into your writing room and scatter creative fairy-dust all over your typewriter or computer screen," King says. "He lives in the ground. He’s a basement guy. You have to descend to his level, and once you get down there, you have to furnish an apartment for him to live in." In other words, don't hold back by waiting around for inspiration to strike. Get your butt in the chair and start typing. If you do all the grunt work, King says that the guy in your basement will give you "a bag of magic." He adds: "There’s stuff in there that can change your life. Believe me, I know.”

Shonda Rhimes: Turn creativity into a habit

If you run every day, running becomes easier and you form muscle memory. The same is true in writing. If you want to be a good writer, you need to be writing every single day so that you can become “mentally fit” in the creative process. Writer and executive producer Shonda Rhimes recommends creating a mental trigger that tells your brain it’s time to write (or do whatever skill you’re trying to hone). “There’s something about having a small ritual — even if it’s as simple as having a cup of green tea,” she says. “It’s about flipping the switch in your mind to tell it you’re about to start writing.” Think of it as Pavlovian conditioning — the desired behavior always follows the trigger. Read more.

Christopher Nolan: Borrow ideas from different disciplines

The structure of film director Christopher Nolan's films follows a musical framework called "The Shepard Tone," a series of ascending notes on a scale. It's an auditory illusion in which the tone gives an impression of an infinitely rising pitch. You've heard it in pretty much every Nolan film (see it in action here). "I wanted to try to apply it to screenwriting," he says. "Can you braid together the three storylines in such a way that you create the idea of a continuing rise in intensity?" Some of the most creative people in the world generate ideas by allowing their brains to make connections between two totally different inputs (ie: hearing music and applying the structure to film). Read more.

Ed Catmull: Aim to fail the 'elevator test'

The moment we graduate from college, we're told we need to perfect our "elevator pitch," which refers to the ability to pitch an idea to higher ups in a 30-second elevator ride. Pixar co-founder Ed Catmull says if you can pass the elevator test, your idea is probably derivative of what’s been done before. In other words, it's not as original as you think. For instance, ambitious ideas — “a rat that wants to cook, or an old man who floats away on a balloon with a stowaway" — can’t be summed up in 30 seconds, but they can go on to become the Oscar-winning Pixar films “Ratatouille” and “Up,” respectively. Catmull believes failure, uncertainty, and overreaching are essential ingredients to creative growth. Read more.

Malcolm Gladwell: Fall into intellectual rabbit holes

If you want to unearth new ideas, get off the internet. On the internet, you’re part of social media platforms that often confirm your existing beliefs. If you type a question into Google, you’re served the most popular queries. So how do you uncover fresh new ideas? Author Malcolm Gladwell says you need to create an environment that facilitates falling into intellectual rabbit holes. He offers three tips. First, take a walk through towns or buildings that pique your curiosity. Next, go to the library, identify books you’ve liked reading in the past, and look around them on the shelf to discover something new. Finally, look at the footnotes in books or articles because they often lead you to other sources that can help you learn the subject more intimately. Read more.

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THE PROFILE DOSSIER: On Wednesday, premium members received The Profile Dossier, a comprehensive deep-dive on a prominent individual. It featured Ed Catmull, Pixar’s creative genius. Become a premium member, and read it here.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR: On Friday, May 14 at 1 p.m. EST, Ana Lorena Fabrega, the chief evangelist at Synthesis, will participate in an hour-long, live "Ask Me Anything" with premium readers who are part of The Profile's members-only Telegram chat. We'll discuss independent thinking, mental models, and the schools of the future. Become a premium member, and join us on Friday.

PROFILES.

— The master of disaster [**HIGHLY RECOMMEND**]
— The man with more SPACs than anyone
— The celebrity impersonators cashing in on Cameo
— The high-flying CEO who fell from grace
— The pop star living life on her own terms
— The embattled company going public
— The daycares on the brink of collapse

PEOPLE TO KNOW.

The master of disaster: In February 2019, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos was the subject of tabloid stories in the National Enquirer about his relationship with a married former television host. Rather than doing what most billionaires do under such scrutiny—keep quiet and wait for the storm to pass—Bezos had gone public. He’d written a salacious blog post that included descriptions of the "below the belt selfie" photos the Enquirer claimed it had acquired. Here's how Bezos turned a rare moment of weakness into a display of dominance. (Bloomberg)

“Raise your hand if you think you’ve had a harder week than I’ve had.”

The man with more SPACs than anyone: After minting billions in the private equity arena, Alec Gores has become a serial SPAC backer. Gores has signed deals to take public via SPAC the Twinkie maker Hostess Brands; an online mortgage originator; a spatial-data company; and a short-term rental company, among others. Where most SPAC outfits have a small team, Gores employs more than 30 people, including lawyers, tax professionals, marketing executives and finance and operations specialists, who work on each SPAC. Here's a look inside his playbook. (WSJ; reply to this email if you can't access this article)

“My vision for the SPAC world is first to do this for a long time. I focus 100% of my work energy into this. I want to be the best SPAC guy in the world.”

The celebrity impersonators cashing in on Cameo: People are paying big bucks for shout outs from fake Tom Cruise, fake Donald Trump, and fake Elizabeth Warren. Professional celebrity impressionists on Cameo are providing a stand-in for the celebrities too rich, too busy, or just too elusive to bother joining the site. “I would’ve never seen this coming that this would actually be a way to have income doing what I do,” said Amy Phillips, the Real Housewives specialist. “I mean, I'm a clown! It’s ridiculous.” (VICE)

"You’ve got to please the people.”

The high-flying CEO who fell from grace: Justin Zhu, the CEO of digital marketing startup Iterable, was walking down Broadway in San Francisco on April 26 when he was summoned to a surprise conference call and abruptly fired. He was told he was losing his job, primarily because he had taken LSD before a meeting in 2019. Zhu's firing has blossomed into a bizarre saga that hits on many of the classic Silicon Valley cultural touchpoints: founders who don't act like conventional businessmen, the search for additional productivity through drug use, and the risks of talking openly about the pressures of the job. (Bloomberg)

“That’s the price of justice these days. I’d rather tell the story and even be fired.”

The pop star living life on her own terms: All artist Billie Eilish had ever wanted was to turn 18, but then she spent most of her first year of adulthood in pandemic-induced limbo. And she's figuring out how she wants to live life. Eilish sees the process as almost transcendent, even if it’s hard when fans cling to how they first loved you. “People always say, ‘How would your younger self feel about you now,' she says. "You should be exactly who you feel like you are and want to be in that moment, otherwise you’re going to go insane.” (Vogue)

“I’m not letting myself be owned anymore.”

COMPANIES TO WATCH.

The embattled company going public: Jessica Alba's household products company made its debut on the public markets last week. The Honest Company's road to IPO has been rocky—with class action lawsuits over false advertising and allegedly harmful products, executive turnover, and a down funding round. The company’s filings point out that sales grew 28% last year, from $236 million to $300 million, but that’s about even with what they were five years ago. Take a look inside Honest's long and turbulent path to an IPO. (Forbes)

"You're either in outer space, or you're coming back down. I would short the stock.”

The daycares on the brink of collapse: The pandemic pushed child care providers to the edge. Nearly 13% of daycares closed in the last year. But the business has always been tough, especially for those who serve working-class families. This investigation focuses on the state of the child care system in the United States. (ProPublica)

“Sometimes God will slow you down so that the evil ahead of you will pass before you get there.”

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AUDIO TO HEAR.

Cheryl Strayed on building resilience: Author Cheryl Strayed believes adventure builds resilience. After trekking more than a thousand miles of the Pacific Crest Trail, she had a revelation about pain and resilience: "You know, two things can be true at once," she says. "You can look back at something and say, 'I wish it hadn't been that way.' You can also say, 'But because it is, I'm better for it.'" (Link available to premium members.)

Greg McKeown on why life doesn't have to be so hard: How do you determine the most important things to focus on in life? In any situation, author Greg McKeown explains, there's a lighter path and a heavier path. If you're a high-performer, this last year may have pushed you to the edge of exhaustion because you thought you could "work" your way out of this pandemic. And that ... didn't work. What if there's a different way to do things? "If you can’t work any harder, you’ve got to find an easier path," McKeown says. (Link available to premium members.)

VIDEOS TO SEE.

David Swensen on pioneering the Yale endowment model: David Swensen, the longtime chief investment officer at Yale University, passed away last week. He grew Yale's endowment from $1 billion in 1985 to $31 billion last year. Through his non-traditional investment philosophy, Swensen revolutionized the way many colleges invest. In this video, Swensen explains how he developed the model, why it was the subject of widespread criticism, and how investors can think about asset allocation. (Link available to premium members.)

Al Pacino on finding the essence of a character: Legendary actor Al Pacino makes acting look effortless. With each role, Pacino explains, he has to find the source of his expression. It's an inspired place that is not calculated, measured, or prepared for. When inhabiting a character, Pacino says he looks for the thing that moves him on an emotional level. How do you unlock that place? You do the performance over and over and over again. "I like repetition," he adds. "It keeps me green, it keeps me fresh." (Link available to premium members.)

Magnus Carlsen on the inner-workings of his brain: At 30 years old, Magnus Carlsen is a chess grandmaster who is the current World Chess Champion. At just 21 years old, he competed against 10 players simultaneously while he had his back to the boards. He kept track of the positions of 320 pieces blind. He defeated all 10. "One of the most amazing things in chess is that you don't really need the board, you can just keep it up here," he says pointing to his head. (Link available to premium members.)

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