Roald Dahl's children's books have sold over 300 million copies. This video has stuck with me over the years as it teaches an important lesson about creativity (and it's a little funny).
Dahl wrote all of his famous book (like Matilda, Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, and BFG) in a little shed at the edge of his garden. He covered himself in a blanket and hand wrote all of his stories with a yellow pencil on a yellow notepad.
On the one hand, all of the little things Dahl did seem a little idiosyncratic. On the other hand, it showed that how attuned he was to having the perfect environment for writing.
As more research comes out, it's becoming clear that Dahl was right. Environmental factors like ceiling height, temperature, light, messiness, and proximity to nature do have a large effect.
A lesson we can all takeaway is to notice all of the subtleties that shape our creative flow such as:
Background music
Lighting
Temperature
Input device
Chair
Posture
Etc.
What environmental factors bring out your creativity?
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