When I picked up Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration on the recommendation of a senior colleague, I had no idea what to expect. But the moment I read the first paragraph of the introduction, I was hooked:
“Every morning, as I walk into Pixar Animation Studios—past the twenty-foot-high sculpture of Luxo Jr., our friendly desk lamp mascot, through the double doors and into a spectacular glass-ceilinged atrium where a man-sized Buzz Lightyear and Woody, made entirely of Lego bricks, stand at attention, up the stairs past sketches and paintings of the characters that have populated our fourteen films—I am struck by the unique culture that defines this place. Although I’ve made this walk thousands of times, it never gets old.”
That opening immediately made me realise I had picked up something special. I’m someone who loses interest in books easily, but this one kept me engaged. It became my daily companion during the long, exhausting Lagos traffic, making my commute both bearable and productive.
You don’t need to work in the creative industry or be in a management role to find Creativity, Inc. valuable. It’s a powerful guide to leadership, management, and fostering a culture of creativity through open communication, ownership, trust, and belief in people.
Catmull shares a crucial insight about creative leadership:
“Unleashing creativity requires that we loosen the controls, accept risk, trust our colleagues, work to clear the path for them, and pay attention to anything that creates fear. Doing all these things won’t necessarily make the job of managing a creative culture easier. But ease isn’t the goal—excellence is.”
He also stresses the importance of embracing failure rather than fearing it:
“In a fear-based, failure-averse culture, people will consciously or unconsciously avoid risk. They will seek instead to repeat something safe that’s been good enough in the past. Their work will be derivative, not innovative. But if you can foster a positive understanding of failure, the opposite will happen.”
The book is incredibly insightful, filled with deep reflections on Catmull’s journey—from his early days as a computer scientist working to revolutionise computer graphics, to his leadership experiences at Lucasfilm, Pixar, and Disney. His personal stories and lessons make this book a must-read for anyone looking to understand creativity and leadership on a deeper level.
I highly recommend you read Creativity, Inc.. It’s one of those books that stays with you long after you’ve turned the last page.