David Kelley and Tom Kelley – Creative Confidence: Unleashing the Creative Potential Within Us All
Summary: In „Creative Confidence,“ IDEO founder David Kelley and his brother Tom argue that creativity is not an innate talent possessed by a select few, but rather a skill that can be developed and strengthened by anyone willing to overcome their fears and self-doubts. The book introduces the concept of „creative confidence“ – the belief in one’s ability to generate new ideas and the courage to try them out – and provides practical strategies for building this confidence through action, experimentation, and learning from failure. The Kelleys draw on decades of experience at IDEO and Stanford’s d.school to share inspiring stories of individuals and organizations who transformed their approaches to problem-solving by embracing their creative potential. They outline specific techniques for reframing challenges, fostering divergent thinking, and creating environments that encourage creative risk-taking and innovation.
Why we like it: This book is really insightful for us because it directly addresses the psychological barriers that prevent people from accessing their creativity – fear of judgment, perfectionism, and the „I’m just not creative“ mindset – and provides concrete tools to overcome them. The Kelleys‘ message is deeply empowering: by building creative confidence, anyone can become an active problem-solver and change-maker in their work and life, rather than passively accepting the status quo.