Learning Deeply and Broadly

Creativity, especially in the professional realm, is a common goal for people working on becoming better, and for good reason. Innovation is a way to bring more value to the table at work; it’s a way to create value where there was none. This can lead to financial benefits or simply the satisfaction of contributing something new and important.

We know from Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s research that serious, professional or academic creativity requires expertise. Beginners don’t come up with groundbreaking innovations; experts do.¹ But the same research also showed that the most creative people are those whose knowledge extends beyond the confines of their chosen domain.¹ Interdisciplinary studies lead to a cross-pollination of ideas:² knowledge from outside a domain often helps experts within the domain solve difficult problems.¹

So if you want to be more innovative, you should pursue both types of knowledge. You should learn deeply within your domain, and you should learn broadly outside of your domain. That way, you’ll cultivate expertise while simultaneously accumulating a large bank of varied ideas to draw upon for inspiration. In other words, if you want to be more creative, practice relentless learning that is both related and unrelated to your profession.

Learning Deeply

My chosen domain is self-development, and my approach is to find practical applications for time-tested wisdom and modern psychology. Every day, I read, watch, or listen to something that deepens my understanding of the human condition. I take this learning seriously. I take notes. I run little experiments to see what works. And once in a while, ideas I’m learning today combine with ideas I learned in the past, resulting in a creative insight.

Here’s an example:

Years ago I learned about the Japanese concept of Ikigai, which is a version of life/career advice similar to “follow your passion” or “find your calling.” Although I found it compelling, I didn’t fully buy into the Ikigai philosophy, but I did store it in my memory and my notes. Later, I read Cal Newport’s career advice in So Good They Can’t Ignore You, which argues for developing your passion through hard work rather than simply discovering it. Then I reflected on my own experience and combined these ideas into this synthesis, which is more useful than either of those concepts in isolation.

Learning Broadly

I also study a smattering of subjects that, at least on the surface, have nothing to do with self-improvement, such as biology, history, and physics. One reason I do this is simply because I enjoy it – these subjects are interesting to me. I also do it to strengthen my brain muscles. In particular, learning broadly exercises my curiosity, which is essential for both creativity and mindfulness.

But from the standpoint of professional innovation, learning broadly outside of my domain provides my mind with a huge bank of ideas to draw upon for combinatorial creativity. Seemingly random information from unrelated academic domains will occasionally combine with knowledge from the deep learning I’ve done within my domain, leading to insights that would have been impossible had I confined my learning exclusively to self-development.

Here’s an example:

My studies of history and biology taught me the explanatory power of feedback loops. This, in turn, combined with my knowledge of self-perception theory (a psychology concept), leading to a new understanding of the dynamic interplay between thoughts, emotions, and actions. This synthesis is now at the core of my approach to behavioral change and mental health.

Make Both a Habit

Learning deeply and learning broadly are both included in my morning routine. I study self-development and get my daily dose of wisdom right before meditating; then I study other things while eating breakfast.

Yesterday, for example, I listened to this episode of Hidden Brain while riding my exercise bike. Then I watched three quick Optimize +1’s while drinking a cup of coffee. Then I did my meditations (loving-kindness and breathing). Finally, I ate breakfast while learning about Azerbaijan and Bearded Dragon lizards.

Patience

None of the things I learned yesterday resulted in immediate innovations. This is normal. Creativity is unpredictable. But I am sure that deepening my expertise and broadening my knowledge base increased the likelihood of future insights. This type of learning isn’t about immediate pay-off; it’s a long-term commitment.

So, what about you? Do you want to be more creative? If so, commit to learning both deeply and broadly. Become an expert in your field and maintain a wide-ranging curiosity that fills your mind with ingredients for innovation.

¹ Csikszentmihalyi, Mihaly. Creativity: The Psychology of Discovery and Invention. Harper Perennial, 1997.

² Ridley, Matthew. “When ideas have sex.” TEDGlobal 2010.