If creativity is so accessible, what’s holding us back? When a group of people are asked, “Please raise your hand if you consider yourself to be creative,” – why do only a few hands go up? Why are corporate leaders, government officials, politicians, crime fighters, teachers, and parents all starving for new ideas? Why are art, music, and literature in the hands of a tiny fraction of the population–while the rest are mere spectators?

There’s another reason why creativity seems to be in short supply: Myths about creativity are deeply entrenched in our culture. Myths have enormous power to shape everyday behavior, often to people’s detriment. When people believe the world is flat, for example, they are not likely to venture out to sea, and far away lands, remain undiscovered.