By admin 
How to overcome mental blocks and spark ideas
Have you heard that inner voice too?
“That’s already been done.”
“It’s not going to work.”
“It’s nothing new.”
It doesn’t matter if you’re starting a business, working on an idea, or writing your next novel: at some point, we’ve all heard that voice that freezes us. The one insisting that you’re not doing anything truly innovative.
And it was precisely to silence that voice that Amanda Lang wrote The Power of Why.
Lang is a journalist who has spent years immersed in the world of innovation. She’s interviewed leaders, studied hundreds of cases, and closely observed cutting-edge companies across industries. But she began to see a pattern: even the brightest minds fell into the same thinking traps over and over — traps that suffocated creativity.
Today, we’re dismantling those traps.
Here are the 7 big myths that kill creativity (and how to avoid them).
Myth 1: Innovation is about what’s most new
“Sometimes a great innovation is truly a ‘radical change’… However, most innovation is incremental… Even something as basic as a hammer is always being improved…” — Amanda Lang, The Power of Why
Here’s the most common mistake:
Believing that to innovate means doing something that has never been done before. As if the only way to be creative were to reinvent the wheel. But Amanda makes it clear: the biggest industry shifts often come not from absolute disruptions, but from small, persistent, well-directed improvements.
A brilliant example: Volvo engineer Nils Bohlin developed and introduced the three-point seatbelt system in 1959 — the one every car has today. His innovation was as simple as adding one extra anchoring point to the seatbelt, but it completely revolutionized road safety and positioned Volvo as the number one brand in safety for years.
Radical technology? No.
He simply improved existing seatbelts in a straightforward way.
Example in writing: The books that stand out often offer a clearer, more human, or more provocative take on already-known topics. Ryan Holiday, for instance, didn’t create Stoicism — he simply explained it in modern, organized language. That was his innovation. As a writer, your big idea might not be to invent something new, but to say what’s been said before in a way that’s never been heard before — through your unique perspective.
Myth 2: Innovation is a solitary activity
“Even mavericks and mad scientists need other people to put into practice the innovations they’ve dreamed up, and usually, those other people end up improving their inventions incrementally…” — Amanda Lang, The Power of Why
The myth of the lone genius is romantic… and false.
Ideas are born from friction, from conversation, from chaos, from what Amanda calls “collaborative energy.”
An amazing example: the Soccket ball. This soccer ball generates electricity while you play. It was developed by four women from radically different backgrounds (India, Nigeria, and the United States) united by a shared passion: sustainable development.
The technical development came later — but the key was the clash of ideas.
The same happened with the Otis Elevator team — you might recognize their elevators. The company brought together Russian, German, Spanish, and American talent to rethink the cable systems that elevators run on, and in doing so, innovated in the sector.
Once again, it’s the mix of perspectives that sparks truly creative ideas.
Example in writing: Writing can be solitary, but editing, publishing, and refining require collaboration. A manuscript doesn’t polish itself — you need beta readers, editors, designers. Even in the creation stage, talking about your idea helps shape it. A novel may be born in silence, but it grows in community.
Myth 3: Innovation can’t be taught
“Teaching people to think innovatively is not like teaching math or French: it’s more about teaching people to harness their existing natural curiosity.” — Amanda Lang, The Power of Why
Some people believe “you’re either creative or you’re not,” as if creativity were an innate talent reserved for a chosen few. It’s not. Studies show that 70% of creativity comes from the environment. In other words: to get inspired, create an environment with a constant flow of information and perspectives.
Inspiration can be provoked.
To do it, follow Poincaré’s 4-step creative process and pay close attention to everyday details. If you linger slowly in the present moment, you’ll find inspiration everywhere — just as Virginia Woolf or Claude Monet did.
It’s the urgency of modern life that robs us of creativity.
Myth 4: Innovation is top-down
“Smart companies know that the closer an employee is to the end user, the more likely they are to have concrete ideas about how to innovate.” — Amanda Lang, The Power of Why
Decisions are almost always made at the top floors, where executives gather around round tables while the real solutions are found downstairs — right where employees interact with customers.
The clearest example: the fast-food restaurant employee.
That person knows long before anyone at corporate headquarters that the new trays are flimsy and hard to stack. This fact makes them lose time with every move, which translates into dozens of hours wasted each month.
This crucial observation impacts the company’s large-scale profitability.
Daily operations and customer experience hold key answers.
Example in writing: Your editor doesn’t have all the answers. Neither does your creative writing mentor. Sometimes, the most valuable insight about your text comes from someone who knows nothing about literary theory but knows exactly how it feels to read it. Listening to your readers gives you valuable clues. Don’t lock yourself in the author’s tower — go down to the street.
Myth 5: Innovation can’t be forced
“You can’t tell others to start innovating… but you can create an environment that fosters and rewards curiosity…” — Amanda Lang, The Power of Why
You can’t force someone to innovate — but you can prepare the ground for it.
Amanda shares a peculiar example: the army’s suggestion box.
Colonel Rolf Smith created an electronic box where any staff member could propose ideas — even the lowest-ranking soldier. At first, the suggestions were simple and implemented immediately. Over time, a young airman, seeing that ideas were being heard, sent in a confidential suggestion that solved a long-standing problem in the Air Force, Smith confessed.
The lesson: create an environment favorable to creativity and you’ll avoid anti-creative bias.
Myth 6: Change is always good
“Tell that to the product team who came up with New Coke… New Coke was liked by those who tried it; what didn’t work was the implication that there was something wrong with the old Coke.” — Amanda Lang, The Power of Why
Change doesn’t always improve things — sometimes it destroys what worked.
The most obvious case: New Coke. It was a product meant to improve the classic Coca-Cola flavor. Early tasters unanimously said it tasted good — but it was a total failure.
Why?
Customers didn’t want a new flavor. They wanted Coca-Cola’s classic formula.
Humans are creatures of habit, and emotional attachment is powerful.
Myth 7: Innovation isn’t for everyone
“Since our ancestors first stood upright, humans have been innovating… It’s absurd to think that suddenly, in the 21st century, we’ve lost that drive.” — Amanda Lang, The Power of Why
The most dangerous myth: believing opportunities are for “a chosen few.”
In reality, opportunities are everywhere — and we all have many within reach.
Hugh Howey is an author who self-published his book Wool on Amazon — no publisher, no agents, nothing more than a simple story idea.
Today, he’s a global bestseller.
How did he do it?
He had almost no contacts — just curiosity, the discipline to write, and one question: “What if we lived underground after the end of the world?” That’s all it took to create a science fiction hit — which, by the way, I recommend reading.
The key?
Don’t stand still.
Innovation is about asking new questions — over and over. If you dare to question what everyone takes for granted (including your own ideas), you’re already halfway to creating something that really matters.