Creativity: a way of operating, not a talent

In his lecture from the early 90s, the comedy legend John Cleese brings some simple yet powerful insights into the business world.

Firstly, that creativity is not a talent you either have or don’t. It’s a mode of thinking you can enter, if you create the conditions for it.

Secondly, that playfulness and laughter signal safely and are a gateway into creative thinking.

And thirdly, that there is a clear distinction between being serious and being severe.

Two modes of mind

He suggests that our minds operate in two distinct modes:

• Closed mode is focused, task-driven and often anxious – useful when you need to finish something efficiently.

  
  

• Open mode is relaxed, playful and exploratory – essential for idea generation and creative thinking.

Too often we stay in closed mode because of pressure, deadlines and performance demands. But this mindset, while productive in execution, blocks creativity.

Five conditions for creativity

His insights are then boiled down to a handful of practical conditions that help us enter the open, creative state:

1. Space – both physical and mental room free from interruptions.

2. Time – enough duration to settle into thinking rather than rushing to solutions.

3. More Time – once you’re thinking, don’t cut yourself off too soon; allow ideas to deepen.

4. Confidence – creativity dies under the fear of making mistakes.

5. Humour – laughter dissolves tension and shifts us into that playful frame of mind where creativity thrives.

By creating conditions that help a team step back from urgent tasks and play with ideas, originality can emerge.

Play as foundational not frivolous

Unsurprisingly, Cleese advocates the value of humour because playfulness signals safety.

When we feel safe from judgement and pressure, our minds can explore, wander and recombine thoughts in unexpected ways.

Humour isn’t a distraction from serious work. Instead it’s helps us shift us into a more creative way of thinking.

Be serious, not severe

I was also struck by his clear distinction between being serious and being severe.

While creativity needs seriousness (care, commitment and attention), it is easily crushed by severity.

Severity shows up as tension, rigidity and fear of getting things wrong, which closes thinking down.

By contrast, seriousness allows depth without heaviness.

When we hold work lightly, with curiosity and even humour, we create the psychological flexibility that lets new ideas emerge. The problem is not that we do not take our work seriously enough, but that we often take it too severely.

Why this still matters today

We might quite rightly value productivity, accountability and measurable results in the workplace. But without deliberate practices that invite open-ended thinking, we risk stagnation.

Creativity doesn’t just happen around our work; it has to be built into how we think.

John Cleese’s insight challenges us to look at creativity not as a bonus but as a discipline: one that requires space, time, confidence and a sense of play.

When we treat creativity as a way of operating, rather than a "mystical gift", we unlock a more innovative, agile and resilient way of working.

Watch the video of John Cleese's creativity lecture here.