Creativity Is a Skill: Jeff & Staney DeGraff on the C.R.E.A.T.E. Method (Clarify to Evaluate)
Episode description
Description:
Creativity isn't reserved for geniuses—it's a skill you can learn, practice, and compound over time.
In this episode of The Innovation Show, Aidan McCullen sits down with Jeff and Staney DeGraff to explore their practical framework for everyday creativity: the C.R.E.A.T.E. method. Based on decades of research and real-world application, they break down how innovation actually happens—not through lightning bolts, but through small, iterative wins.
From clarifying the real problem to evaluating ideas effectively, this conversation reframes creativity as a disciplined, learnable process.
Sponsored by Kyndryl, this episode also includes a giveaway for subscribers.
What You'll Learn:- Why creativity is a learnable skill (not a talent)
- The power of small wins and iterative thinking
- How to identify the real problem before solving it
- Techniques like SCAMPER, analogies, and storyboarding
- Why evaluation—not ideation—often determines success
- How constraints and failure fuel innovation
- Clarify – Define the real problem through iteration
- Replicate – Reapply ideas across domains
- Elaborate – Generate ideas using creative techniques
- Associate – Connect ideas through analogy and systems thinking
- Translate – Turn ideas into compelling stories
- Evaluate – Select the best ideas using structured methods
00:00 Sponsor and Giveaway 00:45 Creativity as Learnable Skill 04:59 Find Your Creative Rhythm 11:11 Constraints and Small Wins 20:57 Clarify the Real Problem 25:25 Replicate and Reapply Ideas 29:01 Elaborate With Wordplay 36:43 Associate Through Analogies 40:43 Translate Into Story 46:09 Evaluate Ideas Wisely
Featured Book: The Creative Mindset by Jeff & Staney DeGraff
Find the DeGraffs: https://jeffdegraff.com
Aidan McCullen is a Thinkers50 Innovation Award winner, keynote speaker Ireland, and host of The Innovation Show—the only podcast ever to receive a Thinkers50 award.