Steven Johnson’s Where Good Ideas Come From: The Seven Patterns of Innovation explores creativity as a social and environmental process rather than a solitary act of inspiration. By analysing seven principles underlying innovation, Johnson presents a nuanced view of how ideas form and evolve, which can be deeply relevant to academics seeking to inject creativity into their scholarship or feel re-energised in their research.

Key takeaways

1. Creativity arises from context. Ideas are fostered by environments that support open, interdisciplinary collaboration rather than isolated, solo work.
2. Incremental progress is valuable. Big ideas often build slowly over time, and small insights should not be dismissed—they can lead to major breakthroughs.
3. Embrace error as a tool. Mistakes are crucial to discovery and can drive research in new, beneficial directions.
4. Look for adjacent possibilities. Exploring neighbouring areas of study or methodological applications can unlock novel insights.
5. Foster “liquid” networks. Engaging with others across fields and exposing oneself to a variety of ideas can stimulate innovation.

Practical implications for academics

1. Encourage interdisciplinary dialogue. Academics can stimulate creativity by forming working groups with colleagues from other departments or attending interdisciplinary conferences.
2. Prioritise ongoing, small projects. Rather than aiming solely for large publications, scholars can keep a “slow hunch” journal for smaller, progressive ideas, fostering a pipeline of insights.
3. Create opportunities for serendipity. Academics might set aside time to read broadly outside their field or attend talks in unrelated areas, encouraging unexpected idea connections.
4. Embrace mistakes in research. Viewing errors as feedback can help academics reframe setbacks as stepping stones to more refined or entirely new research paths.
5. Develop adaptable tools or frameworks. Projects that serve as platforms, like reusable data analysis frameworks, can encourage further innovation and extend an academic’s impact across multiple studies.

By adopting these principles, academics who may not consider themselves inherently creative can actively cultivate environments that support innovation. The book’s emphasis on collaboration, open networks, and iterative learning provides a compelling case for how scholarship can become a dynamic and creative process, reinvigorating research agendas and expanding the scope of academic contribution.

Johnson, S. (2011). Where good ideas come from: The seven patterns of innovation. Penguin Books.