Hi! Welcome to the 4 CreativeWheels newsletter — your weekly dose of insights on creativity and fuel for your creative journey.

Behold, Week #44! The last 5 weeks have been wild. I hope it was positive for all of you. Whether it was overall positive or negative, the best thing now is to focus on the positive. And then move forward. I’ve been moving forward and am working on something. I’ll let y’all know when it’s ready. 😉 But for now . . .

In this week’s issue, we explore how every great was creative and what we can learn from them.

“It didn’t begin that day. I had been noticing it for years. And the older I grow, the clearer it becomes. I love studying the greats, no matter the domain. I’ve always been interested in how some human beings reach high levels of expertise or achievements. I’ve read about their lives, studied some of their practices, and learned about their inspirations. I found that there are useful lessons in learning from them. Many qualities show up repeatedly: discipline, resilience, ambition, and focus. But underneath all of them, there is a deeper thread. That thread is creativity. All the greats, no matter their craft or work, were creative.“

Without further ado…

Let’s start the ride!

Have you ever had a thought that suddenly stops you in your tracks? I had one recently. It was a simple thought, “Every great was creative.” And it stayed with me. It was not a big realization that completely altered how I viewed the world. It was certainly not a realization that changed my life. Still, I felt compelled to write it down.

It didn’t begin that day. I had been noticing it for years. And the older I grow, the clearer it becomes. I love studying the greats, no matter the domain. I’ve always been interested in how some human beings reach high levels of expertise or achievements. I’ve read about their lives, studied some of their practices, and learned about their inspirations. I found that there are useful lessons in learning from them. Many qualities show up repeatedly: discipline, resilience, ambition, and focus. But underneath all of them, there is a deeper thread. That thread is creativity. All the greats, no matter their craft or work, were creative.

“How so?” I wondered. But as I reflected, it became evident. You can see it in their actions, and most importantly, their lives. The difficulty arises when we try to locate creativity only in their work. When you do so, it gets tricky. There are vast differences in every legend’s greatness.

What made one great might not be what made another person great. Sometimes, the best trait of one great would have been another great’s weakness in their time and context. So, the thread of creativity has to abide elsewhere. It abides in the very moments of their lives. And it shows up time and again.

It isn’t creativity limited to art, performance, or the invention of something out of nothing. It’s creativity as the capacity to recognize possibilities where others only see constraints. It’s the ability to reframe a problem, adjust your approach, and respond with intention. It’s about designing a better path forward when the obvious one doesn’t work.

The greats were and are humans. They were imperfect, flawed, and subject to the same struggles we face. They still had to deal with life just like we deal with ours. But it’s the way that they did so that sets the differences. One of the differences is their desire for improvement, growth, or change. That is what set them apart.

It all clicked when I remembered one of Tom Brady’s stories. Tom was telling a story about his early years as a quarterback. He explained how he was not the starting quarterback. In his team, he was the third guy on the depth chart. Hence, he did not get many opportunities to play. He grew frustrated. He was getting discouraged and complained to one of his coaches. It was natural for Tom Brady to feel how he felt. One could argue that, at that time, he would have wished for the coach to make changes to increase his chances of playing. But the coach asked Tom Brady to look at the situation differently.

Instead of complaining and seeing how few opportunities he got, Tom had to reflect on how he could make the best of the opportunities he had. The coach advised him not to compare what he had and what other quarterbacks had. He had to control what he could control. Then, he had to think about how to maximize his opportunities. Eventually, if he were consistent, he would get more opportunities. That was what Tom did.

He started working on his passes. He began thinking better about how to increase his team’s enthusiasm when he was on the field. He studied what it took to make great plays. The more he did so, the greater his impact on his team became. His presence became a winning factor for the team. The coaches kept giving him opportunities as it benefited the team. Ultimately, he became the main quarterback. And the rest is history, as they say. Tom Brady is widely considered the greatest player of all time in the NFL. Moreover, his legend keeps on growing. Tom kept and elevated that same renewed approach he got from his early experiences. And this is what all the greats have done.

All the greats have had to figure things out. They don’t do so lightly. They observe their situation. They seek the gaps and holes. They assess the possible constraints. They reflect on their desires and goals. And they try to find the actions that would move them forward. When the initial plan fails, they pause. They reevaluate the process. They search for what went wrong and correct it.

They don’t linger unnecessarily on the mistakes. They move on and keep going. And even when it’s challenging, they stay the course. They work on their craft or journey until the work is completed. As for some, they work until they can no longer do so. In all those steps, there is creativity in play.

It starts with ideation, evolves into execution, where the creative process is at its fullest, and ends with completion. You can see it in scientists who rethink failed experiments. You can notice it in athletes who reinvent their training methods. You can watch it in entrepreneurs who pivot their strategies. And you can witness it in activists who reorganize movements when progress stalls. To move forward, they had to find and create ways to do so.

It can be in science, sports, academia, art, activism, business, and even in governance. The principles remain the same. The greats have all had to be creative. Without their use of creativity, they would not have surmounted great odds. They would not have discovered great findings. And they would not have made great changes or impact. The good news is, it isn’t limited to them.

Of course, people have different starting lines. We all have distinct backgrounds. Some people have more advantages or disadvantages from their circumstances. Still, we can emulate the greats’ use of creativity. It sounds like the cliché motivational speech. But honestly, it is true.

I have found it to be true in January 2026. Something unpleasant happened. I had the choice to quit pursuing my goals or do as the greats do. Fortunately, I chose the latter. I’ve had to make changes, but they were necessary. The experience was not flashy or grandiose. I did not feel like a superhero. I wasn’t a mix of Albert Einstein, Leonardo da Vinci, and Serena Williams. And that was actually a good thing.

Greatness is a choice. The use of creativity is also a choice. And in our daily lives, we can choose both of them whenever we desire. The way to do so is to be curious. It’s to ask ourselves questions and ponder on our actions and direction. The questions I love to ask myself are:

What do I want? Why do I want it? What have I been doing so far to get it? Are there changes that I can make? What are the resources I have that can help? How can I see the situation differently? Based on all these things, plus potential constraints and setbacks, what is the best step to take right now?

These are just a few questions among many. The aim is to let yourself wonder. Let yourself think beyond what you see in the present. Yes, you ought to focus on the present moment. However, there are times when we fixate on one side of the present. It tends to be the negative or unhelpful side. That’s why we have to propel ourselves to look and think beyond. We can hold the present like a three-dimensional object and observe it at different angles, because each angle provides better insights and clarity. In doing so, we open up our minds to step into creation. And that is the creation of completion, change, growth, or impact.

It happens as we connect the dots. As Steve Jobs once said, “Creativity is just connecting things.” It is ever-present in life. It is the ability to see possibilities where others see limits. It is a repeated choice, a choice to engage creatively with reality. The great thread was never talent. It was never the circumstances. It was never perfect. Greatness is rarely a sudden transformation. It is the repeated decision to think differently and act deliberately. And that decision is available to us every day.

Here are two (or more) creative works that you’ll not regret checking out:

Want to share this issue of 4CW with a friend, colleague,… any human being? Just copy and paste this link: https://4creativewheels.beehiiv.com/p/february-19-2026 😉 😃

Thank you so much for reading! 

As always, feel free to reply to this email & share your thoughts, stories, and any experience related to this topic. I’d love to hear them!  

C ya next Week! 

Embracing Creativity™,

Richard M.

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