The Art of Curiosity

Curiosity killed the cat.  I’m sure you’ve heard that saying before and it makes curiosity sound bad.  But, without curiosity, creativity would die.

Before there is a painting, a poem, a melody, or an invention, there is a question.
What if?
Why not?
What happens when…?

Creativity does not begin with certainty. It begins with wonder.

We often talk about creative block as if it’s a mysterious force that shows up without warning; however, it often manifests from neglecting our instinct to explore. The moment we stop asking questions is the moment creativity starts to die.

When we allow ourselves to be curious, we reduce the need for perfection. We give ourselves permission to experiment without knowing the outcome. We mix the unexpected color. We try a new medium. We follow an idea that makes no practical sense. We rearrange, reimagine, reconsider.

Curiosity says, “Let’s see what happens.”

Fear says, “Don’t mess it up.”

We fear wasting materials.
We fear wasting time.
We fear producing something mediocre.
We fear judgment—our own and others’.

Fear often disguises itself elegantly as perfectionism.  You become so occupied with busyness, you don’t notice that perfectionism is now the boss and you’ve lost your spark.

Curiosity, on the other hand, reintroduces play.

It shifts the focus from outcome to process. Instead of asking, “Will this be good?” we begin asking, “What can I learn?” That subtle shift is powerful. It removes the pressure to prove and replaces it with the freedom to explore.

And exploration is where originality lives.

Every artist, innovator, and problem-solver relies on curiosity as fuel. It is what leads to new techniques and unexpected solutions. It’s where the “happy accidents” happen.  Which truly aren’t accidents at all, they are a normal result of experimenting.  They won’t happen all the time, but they will happen and it will be magical.

Curiosity keeps our creative process from stagnating and becoming repetitive.  It reminds us that art is not a fixed identity, but a living conversation between who we are and what we are discovering.

In the end, the art of curiosity is really the art of being open.

Open to possibility.
Open to failure.
Open to the unknown.

And in that openness, creativity flourishes.

Be unique and be curious,

LORI