Mozart was not a stodgy prodigy. His childhood travels often brought him to the tavern, where he would head for the spittoon and amuse the locals with spitting games.

One difference between Mozart and ordinary folks is that Mozart managed to bring this playful spontaneity into his work. He was an avid billiard player. And it’s said that he found musical inspiration in the “click” and “thump” of the balls in play. This suggests to me that we shouldn’t even bother to make the distinction between work and play.

The directors of Honey, I Blew Up the Kids learned this lesson trying to direct the ultimate creatives—a pair of two-year-old identical twins. Talk about creative prima donnas! They absolutely refused to deliver their lines or wait for their cues.

But then one day the crew celebrated a birthday on the set. Suddenly the twins did what kids do at a birthday party. They acted like kids! So, from then on, the crew staged a birthday party every day. The twins thought they were playing. The director thought they were working. Like all successful creative people, they were doing both.

Some would argue that creative greats such as Mozart, Hans Christian Andersen, and Lewis Carroll, author of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, remained children all their lives. Michael J. Gelb writes in How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci: Seven Steps to Genius Every Day

Although the seriousness and intensity that Leonardo brought to his life cannot be overemphasized, he was, as his love of jokes, riddles, and boxed dragons demonstrates, extremely playful... Leonardo’s seriousness drove him to penetrate the essence of things, and his playfulness allowed himself to make unprecedented, original connections.

Gelb quotes some thoughts from Sigmund Freud in this context. I have expanded his quotation.

Indeed the great Leonardo remained a child for the whole of his life... it is said that all great men are bound to retain some infantile part. Even as an adult he continued to play and that was another reason he often appeared uncanny and incomprehensible to his contemporaries.

It’s the typical two-year-old in you that makes you creative. Makes you do what you feel like doing. If you want creative results, from yourself or from your staff, throw a party every day. Encourage play, independence, and experimentation. Forget all the left-brain management techniques you’ve studied and Think Naked.

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