Embracing life’s twists: How creativity transforms every experience

A creative life isn’t linear—it twists and turns, often in unexpected ways. But those pieces and experiences? They have a way of circling back, connecting in surprising and meaningful ways.

In my twenties, I worked as a computer scientist for two Fortune 500 companies. Then, at 27, my life changed in an instant. I broke my back in a head-on highway collision and was given less than a 5% chance of walking again. After a year of recovery, I chose a new path, entering the PhD program at the University of Chicago to study adult learning.

During my time there, I co-authored an article and two book chapters with Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi and received an award for my research. And when I finished the PhD, I did something unexpected—I moved to the backwoods of Montana to live among hippies. (For the record, I wouldn’t trade those years for anything.)

There’s a Spanish word, aprovechar, that means “to make good use of whatever you have at your disposal.” That’s what creativity is all about.

Don’t worry about changing directions or the seeming randomness of your journey. The creative process uses everything.