{"product_id":"the-creative-curve-isbn-9781524761714","title":"The Creative Curve","description":"\u003cb\u003eBig data entrepreneur Allen Gannett overturns the mythology around creative genius, and reveals the science and secrets behind achieving breakout commercial success in any field.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e We have been spoon-fed the notion that creativity is the province of genius -- of those favored, brilliant few whose moments of insight arrive in unpredictable flashes of divine inspiration.  And if we are not a genius, we might as well pack it in and give up. Either we have that gift, or we don’t.  But Allen shows that simply isn’t true.  Recent research has shown that there is a predictable science behind achieving commercial success in any creative endeavor, from writing a popular novel to starting up a successful company to creating an effective marketing campaign.  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e As the world’s most creative people have discovered, we are enticed by the novel\u003ci\u003e and\u003c\/i\u003e the familiar. By understanding the mechanics of what Gannett calls “the creative curve” – the point of optimal tension between the novel and the familiar – everyone can better engineer mainstream success.  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e In a thoroughly entertaining book that describes the stories and insights of everyone from the Broadway team behind \u003ci\u003eDear Evan Hansen\u003c\/i\u003e, to the founder of Reddit, from the Chief Content Officer of Netflix to Michelin star chefs, Gannett reveals the four laws of creative success and identifies the common patterns behind their achievement.\"In this stimulating business manual, Gannett, founder and CEO of the marketing analytics firm TrackMaven, asserts, 'There is in fact a science behind what becomes a hit,' namely, neuroscience. He discusses recent psychological research into the appeal that both the novel and the familiar hold for people, writing that successful innovators “find the sweet spot” between 'safety and surprise, similarity and difference.' Gannett debunks the myth that creativity is imparted to select individuals by sharing the little-known but entertaining backstories to enduring creative breakthroughs by the Beatles, J.K. Rowling, and others. He also examines whether hard work and practice can compensate for a lack of innate talent. The central focus of Gannett’s treatise for entrepreneurs with an idea centers on his 'four laws of the creative curve,' which include consumption (familiarizing oneself with a chosen field), imitation (learning from successful predecessors), creative communities (finding collaborators and\/or a support group), and iterations ('the use of data-driven processes to refine ideas'). Gannett offers the ideal balance of valuable instruction, accessible writing, and refreshing stories, providing tangible evidence that the creative process he advocates actually works for businesspeople.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e— \u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"\u003ci\u003eThe Creative Curve\u003c\/i\u003e takes on one of the most pernicious beliefs about creativity -- that it is limited to natural-born geniuses. In fact, as Allen Gannett argues so capably, we all have the potential to come up with ingenious ideas and make them a reality. Seasoned with lively anecdotes, \u003ci\u003eThe Creative Curve\u003c\/i\u003e will take you through the science and practice of creativity so that you can start tapping into your own breakthroughs.”\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e— Daniel Pink, author of \u003ci\u003eWHEN\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eTO SELL IS HUMAN\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"A juicy, rollicking tour along the path toward creativity. The good news is that there is no writer's block, and if you want it badly enough, creativity awaits.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e— Seth Godin, author of\u003ci\u003e Linchpin\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e“To anyone who thinks they are uninspired, stifled, or creatively infertile... this book is for you. Allen Gannett shows that you aren't truly any of those things. You're just doing it wrong.”\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e— Ann Handley, bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eEverybody Writes\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\"Insightful, inventive and practical. . .  \u003ci\u003eThe Creative Curve\u003c\/i\u003e shifts our understanding of creativity from a difficult-to-repeat light-bulb moment into a well illuminated and researched path to continual inspiration and creative success.\"  \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e— Shawn Achor, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eBig Potential\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eThe Happiness Advantage\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e\"All human beings have the potential for great creativity. Gannett explodes the myth that creativity is some mystical talent some are born with while others are not. Read this book to help understand how to unlock your own creativity, and the creativity of every person on your team.\"\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e— Kim Scott, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eRadical Candor\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e“The internet leveled the playing field for content creators, the creatively inclined and just about anyone interested in sharing their thoughts with others. \u003ci\u003eThe Creative Curve\u003c\/i\u003e provides a learned perspective on how the structural barriers that prevent people from connecting with one another, and ultimately understanding each other, have shifted while showing how everyone has the ability to create their own creative masterpiece.”\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e—Alexis Ohanian, Cofounder of Initialized Capital, Reddit\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e \"The perfect book for any marketer who feels that they want to be more creative but doesn't know how. Gannett makes clear that creating hit products and campaigns, is not something mystical, but rather a critical skill to learn and arm yourself with.\" \u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e—Meagen Eisenberg, CMO of MongoDB\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e “If you want to understand creativity, and cultivate and maximize your own, \u003ci\u003eThe Creative Curve\u003c\/i\u003e is the book you need.” \u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e—Richard Florida, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Rise of The Creative Class\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e “\u003ci\u003eThe Creative Curve\u003c\/i\u003e is a must read for digital marketers. Our job is to tell amazing stories that resonate with our audience. Gannett makes it clear that honing this skill is not only possible, but has a well-traveled roadmap.”\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e—Beverly Jackson, VP of Social Strategy for MGM Resorts International\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e “In \u003ci\u003eThe Creative Curve\u003c\/i\u003e, Allen Gannett demystifies creativity and gives readers the tools to launch more creative lives. Through a powerful combination of research, stories and surprising insights, this delightful read makes creativity accessible for the self-identified non-creatives and empowers the creatives to maximize their potential”\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e—Sanyin Siang, CEO Coach and Executive Director, Duke University Coach K Center on Leadership \u0026amp; Ethics\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “The Apollo lunar program is arguably humankind’s single most creative endeavor. Being a personal and professional passion of mine, I can say with certainty Apollo came from hard work. Now, fifty years later, Allen Gannett shows you a remarkable system to harness that same creative power for your idea or company and he does so in an engaging fast-paced way. What are you waiting for? With Allen as your guide, it’s time for your moon shot!”   \u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e—David Meerman Scott, bestselling author of ten books including \u003ci\u003eMarketing the Moon: The Selling of the Apollo Lunar Program\u003c\/i\u003e, soon to be a major film\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e “Drawing on interviews with highly successful entrepreneurs, Gannett shows that the generation of creative ideas is not the result of a stroke of genius—any more than are the winning performances of Olympic athletes. Both are the culmination of years of preparation and practice. His book uncovers the effective practice methods, such as intensive self-study and experimentation, the search for feedback from masters and peers, and gradual refinement of product ideas.”\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e—K. Anders Ericsson, Conradi Eminent Scholar and Professor of Psychology, Florida State University; and co-author of \u003ci\u003ePeak: Secrets from the New Science of Expertise\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e \"\u003ci\u003eThe Creative Curve\u003c\/i\u003e is a must-read for anyone in the business of innovation. And Allen Gannett is one of the smartest entrepreneurs and writers of his generation. His writing is fresh, compelling, and delightfully fun to get through. You'll find yourself wishing for even more.\" \u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e—Shane Snow, author of \u003ci\u003eDream Teams\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eSmartCuts\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e“Can we learn to be creative? \u003ci\u003eThe Creative Curve\u003c\/i\u003e demonstrates, persuasively, that yes, you can. Gannett interviewed living idols and leading researchers. From this, he paints a picture of creativity not as some mystical event, but as a practical skill rooted in neuroscience. Ultimately, he delivers on the cover's promise, demystifying how to develop the right idea, at the right time. An essential read.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Emma Carrasco, CMO of The National Geographic Society\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e Allen Gannett\u003c\/b\u003e is an author and angel investor. He’s invested in over 150 early stage companies. Previously, he was the founder and CEO of TrackMaven, which merged with Skyword.Chapter 1\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Making of a Dream\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt was November 1963.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePaul McCartney woke up obsessed with a melody he had heard while dreaming. The twenty-one-year-old pop star stumbled over to the small piano nestled in his room on the top floor of 57 Wimpole Street in central London.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhat was that melody?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHe sat at the piano, trying to re-create the notes he had heard in his sleep.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt felt so familiar.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHe finally put it together: G, F-sharp minor 7th, B, E minor, and E. He played it again and again. He loved the way it sounded but was certain the melody must come from some half-forgotten song he had heard before. Like many musicians, he fretted that he might be borrowing the melody of another song. Too familiar, he thought. Where have I heard this before?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe melody McCartney heard in his dream would ultimately become “Yesterday,” the most recorded song in music history with three thousand different versions. It has been played more than seven million times on American television and radio and is the fourth-highest-grossing song of all time.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMcCartney himself once said of his famous song, “It is possibly the smash of this century.” Indeed, “Yesterday” may well have been one of the twentieth century’s biggest hits, and, apparently, it was the result of a dream. He told an interviewer for The Beatles Anthology that the experience had a profound impact on how he viewed creativity: “It’s amazing that it just came to me in a dream. That’s why I don’t profess to know anything; I think music is all very mystical.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFor creativity researchers, Paul McCartney’s sudden melodic epiphany is a classic example of creativity coming to an artist unplanned, in a flash of genius: a “moment of inspiration,” in which an idea suddenly rises to one’s conscious awareness. It is the unexpected nature of these bursts of inspiration, with no apparent origin, that gives them a supernatural quality. Anyone who has had a great idea in the shower or on a run or walk has experienced some version of these moments.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhether it is J. K. Rowling being struck with the idea for Harry Potter on a train to London, or Mozart being able to compose songs without effort, these accounts have become modern-day staples of what I call the inspiration theory of creativity: the idea that creative success results from a mysterious internal process punctuated by unpredictable flashes of genius. And our culture has embraced the idea that a self-reliant person, born with the right innate talents, can produce hits out of sheer inspiration.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhat’s more, this view is not confined to the traditional arts, like music and literature. Steve Jobs, the prototypical genius of the digital age, explained, in an often-repeated quote, that creativity is an organic process: “When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn’t really do it, they just saw something.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe inspiration theory of creativity dominates how most people think about creative greatness today. But why do these sudden moments of inspiration occur? Is sheer IQ genius the only explanation? If we studied the settings of these creative moments, would they verify or disprove the inspiration theory?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eName That Tune\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe morning the melody for “Yesterday” came to McCartney was a typical lazy day. As was his routine, he awoke around noon. He and his girlfriend Jane would often stay out late at London’s restaurants and clubs.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMcCartney worried about why the melody he woke up with was so clear, so concise. It seemed too finished, too complete. He assumed he had accidently plagiarized it. Was it from one of the classics he had heard his father play so often? “Stairway to Paradise”? “Chicago”? “Lullaby of the Leaves”?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Beatles were thoughtful about creating their hits. Lennon once described to an interviewer how intentional the band had been when writing their first number-one single, “Please Please Me”: “We tried to make it as simple as possible . . . ​we aimed this one straight at the hit parade. It was my attempt at writing a Roy Orbison song.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFor McCartney, “Yesterday” was an explicit exception to his typical methodical songwriting process. The tune of “Yesterday” was like “a jazz melody,” McCartney later said. “My dad used to know a lot of old jazz tunes. I thought maybe I’d just remembered it from the past.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHe went to his friends and asked if they recognized the song.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFirst, he asked his songwriting partner, John Lennon. Lennon told him he had never heard it before. Still skeptical, McCartney tried his friend Lionel Bart, who had composed numerous hit songs. When McCartney hummed the melody, Bart drew a blank. It seemed as if the song might be original.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eStill not convinced, McCartney pressed on. He tried to think of someone older and more experienced, someone who might be able to clear his conscience.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA few days later, McCartney visited Alma Cogan, a British singer known for the song “Dreamboat” and sixteen other hits. If anyone could recognize the song, she could.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHe sat down at the piano and played the melody for Cogan and her sister. “It’s lovely,” Cogan said when he was done.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHad she heard it before? McCartney asked. Was it someone else’s song?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCogan said, “No. It’s original. Nice song.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFinally, McCartney was persuaded. He had seemingly dreamed a masterful melody, following the mystical nature of the inspiration theory of creativity.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWe can interpret the inspiration theory in one of two ways.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe positive view is that a flash of genius can strike anyone. “Yesterday” came to McCartney in a dream, outside of his control. It’s possible that all of us can dream a chart-topping melody.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOn the other hand, most of us believe that if we lack the raw talent or innate genius, these moments will never strike. The inspiration theory of creativity is only relevant for those born with so-called genius.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAs a result, many of us are tempted to put aside any ambition to become the next great musician, novelist, or entrepreneur, settling instead to be a consumer or patron of the arts. Meanwhile, the optimistic ones are just waiting, hoping for a sudden flash of inspiration to visit them.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe inspiration theory is supported by countless anecdotes from the creative artists of our time. Authors talk of waiting for creative inspiration. Entrepreneurs talk of waiting for a great idea to strike. Musicians talk of falling into a creative groove.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThere are countless books and blog posts on creativity, offering suggestions on how we can push through writer’s block or discover our “flow.” Biopics of great artists amplify the inevitability of their creativity, as well as suggesting it is the domain of mad geniuses.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMeanwhile, the rest of us are left on the sidelines.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut what if this entire theory is wrong? What if you don’t have to wait for lightning to strike?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Road to “Yesterday”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhile the sudden creation story of “Yesterday” is relatively well known, what is less known is how McCartney went from the original melody to crafting the full song.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe notion that this song came to McCartney in an instant is wrong.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAll that had come to him in the dream was a simple chord progression. When McCartney awoke with a melody in his head, it was a long way from a completed song. For one thing, the tune had no words. He knew he needed to come up with placeholder lyrics while he continued working on the song’s structure.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAs he was playing the melody to Alma Cogan, her mother walked into the room, asking, “Anyone like some scrambled eggs?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis gave McCartney the temporary lyric he needed: Scrambled Eggs.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe initial lyrics he came up with were:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eScrambled eggs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOh, my baby, how I love your legs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDiddle diddle\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI believe in scrambled eggs.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFrom there, it took almost twenty months of grueling work to complete the song. McCartney became obsessed. While he worked on it, the people around McCartney became sick of hearing about his ever-changing song in progress.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAs George Harrison told an interviewer about that period, “He’s always talking about that song. You’d think he was Beethoven or somebody . . .”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eEven when the Beatles started filming their second movie, Help!, McCartney didn’t waver. He worked on the song during breaks. At one point, the film’s producer, Dick Lester, was so fed up that he said, “If you play that bloody song any longer, I’ll have the piano taken offstage. Either finish it, or give it up!”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLater, on their first tour through France, Paul had a piano placed in their hotel room so that he could continue working on “Yesterday.” It paid off. When producer George Martin first heard the song, he was mesmerized. It was different. In fact, it was so original that he was worried that it wouldn’t fit into a Beatles album.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMcCartney realized that the song needed melancholy lyrics (scrambled eggs were not a valid topic for a brooding song). “I remember thinking that people liked sad tunes; they like to wallow a bit when they’re alone, to put a record on and go, ‘Ahh.’ ” He finally finished the song, sketching out the final lyrics, on a trip to Portugal in May 1965.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA month later he went to the studio with George Martin to record “Yesterday.” According to Martin, McCartney came into Studio Two at EMI and played “Yesterday” on an acoustic guitar. The only change Martin could think of adding was orchestral strings. Paul, however, thought that was too much. In response, Martin suggested a quartet, and with that melodic but dark addition, “Yesterday” was born.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe iconic song that is remembered as the result of a flash of genius was, in fact, a nearly two-year odyssey—­one that at times wore McCartney (and his friends) down. While the mythology behind the Beatles celebrates the story of “Yesterday” as one of sudden creative genius, as we’ve seen it was hardly a linear path from dream to recording. “Yesterday” was not a pure product of a light-bulb moment. It was hard, grueling work.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut couldn’t you argue that it began with an initial moment of divine inspiration? How do we account for that?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThere is a cottage industry of researchers who are fascinated by the origin story of “Yesterday”: academics interested in creativity, music historians, and avid Beatles fans. All have worked to answer the question of where the melody really came from.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe most enlightening theory of the origin of “Yesterday” comes from Beatles expert Ian Hammond, who points out that the song “is a direct evolution of the melody from the Ray Charles version of ‘Georgia on My Mind.’ Not only does ‘Yesterday’ share a chord progression with the earlier song, but it also mirrors the bass lines of ‘Georgia on My Mind.’ ”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTrue enough, the Beatles and Paul McCartney were big admirers of Ray Charles. They kicked off their career playing his covers in the bars and clubs of Hamburg, Germany. John Lennon said that when they started playing their own songs, it was a “quite traumatic thing because we were doing such great numbers of other people’s, of Ray Charles and [Little] Richard and all of them.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFor Paul McCartney, what looked like divine inspiration was in fact likely the result of subconscious processing of music he loved. Like most music, it was an evolution of the chord progressions that already existed. In fact, as Hammond points out, Ray Charles’s version of “Georgia on My Mind” was an evolution of Hoagy Carmichael’s original version of the song. This type of ingestion, reinvention, and influence is common in stories of creative success.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhen McCartney reflects on how he wrote “Yesterday,” he tends to focus on his sudden inspiration for the tune. But, in at least one interview, he acknowledged that there was something more mechanical at work: “If you’re very spiritual then God sent me a melody, I’m a mere vehicle. If you wanna be a bit more cynical, then I was loading my computer for millions of years listening to all the stuff I listened to through my dad and through my musical tastes, including people like Fred Astaire, Gershwin, and finally my computer printed out one morning what it thought was a good tune.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe things we view as unexplainable genius often have a genesis of some sort.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe inspiration theory of creativity has been around for thousands of years, since the era of ancient Greece. While the theory is still breathlessly recounted in the press, modern research that I’ll discuss demonstrates that creative potential is within all of us.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHowever, if our perception of McCartney and other creative artists is flawed—­if they are more accurately described as tireless and intensely focused—­that still does not explain how they achieved commercial success. Plenty of artists toil away for years at their craft without recognition or acclaim. An endless procession of novelists has labored tirelessly for years writing novels that never sell a copy. Many painters, sculptors, choreographers, and musicians work for years without ever tasting critical or commercial success. Clearly, popular success is not just a matter of sweat equity.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCould it be possible to identify the true causes of creative success?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eChapter 2\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLearning a Lie\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAs I said earlier, I have always been addicted to recognizing patterns. Much of the phenomena we observe that seem organic or unique are actually the result of repeating processes and systems. By decoding the right patterns, I believe you can achieve goals ranging from the frivolous to the meaningful.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhen I was eighteen, I set my sights on getting on a game show. It seemed like an unusual challenge, yet one that offered a potentially fun and lucrative reward. So, I applied to all the shows I had heard of (and some I hadn’t known existed).\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSome asked for essays. Others, like Jeopardy, asked you to take online tests. Still others, like Wheel of Fortune, simply requested you fill out a form.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI sent away e-mails and filled out web forms, and then I waited.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAfter months of not hearing anything, one day an e-mail appeared asking me to audition for Wheel of Fortune. Rather than study the puzzles, I decided I would spend the weeks before my audition trying to figure out what the producers wanted. I watched dozens of episodes, looking for common elements in the ­contestants’ behavior. I delved through message boards about how the game worked, and read blog posts about other peoples’ experiences auditioning. After hours of research, I found a pattern: the casting team wasn’t looking for expert puzzle-solvers. They were seeking contestants who could enunciate (and really loudly, too), were willing to embarrass themselves, and who came across to a home audience as over-the-top and energetic.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThat’s why instead of studying vocab words, I came up with various ways I could embarrass myself. I worked on an Elmo impression that I thought might make the audience laugh—­or cringe—­and on the morning of my audition, I drank two shots of espresso. A lack of energy would not be an obstacle.","brand":"Crown Currency","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46304405749989,"sku":"NP9781524761714","price":28.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9781524761714.jpg?v=1767738869","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/the-creative-curve-isbn-9781524761714","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}