The Creativity Paradox
A practical guide to turning ideas into impact without killing what makes them creative
Creativity thrives on tension. This book shows you how to work with it.
The Creativity Paradox explores why creativity so often collapses inside organisations, and how leaders, teams, and engineers can turn paradox into momentum instead of friction.
This page will evolve as the book approaches publication.
Book release: September 2026
What this book is about
Creativity is not a lack of ideas problem... It is a system problem.
Most organisations want innovation, but unintentionally design environments that silence it: too much control, too much speed, too much certainty, or not enough of any of them at the right moment.
The Creativity Paradox is not a book about brainstorming harder or copying startup culture. It is a practical exploration of how creativity actually works in real environments, especially manufacturing, engineering, operations, and complex organisations.
The book introduces a way of working that:
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Accepts paradox instead of fighting it
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Respects people, not just processes
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Turns ideas into action without flattening them
How to read this book
You won’t find traditional chapters here; you will find Sparks.
Creativity doesn’t unfold in a linear sequence. It appears in flashes: a question, a tension, a moment of friction, an idea that refuses to leave you alone. Each Spark explores one of those moments and what to do with it.
You can read the book from start to finish, but you don’t have to.
Dip in where you feel pulled. Follow your curiosity. Pause when something hits a sensitive point.
If you want to make it practical:
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Start with the map of the Sparks
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Reflect at the end of each Spark
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Try small experiments quickly, they matter more than perfect plans
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Share what you learn, because creativity grows in conversation, not isolation
At its core, this book rests on one belief: 'no matter how advanced our tools become, creativity always comes down to people.'
From reading to reflection
At the end of each Spark, you’ll find a pause called “Before You Spark the Next One…”.
Instead of asking you to write inside the book, these moments invite you to step out of it.
Sometimes that means taking a note.
Sometimes a photo of something that caught your attention.
Sometimes a sketch, a sentence, or a tension you noticed in your own work.
You’ll be invited to use a simple QR code to capture that reflection privately, or as part of a wider conversation.
This is optional, lightweight, and designed to fit into the tools you already use not add another system to manage.
(More on this as the book approaches publication.)
The Creative Toolkit
At the end of the book, you’ll find a Creative Toolkit designed to help you turn insight into action. It includes:
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Practical templates linked to IDEA Flow
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Visual summaries and decision tools
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Lightweight frameworks you can adapt, not follow blindly
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References to tools mentioned throughout the book
The toolkit is not meant to be exhaustive. It is meant to be usable.
Templates and resources will be made available progressively alongside the book.
Who this book is for
This book is for people working where creativity meets reality:
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Leaders navigating innovation without breaking trust
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Engineers and operators solving real constraints
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Facilitators and change agents designing better conversations
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Teams tired of ideas dying after workshops
If you’ve ever felt that creativity mattered but didn’t quite fit the systems around you, this book was written for you.
About the author
I work at the intersection of innovation, manufacturing, leadership, and human systems.
Across engineering environments, factories, project rooms, and executive conversations, I’ve seen the same pattern repeat: creativity doesn’t fail because people lack ideas, it actually fails because the conditions aren’t right.
This book is the result of that experience, shaped by real projects, real failures, and real conversations with leaders, engineers, psychologists, and practitioners across industries.