Everyone knows Steve Jobs and how he brought the Apple computer to life.  But did you know that he dropped out of college after one semester yet the school administration saw something in him and allowed him to hang around classes for another 18 months?  During that time he stumbled into a Calligraphy course and loved it.

And because of this experience, he was inspired to create fonts when he launched the Apple computer. Can you imagine how things might be different if Steve hadn’t been inspired at the crossroads of letter shapes and programming?  If he hadn’t made that connection?  And the trickle down effects into design and advertising and visual communications?

Some people say that creativity is nothing new.  It’s just a different way of looking at things that already exist.  Taking two old ideas and weaving them together into a fresh concept.

Steve Jobs said, “Creativity is just connecting things.  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.  It seemed obvious to them after a while.  That’s because they were able to connect experiences they’ve had and synthesize new things.”

So it’s important to be open to new encounters, meet different people, and read about topics that interest you.  Be curious.  Because as Oscar Wilde once said, “It is what you read when you don’t have to that determines what you will be when you can’t help it.”

And collaborate with others to find inspiration.  Amy Poehler said, “As you navigate through the rest of your life, be open to collaboration.  Other people and other people’s ideas are often better than your own.  Find a group of people who challenge and inspire you, spend a lot of time with them, and it will change your life.”

The formal education routes are great, but they don’t always lead us on the journey to our destiny. We can’t just stop with the label we are given by our degree.  What is it that we are truly meant to be?  As Mark Twain once said, “Don’t let schooling interfere with your education.”

So think outside the box and follow your heart.  You never know what ideas you might think of and how they could change your life.  And as Steve Jobs said, “the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do.”