Book recommendation – Bas Kast – Und plötzlich macht es KLICK!: Das Handwerk der Kreativität oder wie die guten Ideen in den Kopf kommen

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Here, creativity is viewed from a scientific perspective.

Can creativity be trained, or is it something innate that some people simply have and others do not?

Overview & central idea

In this book, Bas Kast addresses the question of how creativity arises and how we can specifically promote it. He shows that creativity is not just a mystical gift of brilliant minds, but a craft that can be learned and trained. Good ideas are the result of certain ways of thinking and working that anyone can develop—if they understand how creativity works.

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Structure & content

The book combines scientific findings from psychology and neuroscience with vivid examples from art, science, and business. Kast describes the central mechanisms of creative processes and translates them into practical strategies.

Key topics and theories:

Preparation & knowledge: Creativity needs a solid foundation – ideas often arise from linking existing knowledge.
Incubation: Breaks, distraction, and sleep are crucial for the subconscious to “continue working” on solutions.
Aha moments: The famous flash of inspiration usually comes unexpectedly – often after a phase of letting go.
Limits & rules: Paradoxically, restrictions promote creativity because they steer our thinking in new directions.
Interdisciplinarity: Good ideas often arise at the interfaces between different disciplines.
Failure & chance: Mistakes, wrong turns, and lucky breaks are part of the creative process—the key is to use them productively.

Style & readability

Kast writes in a lively, understandable, and journalistic style. He tells stories, provides examples, and manages to make complex research easily accessible.