Creativity is Connecting Dots in Unique Ways

The book 'Steel Like an Artist' by Austin Klyon was pivotal for the speaker, as it gave them permission to be creative by connecting their experiences, readings, and observations in new ways. Prior to reading the book, they believed creativity was about having sudden epiphanies and presenting completely new creations, but the book taught them that creativity is about connecting existing dots differently. The act of creating something new is essentially connecting dots in ways that haven't been connected before, which the speaker relates to the process of making connections in the book. Reading books, like being a bookworm, provides the speaker with more dots to connect, rather than focusing solely on retaining information.