What sparks creative genius?

How are great works of art produced? What sparks creative genius? We don’t really know. After all, Michelangelo didn’t exactly tweet out a play-by-play as he was painting the Sistine Chapel. Thoreau wasn’t livestreaming from Walden Pond. But recently we were handed a gift: a fly-on-the-wall documentary of the Beatles as they crafted the 1970 album Let It Be. And one scene in particular gives us a rare glimpse into the creation of a timeless piece of art. In this scene, Paul McCartney sits down across from George Harrison and Ringo Starr and starts strumming a blues progression on his guitar. He begins singing a melody using gibberish words and other random sounds. He repeats the verse, again and again and again and again, making adjustments each time and testing out actual words. Two minutes later, he’s landed on the hook to the band’s classic, “Get Back.” While not everyone has the same creative process (or genius) as Sir Paul, it’s a powerful argument against waiting around until inspiration strikes—if you’ve got a task ahead of you, just sit down and create something. Often, your first go won’t be the best, but it gives you a foundation to build upon. You’ll never get anywhere if you don’t start somewhere. —Neal Freyman