140: Why Every Person Is Creative with Kyle Scheele
Most people think creativity is something you either have or you don't — a gift, a gene, a mysterious lightning bolt that strikes a chosen few. Kyle Scheele has spent his career dismantling that belief, and in this conversation he makes the case that creativity isn't magic at all. It's problem-solving. And everyone already does it, every single day.
In Part 1 of this episode:
- Why your brain is not a truth-seeking machine — it's a belief justification machine: give it the belief "I'm not creative" and it will spend the rest of your life finding evidence to prove you right
- Kyle's spontaneous ideation theory — the creativity myth he compares to the 17th century scientific belief that dirty rags and wheat kernels spontaneously generated mice, and why most people's understanding of where ideas come from is just as wrong
- The coffee shop moment that defined Kyle's career: his friend Isaac told him, "most people come in here, talk about an idea, and the next time you hear about it, it's just an idea again — you come in two days later editing the footage"
- How Kyle went from broke high schooler selling "Osteoporosis is bad to the bone" T-shirts out of the school lunch room to getting a line into Urban Outfitters in his first year of college — and what that early experience installed in him about figuring things out
- Why 70% of the time, when companies give their teams the bandwidth to explore a challenge internally, the answer is already there — it's just inside the head of someone who hasn't been asked yet (Harvard Business Review, cited on stage)
Content Warning: This episode includes a brief discussion of childhood suicidal ideation. Kyle shares openly about his experience as a child feeling isolated in school and experiencing dark thoughts, before a friendship changed his perspective. The conversation is handled with care and context, but we want our listeners to be prepared.
If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988 — the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline — available 24/7 in both the US and Canada.
Episode Highlights:
00:00 - Creativity as Problem Solving
00:36 - Podcast Welcome and Guest Intro
03:24 - Turning Ideas Into Action
06:33 - Early Hustle T Shirt Business
11:40 - Belief Systems Block Creativity
15:27 - Ambition Versus Contentment
20:59 - No Right or Wrong in Ideas
25:06 - AI Limits and Skin in Game
26:46 - School Struggles and Finding Belonging
28:44 - It Only Takes One Person To Make An Impact
29:36 - Creative Kid Origins
30:12 - Student Council Confidence
31:45 - Baby Steps Momentum
32:15 - Window Of Possibility
33:45 - Vision Into Action
35:08 - Fuel Creativity Thrives Within Constraints
36:49 - Recovering Curiosity
39:34 - Questioning Limiting Beliefs
44:15 - Everyone Is Creative
45:41 - Claiming Artist Identity
48:29 - Business Needs Crystal Clear Goals
51:12 - Creativity As Problem Solving
52:39 - Unlocking Team Innovation
57:27 - Closing Remarks and Stay Tuned For Part 2
Resources mentioned:
- Several books (for adults and childen) referenced written by Kyle, can be found here: https://kylescheele.com/Books
- Harvard Business Review study on internal innovation
- Heather Moyse — Olympic athlete referenced by Dwayne re: chunking goals
- Spontaneous generation theory / Francesco Redi experiments — referenced in context of the creativity myth
- Orbis Medicinae — Jan Baptist van Helmont, referenced in context of spontaneous generation
- Steve Jobs interview — paraphrased by Kyle re: everything in the world being made by people no smarter than you
- LeanScaper Operations Intensive — conference where Dwayne first saw Kyle speak
Quotes:
“ What you might consider might be right or wrong is really based on what's the possibility of it happening, and then it'll only be judged when you look back on it in history.” - Dwayne Kerrigan
“ If you don't get clear on that goal, it's hard to know where to go.” - Kyle Scheele
“ Creativity is just problem-solving. Every idea is the solution to some problem.” - Kyle Scheele
"If it never gets any better than this, what a life. But I think it can get better than this." - Kyle Scheele
About Kyle Scheele: Kyle Scheele is an author, speaker, and creativity expert known for turning bold ideas into unforgettable results — from hosting a Viking funeral for the regrets of 21,000 people to launching the world's first fake marathon. With more than 750 keynotes delivered in all 50 states, Kyle combines humor, sharp insights, and real-world experimentation to help organizations unlock creativity and innovation at scale. He has worked with teams at Walmart, Deloitte, Fidelity, and Chick-fil-A, and his work has been featured in WIRED, The Washington Post, Fast Company, and Yahoo!. His books include We Put a Man on the Moon, How to Host a Viking Funeral, A Pizza With Everything On It, and A Sunday With Everything On It.
Connect with Kyle Scheele: https://kylescheele.com/
Connect with Dwayne Kerrigan
Disclaimer: The views, information, or opinions expressed by guests during The Dwayne Kerrigan Podcast are solely those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily represent those of Dwayne Kerrigan and his affiliates. Dwayne Kerrigan or The Dwayne Kerrigan Podcast is not responsible for and does not verify the accuracy of any of the information contained in the podcast series. The primary purpose of this podcast is to educate and inform. Listeners are advised to consult with a qualified professional or specialist before making any decisions based on the content of this podcast.