Here is a brief excerpt from an article by Martin Zwilling for Entrepreneur magazine. To read the complete article, check out others, and obtain subscription information, please click here.

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Most people think creativity is divinely-inspired, unpredictable and bestowed on only a lucky few. There are a lot of popular myths about business creativity, yet none of them have much scientific evidence. A new study based on the latest research — The Myths of Creativity: The Truth About How Innovative Companies and People Generate Great Ideas, by David Burkus — helps demystify what’s behind the forces and processes that drive innovation.

Burkus’ research supports what I have always believed — that with the proper training, anyone with a common-sense mindset grounded in reality can deliver creative and innovative new ideas, projects, processes, and programs.

The first step is to not limit your thinking. That means not following these ten long-standing myths about creative thinking.

[Here are the first three.]

1. Eureka myth. New ideas sometimes seem to appear as a flash of insight. But research shows that such insights are actually the culminating result of prior hard work on a problem. This thinking is then given time to incubate in the subconscious mind as we connect threads before the ideas pop out as new eureka-like innovations.

2. Breed myth. Many people believe creative ability is a trait inherent in one’s heritage or genes. In fact, the evidence supports just the opposite. There is no such thing as a creative breed. People who have confidence in themselves and work the hardest on a problem are the ones most likely to come up with a creative solution.

3. Originality myth. There’s a long-standing myth about intellectual property — the idea that a creative idea is proprietary to the person who thought of it. But history and empirical research show more evidence that new ideas are actually combinations of older ideas and that sharing those helps generate more innovation.

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To read the complete article, please click here.

Martin Zwilling is a veteran startup mentor, executive, blogger, author, tech professional, and angel investor. Contact him at marty@startupprofessionals.com.