Imagine a world without the piano.
No Mozart sonatas. No Chopin études. No dive bar Billy Joel karaoke.
It very easily could’ve been our reality. But creativity and innovation brought the instrument to life and got us to where we are now.
And those same tools, creativity and innovation (and yes, they are different), have made life better for us time and time again.
But how do we know which one resonates for us?
Enter Bartolomeo Cristofori
Cristofori was born in Padua, Italy – the same place as Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew – and started tinkering with instruments from the age he could crawl.
He tutored under legendary violin maker Nicolò Amati before scoring prestigious position at the Florentine court of Grand Prince Ferdinando de’ Medici.
Now in the court, the harpsichord was all the rage. But, as popular as the instrument was, it lacked finesse.
Sidebar! A quick history of the harpsichord
The harpsichord works with a plucking mechanism. Imagine each key as a seesaw. Pressing the front end (where your finger goes) raises the back end.
Attached to the back of each key is a small wooden piece called a “jack.” As the key lifts, the jack rises with it.
Each jack holds a tiny plectrum, traditionally made from quill. This acts like a miniature pick. When the jack reaches its peak, the plectrum sharply plucks the string, creating a bright, distinctive sound.
Once your finger lifts from the key, the whole mechanism resets. You cannot control the volume of a note, no matter how hard of soft you use it.
Back to the story of Cristofori
Cristofori envisioned an instrument capable of dynamic control. This would allow musicians to play soft (piano) and loud (forte).
So, he got to thinking:
Is there a way to solve this problem?
He took a set of hammers and fitted them with felt covers. These would be used to hit (rather than pluck) the instrument strings to make sound. The harder the hit, the louder the note.
This would serve as the foundation of his new instrument, which he called the gravicembalo col piano e forte.
Or, to us, the piano.
What this means for creativity and innovation?
Now, in this story, there’s two driving parts:
- The idea of an instrument to control volume. This is creativity.
- The development of a tool to deliver that result. This is innovation.
Let’s take a closer look at these words and how we can use them in our own work.
What is creativity?
Creativity is how you come up with new and valuable ideas.
Creativity is not just about making art or music, though those definitely count.
Creativity is also about finding new solutions to problems, making surprising connections, and thinking outside of what you’ve already done.
It’s about asking “what if?”, and then exploring the possibilities. Even if you don’t call yourself artistic, you use creativity every day!
Maybe you invent a great story your gonna tell your kid before bed, think up with a delicious new curry recipe to try, or have the perfect comeback to that bloke who slighted you on the train this morning.
These are all creative pursuits.
What is innovation?
Innovation is turning creative ideas into real things to make a positive impact.
Innovation involves creating something new or improving something existing. This could be a product, service, process, or even a way of thinking.
But it’s not just about novelty. What matters is that this new thing actually creates value for someone. It solves a problem, makes something easier, or offers something better than what existed before.
It’s also not enough to just have a cool idea. Innovation is about bringing that idea to life and making it accessible to others. It involves putting in the work to develop, test, and launch your creation.
How creativity and innovation play out together
You could say Cristofori was creative. You could say Cristofori was innovative.
He was. Both.
His creativity informed his innovation.
And while it took a little while for the piano to catch on (as most great ideas do), today his legacy lives on as the cornerstone of modern music.
So, let’s look at the question: Is your workplace creative or innovative?
⚡Creativity is how you generate new ideas
💡Innovation is how you apply these ideas to solve problems
Which one fits you better? Maybe (hopefully) you’re both, like Cristofori.
So, whether you’re looking to do better business – or change the world – creativity and innovation are crucial notes in your journey.
Now play it again, Cristofori!
