If there's one thing I've learned in life, creativity is not based on your level of intelligence, but rather on how you choose to inspire yourself. I've had long stretches of months where I was determined to be creative on my own, without any inspiration, because I felt that using any input would be cheating. If I sought out any ideas from other people, that would be cheating, and I'd never be able to claim the seed of my own creative output was entirely my own.

To be clear, I'm not talking about stealing other people's ideas...at least not directly.

That means it's important not only how much knowledge you possess, but also counts that you pick a good muse. Find someone who expresses themselves in a way that resonates with you, that you can respect, and that gives you the ability to express and develop your own ideas. There are insights in business books, in the speeches of motivational speakers, in ancient philosophical works, and even in reality television. The medium doesn't matter. A lot of them are saying the same basic things, and conveying the same basic ideas...they're just saying it different ways.

Intelligence is more about being able to express yourself in a way so that others understand what you're trying to communicate to them. It's about being able to articulate what you know. This means that we ought to focus less of our energy on cramming our heads full of more facts and more knowledge. That's certainly important, because it often gives you insight of which you weren't aware and, in turn, can lead to more ideation and generate more awareness. But what we're often looking for is someone to help us express ourselves. We're looking to be empowered by what others say, because they're helping us find the words.

Eventually, you'll find your own words. Flattery aside, imitation is about the only starting point most of us have.