Creativity researcher James C. Kaufman on the “ten year rule”

James C. Kaufman is a creativity researcher and Associate Professor of Psychology at California State University, San Bernardino.

Here are some excerpts from his Psychology Today blog post “A Creativity Researcher’s Thoughts on the Oscars.”

If anyone gets discouraged about their creative progress in their careers, take heart from Mauro Fiore.

The cinematographer won the Academy Award for his work on Avatar.

Twenty years ago, Fiore was the key grip (i.e., camera placement/rigging) for Stripped to Kill II: Live Girls and Saturday the 14th Strikes Back.

These films were not just truly horrible films – they were also sequels to truly horrible films.

Consistent with the general research indicating that it takes ten years to become an expert in an area, Fiore worked on Schindler’s List (as a gaffer, in charge of the electric work) in 1993 and then advanced to be a cinematographer on a successful television show (Tracey Takes On).

Consistent with research I did with fellow PT blogger Scott Barry Kaufman, Fiore illustrates that if it takes ten years or so to make a professional contribution to a field, it takes about ten more years to make a truly outstanding mark.

After twelve years of being a cinematographer on such movies as Training Day, Smokin’ Aces, and Tears from the Sun, Fiore reached his (likely) peak with his brilliant, Oscar-winning work on Avatar.

What does this mean? It takes time to become an “expert” in a field and even longer to reach a level of “greatness.” It’s okay to not be a superstar yet.