will.i.am Opens Up: Depression, Creativity & ADHD!

TL;DR

will.i.am describes his upbringing in East LA by a single mother who fostered his creativity and self-belief, which became his currency. He explains that hyper-creativity requires humility, competitiveness, curiosity, and a predator mindset, and that true creativity is an involuntary release (like rinsing a sponge or vomiting) not driven by fear of judgment.

Key insights

• will.i.am’s mother used food stamps to buy gum to get change, which she then used to buy sewing supplies, demonstrating resourceful creativity.
• He realized his family was poor when classmates brought donated food to his house, but his mother’s insistence on wearing suits made other kids doubt he was poor.
• His mother forbade him from saying “nothing” – even if breathing or thinking, he had to state what he was doing – instilling constant awareness.