Nothing comes from Nothing

Paul Crowe, reviewing Steven Johnson's Where Good Ideas Come From: The Natural History Of Innovation:

Greek philosophers said nothing comes from nothing, a new idea, actually a new anything, is simply a rearrangement or unique new combination of things that already exist. When you think of it that way, coming up with new ideas isn’t about having that mysterious “creative” ability, it might be more about a willingness to try lots of new combinations to see what might work, and, hey, anyone can do that, you just need desire and effort.