Everything is Connected
What does the flight of a bird have to do with painting the Mona Lisa? Nothing — unless you're Leonardo da Vinci, in which case understanding flight helped you understand movement, which helped you paint more lifelike figures.
The most creative ideas come from CONNECTING things that don't seem related. Steve Jobs combined calligraphy (which he studied for fun) with computer typography — and created the Mac's beautiful fonts. The key: learn broadly, not just deeply. Curiosità (curiosity) is the engine of creativity.
Examples
Leonardo's Notebooks
Leonardo filled 13,000 pages of notebooks with observations on anatomy, engineering, painting, music, and nature. He didn't compartmentalize knowledge. He looked for patterns across domains.
Practice
Pick two things you know well (your job + a hobby, or two hobbies). Find 3 connections between them. How does one inform the other?