Can creativity be cultivated?
8
I have this theory: creativity is something we are either born with or not; it can be suppressed but it can't be taught. I thought creative thinking classes are ridiculous and a waste of time and money.
I have always thought of myself as creative. Perhaps it's partly because people often remark, "Oh you are left-handed. Left-handed people are creative." (I'm actually ambidextrous.) Creativity is beyond being "artistic". Although I am recognised by others for my "artistic" talents, I employ creativity frequently for problem-solving in corporate work and my daily life, e.g. project planning especially when things don't go according to plan, improvisation with a different tool when I do not have the one which I need, etc.
I picked up a book, Stimulated!: Habits to Spark Your Creative Genius at Work by Andrew Pek, at the library about how to be creative. Most theories start with a premise or assumption. I was curious whether I could be convinced that I am wrong after reading this book.
I have finished it but I can't conclude for sure whether I am right or wrong. However, I think the author correctly identified the elements, conditions, environment and thought processes necessary for encouraging creativity. I - either consciously or subconsciously - already practise all the things which were mentioned in the book.
Was reading the book of any value to me?
I am encouraged to keep doing what I'm doing but now with greater appreciation of the reasons behind my actions and thoughts.
Do I think creativity can be cultivated?
As mentioned in the book (and I agree with this statement), creativity is linked to confidence and the ability to take risks. If a person has no confidence to express his ideas and is afraid to take the risk of sharing it, his creativity cannot be displayed. Are we all innately creative but our creative abilities are suppressed, to different, extents by our lack of confidence and fear of failure?
How do we cultivate creativity?
We must build our confidence by discovering what skills we need and acquiring them. For risk assessment, we must feel in our hearts our creative impulses and ponder in our minds the practicality of pursuing them. (Note that I am talking about pursuits here because creativity that is kept only in your mind is useless.) We need to understand the importance of gathering resources in order to be successful in our pursuits.
My conclusion
Creativity can be cultivated if confidence can be built and if risk-aversion can be reduced. This leads me to the next question of whether confidence and risk-aversion can indeed be changed.
Related post:
[Laziness: mother of all innovation]
Update: Check out this website http://thereifixedit.com/. That's what I call creative!
I have always thought of myself as creative. Perhaps it's partly because people often remark, "Oh you are left-handed. Left-handed people are creative." (I'm actually ambidextrous.) Creativity is beyond being "artistic". Although I am recognised by others for my "artistic" talents, I employ creativity frequently for problem-solving in corporate work and my daily life, e.g. project planning especially when things don't go according to plan, improvisation with a different tool when I do not have the one which I need, etc.
I picked up a book, Stimulated!: Habits to Spark Your Creative Genius at Work by Andrew Pek, at the library about how to be creative. Most theories start with a premise or assumption. I was curious whether I could be convinced that I am wrong after reading this book.
I have finished it but I can't conclude for sure whether I am right or wrong. However, I think the author correctly identified the elements, conditions, environment and thought processes necessary for encouraging creativity. I - either consciously or subconsciously - already practise all the things which were mentioned in the book.
Was reading the book of any value to me?
I am encouraged to keep doing what I'm doing but now with greater appreciation of the reasons behind my actions and thoughts.
Do I think creativity can be cultivated?
As mentioned in the book (and I agree with this statement), creativity is linked to confidence and the ability to take risks. If a person has no confidence to express his ideas and is afraid to take the risk of sharing it, his creativity cannot be displayed. Are we all innately creative but our creative abilities are suppressed, to different, extents by our lack of confidence and fear of failure?
How do we cultivate creativity?
We must build our confidence by discovering what skills we need and acquiring them. For risk assessment, we must feel in our hearts our creative impulses and ponder in our minds the practicality of pursuing them. (Note that I am talking about pursuits here because creativity that is kept only in your mind is useless.) We need to understand the importance of gathering resources in order to be successful in our pursuits.
My conclusion
Creativity can be cultivated if confidence can be built and if risk-aversion can be reduced. This leads me to the next question of whether confidence and risk-aversion can indeed be changed.
Related post:
[Laziness: mother of all innovation]
Update: Check out this website http://thereifixedit.com/. That's what I call creative!
