Comments on: Wrestling with Creativity

By: Michele Martin

Michele Martin — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 11:23:57 +0000

As always, Christine, lots of food for thought here. . . I do suspect that creativity takes place within the space created by the tensions of opposites. The problem is that I think most of us are very uncomfortable living in that space–was it Mark Twain who said that the mark of genius was being able to hold two opposing thoughts in the mind at the same time? I think that we naturally seek relief from tension, as opposed to learning to live with it. There’s a certain anxiety that comes from living in that space and you’ve obviously found a way to be OK with that. I wonder if the start of teaching creativity doesn’t lie in helping people experience the tensions between opposing forces and having them become more tolerant of that. So, perhaps, learning to be still in the midst of a lot of noise and activity or something along those lines. Just something that springs to mind, although I’m not sure it’s particularly helpful.

By: Ken Allan

Ken Allan — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 09:25:22 +0000

Kia ora Christine!

I think there are multiple approaches to creativity. There are so many different ways a person can release this from within.

Obi-Wan Kenobi said, ‘Use the power Luke!’ This fantasy line is not so fantastic when it comes to creativity. Tapping the ‘power’ is what it is like, whether singing, drawing in charcoal, writing a poem, carving a canoe or cleaving a diamond.

I used to think de Bono’s ‘Six Thinking Hats’ was a bit of a fantasy until I discovered how the blue hat works. This is the one that calls the shots. It is the hat I use most often before the green. Used together appropriately is such a poweful combination in metaphor.

But it is in defining constraint that can force diversity in creativity. The creative know how to create, whatever the constraint. Those attached to their own way of organising the world don’t know what to do.

Ka kite

By: Christine Martell

Christine Martell — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 21:55:56 +0000

@Ken Allan: Different strokes for different folks is very true. I also see people so attached to their own way of organizing the world that they miss some of the magic that is possible. So perhaps it’s about building a diverse tool kit, where you can utilize a variety of approaches. Perhaps even multiple approaches to generate multiple options before choosing “the one”?

By: Ken Allan

Ken Allan — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 03:38:28 +0000

Kia ora Christine!

This is a very philosophical topic. It requires deep searching to even think about expressing an opinion.

In a comment I left on Tom Haskins’ post, I expressed the view that creativity is stimulated by constraint. Tom’s earlier post was really about freedom being a side effect of the creative process. I had posited that by presenting limits (constraints), the creative urge could be stimulated.

Despite the ‘free’ nature of creativity, it is not always stimulated or fostered by ‘freedom’ or lack of constraint. You brought this out in your reference to tolerating tension. Tension is a form of constraint.

Introversion tends to break out – extroversion has already. The introvert uses creativity to break out. So to stimulate creativity in an introvert requires constraint.

Extroverts tend to be stifled by constraint. They need more space to exercise creativity.

Different strokes for different folks.

I get the feeling that this personality factor tends to confuse us when looking for universal ways of stimulating creativity in people. Unless it is recognised that creativity is drawn from different sources, depending on personality, we can go round in ever-decreasing circles. It is not simple.

Ka kite
from Middle-earth