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PREFACE
TABLE OF CONTENT
Preface
Introduction
1.
2.
3.
4.
Creativity Thinking
5.
Creative Potential
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
31
34
53
73
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85
110
120
141
151
164
168
173
INTRODUCTION
The purpose of education and information should
be to enable individuals to discover and live a life of
harmonious balance between these dualistic
tendencies unfortunately, very small minority of
persons who are able to achieve this harmonious
balance to do so, not because of, but in spite of the
education they receive. Institutions such as schools,
churches, organizations, governments and political
organizations of every sort, all tend to direct
thought for ends other than truth, for the
perpetuation of their own functions, and the control
of individuals in the service of their functions.
In the subsequent pages of this book you will come
across the following rather disturbing statement.
Children are naturally creative till they go to
school. For a great many failure is avowed
absolute. Many others fail in fact if not in name.
They complete their schooling only because we
have agreed to push them up through the grades
and out of schools, whether they know anything or
not.
There are many more such student and youth than
we think. Close to forty per cent of those who begin
high school drops out before they finish. In most
modern education, what is actually happened is
that the blind concern for communication of subject
matter, in various areas of human knowledge, is so
(5)
2.
3.
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Chapter One
WHAT IS CREATIVITY?
Creativity is the capacity of producing a result that
is new or original, of solving a problem in a new
way, or producing that which enriches and makes a
change in someones life or society. To be creative
means, to make something new and original. To
bring something old, past and novel into existence,
to give rise to something new.
Here are some popular concepts of creativity given
below.
One popular concept of creativity holds that what is
created is always new and different from what
already existed and, therefore, is unique. There is
ample evidence that this concept is not correct or is
only partially correct. Granted that all creativity
involves the combination of old ideas or products
into new form, but the old are the basis for the new.
The painter who produces a new red or blue makes
use of old colours just as the child, in creating a
daydream world, makes use of scene and actions
experienced in daily life, or observed in the mass
media.
Furthermore, uniqueness is a personal achievement
not necessarily a universal achievement. People can,
be created when they produce something they have
(7)
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CREATIVITY AT WORK
Creativity is a core competency for leaders and
managers and one of the best ways to set your
company apart from the competition. Corporate
creativity is characterized by the ability to perceive
the world in new ways, to find hidden patterns, to
make connections between seemingly unrelated
phenomena, and to generate solutions. Generating
fresh solutions to problems, and the ability to create
new products, processes or services for a changing
market, are part of the intellectual capital that give a
company its competitive edge. Creativity is a crucial
part of the innovation equation.
Creativity requires whole-brain thinking; rightbrain imagination, artistry and intuition, plus leftbrain logic and planning.
Creativity is fostered in organizational cultures that
value independent thinking, risk taking, and
learning. They are tolerant of failure and they value
diversity. Open communication, a high degree of
trust and respect between individuals are crucial.
Can creativity be leaned?
(11)
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6.
7.
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3.
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CREATIVE THINKING
Creative thinking is the process which we use when
we come up with a new idea. It is the merging of
ideas which have not been merged before.
Brainstorming is one form of creative thinking: it
works by merging someone elses ideas with your
own to create a new one. You are using the ideas of
others as a stimulus for your own.
This creative thinking process can be accidental or
deliberate.
Without using special techniques creative thinking
does still occur, but usually in the accidental way;
like a chance happening making you think about
something in a different way and you then
discovering beneficial change. Other changes
happen slowly through pure use if intelligence and
logical progression. Using this accidental or logical
progression process, it often takes a long time for
products to develop and improve.
In an accelerating and competitive world this is
obviously
disadvantageous.
Using
special
techniques, deliberate creative thinking can be used
to develop new ideas. These techniques force the
mergance of a wide range of ideas to spark off new
thoughts and processes. Brainstorming is one of
these special techniques, but traditionally it starts
with unoriginal ideas.
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4.
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CONTROVERSIES
There are major aspects of creativity that are
controversial. Here are some of the fundamental
controversies:
Is creativity a yes or no type of thing, or are some
things more creative and some less creative?
Are there creative people and non-creative people,
or are some people more creative and some less
creative?
Are
differences
in
creativity
innate
an
unchangeable, or can people be taught or
successfully encouraged or even told to be creative?
Are there different types of creativity, such as
creativity in the visual arts, in music, in sculpture,
in literature or in science, or is there a universal
creativity that is applied in different ways?
If there is a universal creativity, why are people
highly creative in only a single field, or perhaps in a
few related fields?
Is it possible to be creative in practical affairs, or is
creativity limited, for example to the arts and
sciences? If there is such a thing as "corporate
creativity", or creativity in the business world, is
there a different type of creativity than plain
creativity, or do these two types of creativity share
common properties?
Does creativity require complete freedom from
external influences, or can creativity flourish where
there is evaluation or criticism?
(26)
A DARK SIDE?
Does creativity have a dark side? Scientific
creativity has a history of being portrayed as
malignant or out of control -- Jekyll and Hyde,
Frankenstein and Dr. Strangelove are famous
examples. The Romantics associated artistic and
cultural creativity with disease and even madness.
(27)
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his personal life. Where does the truth lie? For me,
this is one of the unanswered questions. Here are
some possible explanations of this seeming
paradox, some of which you will read about in this
course:
(30)
Chapter Two
TYPES OF CREATIVITY
In his book Adaptors and Innovators, Michael Kirton
describes Adaption-Innovation as a cognitive style,
a "preferred mode of tackling problems at all
stages." He emphasizes that scores on the Kirton
Adaption-Innovation Inventory (KAI), are valuefree: "Very high, very low or intermediate KAI
scores are neither laudatory nor pejorative." All of
us can use both styles of creative problem solving,
but
we
have
a
preference
for
either
Adaptive/Resourceful
or
Innovative/Original
Creativity.
ADAPTIVE / RESOURCEFUL
People who score on the KAI as Adaptive tend to
accept the paradigm within which a problem is
embedded (current theories, policies, points of
view). They're likely to produce a few ideas that
aim at continuity with the practices, norms, and
current way of doing things, but bring about a
better way of doing them. They often (not always)
show a preference for Sensing on the Myers-Briggs
Type Indicator (MBTI).
To be successful over time, most organizations
(except the most innovative in their products
and/or services) will necessarily be adaptive in
their orientation. It's more costly and risky to
(31)
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Chapter Three
THE IMPORTANCE OF CREATIVITY
Our thinking mind is mainly two fold.
(a) A creative mind, which visualizes, foresees
and generates ideas
(b) A judicial mind, which analysis, compares
and chooses.
These two minds work best together. Judgment
keeps imagination on the track. Imagination not
only opens ways to action, but can also enlighten
judgment. You do much to improve your judicial
mind; you go to school or college, you study
history, logic, mathematics. You debate, you weigh
pros and coins. But what steps do you take
consciously to improve your creative mind? Isnt it
a fact, that except when forced by circumstances,
most of us dont even try to use our creative minds?
Were it not for slow, painful and constantly
discouraged creative effort, man would be no more
than a mere species of primates living on seeds
fruits, and uncooked flesh. Imaginative power is the
greatest characteristic of the supremely successful
career. The eminence of industrial and business
leaders has been due to their imaginative vision,
which reveals to them new modes of organization
and action. Great men have set the patterns of
human thinking because from the stuff of their
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Chapter Four
CREATIVITY THINKING
Thinking is frequently used. In connection with
creativity these two terms. Vertical and lateral
thinking to the terms vertical and lateral thinking.
Vertical thinking means coming to a point, one
stimulus produces one response. Lateral thinking
means going away from a point, one stimulus
produces many responses.
Divergent thinking makes excursion from the
beaten tracks and seeks variety. It goes beyond the
obvious and the apparent, considering several
possible answers to a problem, not just one single
correct solution. This contrasts with vertical
thinking which follows the conventional path with
the thinker using information at hand to arrive at a
conclusion that leads to one right answer, an
answer similar to that which others would reach.
Creative people like to explore things mentally and
to try not lots of possibilities, even if they are
wrong. Creative people are more flexible and fluent
and original than convergent thinkers and to not
confine themselves to the information at hand. This
permits a richer flow of ideas and, as a result, it
opens up a way towards solutions that are novel
and, hence creative. Another characteristic of
divergent thinking the kind that is used in
(53)
Answer
Left brain
Verbal
Linear
Reasoning
Yes but
Creative Thinking
Generative
Divergent
Lateral
Possibility
Suspended judgment
Diffuse
Subjective
(55)
An answer
Right brain
Visual
Associative
Richness, novelty
Yes and
CREATIVE METHODS
Several method s have been identified for
producing creative results. Here are the five classic
ones:
2.
It cant be done: This attitude is, in effect,
surrounding before the battle. By assuming that
something cannot be done or a problem cannot be
solved, a person gives the problem a power or
strength it didnt have before. And giving up before
starting is, of course, self fulfilling. But look at the
history of solutions and the accompanying skeptics.
Man will never fly, diseases will never be
conquered, rockets will never leave the atmosphere.
Again, the appropriate attitude is summed up by
the statement. The difficult we do immediately, the
impossible takes a little longer.
3.
I cant do it. Or Theres nothing I can do:
Some people think, well maybe the problem can be
solved by some expert, but not by me because Im
not (a) smart enough, (b) an engineer, or (c) a blank
(62)
4.
But Im not creative: Everyone is creative to
some extent. Most people are capable of very high
levels of creativity; just look at young children
when they play and imagine. The problem is that
this creativity has been suppressed by education.
All you need to do is left it come back to the surface.
You will soon discover that you are surprisingly
creative.
5.
Thats childish: In our effort to appear always
mature and sophisticated, we often ridicule the
creative, playful attitudes that marked our younger
years. But if you solve a problem that saves your
marriage or gets you promoted or keeps your friend
from suicide, do you care whether other people
describe your route to the solution as childish?
besides, isnt play a lot of fun?
Remember that sometimes people laugh when
something is actually funny, but often they laugh
when they lack the imagination to understand the
situation.
(64)
6.
What will people think? There is strong
social pressure to conform and to be ordinary and
not creative. The constant emphasis we see in
society is toward the ruthlessly practical and
conformist. Even the wild fashions, from those in
Vogue to punk rock, are narrowly defined, and to
deviate from them is considered wrong or
ridiculous. Some people herd instinct is so strong
that they make sheep look like radical individuals.
So what will people think? Well, theyre already
talking about you, saying that your nose is too big
or your shoes are funny or you date wired people.
7.
I might fail: Thomas Edison, in his search for
the perfect filament for the incandescent lamp, tried
anything he could think of, including whiskers from
a friends beard. In all, he tried about 1800 things.
After about 1000 attempts, someone asked him if he
was frustrated at his lack of success. He said
something like, Ive gained a lot of knowledge I
now know a thousand things that wont work.
Fear of failure is one of the major obstacles to
creativity and problem solving. The cure is to
change your attitude about failure.
(65)
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1.
Prejudice: The older we get, the more
preconceived ideas we have about things. These
preconceptions often prevent us from seeing
beyond what we already know or believe to be
possible. They inhibit us from accepting change and
progress.
2.
Functional fixation: Sometimes we begin to
see an object only in terms of its name rather in
terms of what it can do. Thus, we see a mop only as
a device for clearing a floor, and do not think that it
might be useful for clearing cobwebs from the
ceiling, washing the car, doing aerobic exercise,
propping a door open or closed, and so on.
There is also a functional fixation of businesses. In
the late nineteenth and early twentieth centurys the
railroads saw themselves as railroads. When
automobiles and later airplanes began to come in,
the railroads didnt adapt.
Thats not our business, they said.
(69)
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4.
Psychological blocks: Some solutions are not
considered or are rejected simply because our
reaction to them is Yuck. But icky solutions
themselves may be useful or good if they solve a
problem well or save your life. Eating lizards and
grasshoppers doesnt sound great, but if it keeps
you alive in the wilderness, its a good solution.
Perhaps more importantly, what at first seem to be
icky may lead to better solutions-de-ickified
analogues of the original.
When doctors noted that some unsophisticated
natives were using giant ant heads to suture
wounds, they imitated this pincer-closing technique
by inventing the surgical staple. Psychological
blocks prevent you from doing something just
because it doesnt sound good or right which is a
pretty ridiculous thing.
(71)
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Chapter Five
CREATIVE POTENTIAL
One must carried out to analyze the creativity
talents of a large group of rank and file mechanics
revealed that two-thirds of them rated above
average in creative capacity. Some difficult persons
may think that they do not have creative potential.
They think that only very intelligent people have
this talent, that it is the privilege of a genius to be
creative. In fact, everyone has creative potential,
which is often dormant because is not exercised, old
and young, rich and poor, high and low, man or
woman.
Even common people have creative power which
flowers when tapped. An analysis of almost all the
psychological tests ever made reveals that creative
talent is normally distributed and we all possess it
to a lesser or greater degree. Our creative
efficiency varies more in ratio to our output of
mental than in ration to our inborn talent. Age is
not a barrier to creative power.
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2.
Challenge: Curious people like to identify
and challenge the assumptions behind ideas,
proposals, problems, beliefs, and statements. Many
assumptions, of course, turn out to be quite
necessary and solid, but many others have been
assumed unnecessarily, and in breaking out of
those assumptions often come a new idea, a new
path, a new solution.
3.
Constructive Discontent: This is not a
whining, griping kind of discontent, but the ability
to see a need for improvement and to propose a
(77)
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4.
A belief that most problems can be solved:
By faith at first and by experience later on, the
creative thinker believers that something can
always be done to eliminate or help alleviate almost
every problem. Problems are solved by a
commitment of time and energy, and where this
commitment is present, few things are impossible.
The belief in the solvability of problems is especially
useful early on in attacking any problem, because
many problems at first seem utterly impossible and
scare off the fainter hearted. Those who take on the
problem with confidence will be the ones most
likely to think through or around the impossibility
of the problem.
5.
The ability to suspend judgment and
criticism: Many new ideas, because they are new
and unfamiliar, seem strange, odd, bizarre, even
repulsive. Only later do they become obviously
great. Other ideas, in their original incarnations, are
indeed wired, but they lead to practical, beautify,
elegant things. Thus, it is important for the creative
thinker to be able to suspend judgment when new
ideas are arriving, to have an optimistic attitude
toward ideas in general, and to avoid condemning
them with the typical kinds of negative responses
like. That will never work, thats no good, what an
idiotic idea, thats impossible, and so forth.
Hospital sterilization and antiseptic procedures,
television, radio, the Xerox machine, and stainless
(79)
7.
Problems lead to improvements: The attitude
of constructive discontent searches for problems
and possible areas of improvement, but many times
problems arrive on their own. But such unexpected
and perhaps unwanted problems are not
necessarily bad, because they often permit solutions
that leave the world better-than before the problem
arose.
8.
A problem can also be a solution: A fact that
one person describes as a problem can sometimes
be a solution for someone else. Above we noted that
creative thinkers can find good ideas in bad
solutions. Creative thinkers also look at problems
and ask, Is there something good about this
problem?
9.
Problems are interesting and emotionally
acceptable: Many people confront every problem
with a shudder and a turn of the head. They dont
even want to admit that a problem exists with their
car, their spouse, their child, their job, their house,
whatever. As a result, often the problem persists
and drives them crazy or rises to a crisis and drives
them crazy. Creative people see problems as
interesting challenges worth tackling. Problems are
not fearful beast to be feared or loathed; they are
worthy opponents to be jousted with an unhorsed.
Problem solving is fun, educational, rewarding, ego
building, helpful to society.
(81)
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3.
A belief that mistakes are welcome: Modern
society has for some reason conceived the idea that
the only unforgivable thing is to fail or make a
mistake. Actually failure is an opportunity;
(83)
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2.
A flexible imagination: Creative people are
comfortable with imagination and with thinking socalled wired, wild, or unthinkable thoughts, just for
the sake of stimulation. During brainstorming or
just mental playfulness, all kinds of strange
thoughts and ideas can be entertained. And the
mind pragmatist that it is, will probably find
something useful in it all. We will look at several
examples of this later on.
Chapter Six
CHARACTERISTICS OF CREATIVE
PEOPLE
(1) Awareness:- Creativity has its foundation in
sensitivity and awareness. Obviously a person will
not discover new relationships if he is unaware of
the present ones. Creative persons are alert to
things. Their senses are keen to observe things,
events and people. They have their eyes and ears
wide open, and their minds fully alert. By noticing
an apple fall to the ground, Prof. Newton
developed the theory of gravity, Jonas Harway
developed contraption used in the East as a
protection against sun, and he also adapted it for
rain. The result today is the umbrella.
(2) Curiosity:- Creative people are curious, they
want to find out How and why things happen the
way they do. They are mostly in the habit of asking
questions like; what new possibilities are contained
in this situation. This is a different question from
the why? which we often encourage our students
to ask. But why? is a good question. In the mouths
of many students it is often more a challenge than
an enquiry. Students ask it easily out of their
natural inclination during adolescence to challenge
all that adult present to them why as students
usually ask it in our classrooms has a negative ring.
(85)
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6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
(1) Unconventional
Creative people do not feel the need to conform to
societys standards. They often swim against the
current and flow with their own way of thinking
and living. They have original ideas that literally
turn the world upside down and right-side out.
Take for example, the 16th century Italian
astronomer, Galileo, who proved that the earth
revolved around the sun (instead of the other way
round), which was revolutionary in his time.
(90)
(2) Individualistic
Creative people want to find out what the truth is,
and they have strong need to decide for themselves
what does not. Often they are ahead of their time,
and much of their work is appreciated/
acknowledged after they are dead and gone. Many
writers are famous for marching to the tune of their
own drum, such as Ralph Waldo Emerson, who
wrote the book, Self-reliance, and Robert Frost who
penned, two roads diverged in a wood, and I took
the one less-traveled.
(3) Inventive
Creative people live in the world of ideas, and dont
always have the best interpersonal skills. Because
they are so highly intelligent, and live in the realm
of possibility, they are constantly coming up with
bright ideas. They also take notice of what is
missing in the world and/or what could be
improved. Take for instance. Thomas Edison, who
invented hundreds of things in his time, his most
famous invention being the light bulb. He saw that
there was darkness and then created light.
(5) Visionary
Creative people have a guiding vision in their head,
heart, and soul that they are often called to bring to
life. Who else but Michelangelo could look at a
large piece of marble and chip away at everything
that wasnt David?? According to him, I saw an
angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.
One of his best known works is the immense ceiling
of the Sistine Chapel, which took him three years to
complete, where he often had to work upside down
for hours at a time. If you ever have seen any of his
work, you can easily see that it is a vision to behold.
(4) Driven
Creative people cannot not do something they are
almost compulsive until they can bring their
internal vision into fruition. They have that fire in
their belly a passion to contribute to the beauty
and betterment of the world. Because of their high
(6) Intuitive
Creative people are very in touch with their inner
selves. They pay attention to the signs
synchronicities, symbols around them, and make
use of that information in their work. They often act
as a channel, where ideas and inspiration come
from a higher plane. They allow the work to guide
them to where it needs to go. The work clearly
(91)
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ANOTHER CHARACTERISTICS OF
CREATIVE PEOPLE
COGNITIVE RATIONAL INDIVIDUALS
Self-disciplined, independent, often
antiauthoritarian
Zany sense of humor
Able to resist group pressure, a strategy
developed early
More adaptable
More adventurous
Greater tolerance for ambiguity and
discomfort
Little tolerance for boredom
Preference for complexity, asymmetry, openendedness
High in divergent thinking ability
High in memory, good attention to detail
Broad knowledge background
Need think periods
Need supportive climate, sensitive to
environment
Need recognition, opportunity to share
High aesthetic values, good aesthetic
judgment
Freer in developing sex role integration lack
of stereotypical male, female identification
(94)
AFFECTIVE/EMOTIONAL-SOCIAL CREATIVE
INDIVIDUALS
A special kind of perception
More spontaneous and expressive
Unfrightened by the unknown, the
mysterious, the puzzling, often attracted to it.
Resolution of dichotomies: selfish and
unselfish, duty and pleasure, work and play,
strong ego and egolessness.
Able to integrate
More self-accepting, lack fear of own
emotions, impulses, and thoughts.
Have more of themselves available for use, for
enjoyment, for creative purposes, waste less of
their time and energy protecting themselves.
Involved in more peak experiences,
integration within the person and between the
person and the world, and transcendence.
Capacity to be puzzled.
Ability to concentrate
Ability to experience self as creative, as the
originator of ones acts
Willingness to be born every day.
Ability to accept conflict and tension rather
than avoiding them.
Courage to let go of certainties, to be different,
to be concerned with truth, to be certain of
ones own feelings and thoughts and
expectations of others.
Less repressed and defensive.
(95)
More curious
More maturity autonomous and less
dependent on view of others.
PHYSICAL/SENSING CREATIVE INDIVIDUALS
(96)
3.
Confronting Challenge:- Many of the most
creative ideas throughout history have come from
people facing a challenge or crisis and rather than
running from it asking how can I overcome this?
4.
Constructive Discontent:- Creative people
often have an acute awareness of whats wrong
with the world around them however they are
constructive about this, awareness and wont allow
themselves to get bogged down in grumbling about
it they take their discontent and let it be a
motivation to doing something constructive.
5.
Optimism:- Creative people generally have a
deeply held belief that most (if not all) problems can
be solved. No challenge is too big to be overcome
and no problem cannot be solved (this doesnt mean
theyre always happy or never depressed, but they
dont generally get stumped by a challenge).
2.
Seeing problems as interesting and
acceptable:- One of the problems of the Western
mindset is that we often see problems or obstacles
in life as unacceptable parts of life. We avoid pain
or suppress it when it comes and in doing so dont
often see and feel symptoms that are there to tell us
something important. Creative people see problems
as a natural and normal part of the life in fact they
often have a fascination with problems and are
drawn to them.
6.
Suspending Judgment:- The ability to hold
off on judging or critiquing an idea is important in
the process of creativity. Often great ideas start as
crazy ones, if critique is applied too early the idea
will be killed and never developed into something
useful and useable. (Note: this doesnt mean there is
never a time for critique or judgment in the creative
process, its actually key but there is a time and
place for it).
(97)
(98)
7.
Seeing Hurdles as leading to improvements
and solutions:- This relates to some of the above,
but by hurdles. I mean problems and mistakes in
the creative process itself. Sometimes its on the
journey of developing an idea that the real magic
happens and its often out of the little problems or
mistakes that the ideas actually improved.
8.
Perseverance:- Creative people who actually
see their ideas come to fruition have the ability to
stick with their ideas and see them through, even
when the going gets tough. This is what sets apart
the great from the good in this whole sphere. Stick
ability is key.
9.
Flexible Imagination:- I love watching a truly
creative person at work when theyre on fire. They
have this amazing ability to see a problem or
challenge and its many potential solutions
simultaneously and they have an intuitive knack at
being able to bring previously disconnected ideas
together in flashes of brilliance that seem so simple,
yet which are so impossible to dream up for the
average person.
Is creativity tied to personality type or can it be
learned?
As I write through this list of traits of creative
people, the question that I find myself asking is
whether creativity is tied to personality type or
(99)
3.
Self-assertive and dominant, stable and seaccepting. More aware of, and open to their
own impulses.
4.
5.
12.
13.
14.
15.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Unconventional:
Seek
unconventional
careers. Have knowledge that their ideas may
not always be those of the majority.
11.
sustained
14. Imaginative
15. Intuitive
16. Original
30 Confident
31 Risk taker
32. Persistent
How many did you mark? 5, 10, 15, 20, or even all
of them? Occasionally people will mark all of them
if they dont feel intimated by others in the group or
by me. Each of these traits, if emphasized mildly to
strongly, will help you be more creative. Any of
these, if emphasized extremely, could yield
disastrous results. Number 28 (severely critical) is
often one that people do not mark because of the
feeling of the word severely. But think about it.
Arent highly creative people extremely critical?
When they are, what are they most critical of?
Themselves of their work. Often they are their own
worst critics (or enemies)
Can synthesize: You see patterns or the big picture
quickly
Divergent thinker: Look at things in many different
ways at the same time
Flexible: Willing to try things in many different
ways
Fluent: Produce lots of ideas or possibilities when
working on a challenge or simply choosing a
restaurant to go to.
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3.
4.
5.
6.
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8.
9.
11.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Chapter Seven
CONDITION FOSTERING CREATIVITY
(1) Encouraging Creative perceiving
To be creative in expression one must be creative in
looking and listening. This must be encouraged.
The creative person, besides receiving and
registering impressions, activity scans the field,
examines, analysis, interprets, evaluates key
elements, toys with different arrangements, and
visualizes changes in given materials.
(2) Create an encouraging atmosphere
To entertain ideas or to try to see old things in a
new way, or to try expressing themselves in ways,
people need to feel safe in doing so. They must be
free from the fear of criticism even when they ask
the most outlandish questions, mention half
thought-out notions, suggest even the wildest or
strongest ideas as in a brain-storming session. They
must be free to try out new combinations, even free
to make mistakes without fear of being judged or
censured. They must be allowed to be themselves.
(3) Encourage participation in creative activities
Many people, especially those who have got into a
rut, or those who show aptitude for creativity,
should be encouraged to take part in creative
activities like working out puzzles, in brainstorming
session, problem-solving, in painting or drawing
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1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
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8)
Chapter Eight
DEVELOPMENT OF CREATIVITY IN A
CRITICAL PERIOD
Creativity appears early in life and is shown first in
the childs play. Studies in creativities have shown
that its development follows a prejudicial pattern.
Gradually it spreads to other areas of life,
recreational activities; reach their peak during the
thirties and forties. After that they may either
remain on a plateau or gradually declines. If one
does no continue to try to be creative. Whether this
pattern will be followed or not will depend largely
upon environmental influences that facilitate or
hinder the expression of creativity. Emphasized has
shown how important early parental attitudes are
towards the childs expressions of creativity.
The parent, who is introducing babies to the world
of inanimate things or failing to do so, shows them
what fun can be gained by putting a batch of spoons
in a saucepan, looking at pictures in a book,
dancing to the music of the phonograph. When the
parent teaches them in his positive spirit, it gives
them a sense not only that things are to be enjoyed
but also that they will be able to manipulate them
successfully. Or if the parent has the opposite
attitude, it may teach them that objects are to be
suspiciously avoided because playing with them
involves some kind of danger or parent wrath.
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(129)
(133)
(134)
3.
4.
5.
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6.
7.
Key benefits
1.
Learn tools that help people make more
effective decisions
2.
Develop an increased capacity to solve
problems and bring about creative change
3.
Comprehensive experiential learning group
facilitation
4.
Insights, knowledge & feedback to become
master facilitator
(140)
Chapter Nine
THE COVERAGE OF CREATIVITY
Creativity awareness fives us the foundation of
knowledge for our thinking and further
observation.
(1) CREATIVE AWARENESS
A most of our knowledge comes to us ultimately
through our senses of seeing, hearing, taste, touch,
smell and imagination, the better we train each
sense and use them together the more pleasure we
can derive from them and become more
appreciative of the ordinary things of life. Seeing is
believing, sometime seeing is more than that seeing
is living. The more you learn to see the more alive
you are.
(2) CREATIVE FEELINGS
Our emotions of fear, joy, wonder, etc, may be
moved when we experience a storm, and by
convergent thinking be affected very much. When
you see a flash of highlight hear the rumble of
thunder, you conclude that a storm or raining is
approaching. In divergent thinking, when I see a
beautiful sunset or flower, various emotions may
arise in me. It could be emotion of beauty, of peace,
or wonder, of deep joy, of love, of satisfaction, of
Gods nearness and of greatness, etc.
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v.
(1)
i.
PROBLEM SOLVING
First clearly define the problem. This sounds
obvious, but even simple problems may not
be precisely put.
ii.
iii.
iv.
vii.
x.
(2)
BRAINSTORMING TECHNIQUE
A.
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C.
D.
G.
H.
Confirmation of workability
The verification process seeks to confirm what
looks likely to be true about the worth of an idea.
At this stage a chosen idea must be fairly well
developed. It should be tried out and tested in
various ways.
I.
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(3)
Chapter Ten
BLOCKS TO CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT
(1)
IN OURSELVES
a.
THE FEAR OF CRITICISM:- We are
afraid of what others will say, either our
elders, parents, teachers, and even our peer.
Adolescents are especially vulnerable to fear
of criticism and may be afraid of producing
something new, something different from
their peers, lest others smile or laugh at them.
b.
THE FEAR OF FAILURE:- We are
afraid to try out new solutions or express
what might seem strange solutions or
opinions, lest we fail. We are self different. We
can never be creative if we are afraid of
failure.
c.
DISTRUSTING
OF
CREATIVE
POTENTIAL:- Many person think that only
very intelligent people or geniuses are
creative, and that ordinary folk like them are
not. But as we said above everyone has
creative potential.
d.
TOO SOON JUDGMENT:- Another
block to creativity may be that we allow our
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(2)
IN OTHERS
a.
b.
UNFAVOURABLE HOME CONDITION
Within the home there are many conditions that
affect the development of creativity. Because the
home is the childs first environment, any condition
that stifles the development of creativity when it is
maturational ready to develop can be most
damaging. Furthermore, conditions that stifle the
development of creativity when the child is young
are likely to persist and stifle the development of
creativity as the child grows older.
Here are some unfavourable home conditions to
creativity:
Discouragement of exploration:- When parents
discourage children from asking questions, or from
exploring the environment, they are discouraging
the development of creativity.
Regimentation of time:- If children are so
regimented that they have little free time to do as
they please, they will be deprived of one of the
essentials in developing creativity.
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i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
vi.
Provision of highly structured play environment:Children who are provided with highly structured
play equipment such as fully dressed dolls or
colouring books with figures to be coloured
according to the pattern given, are deprived of play
opportunities that will encourage the development
of creativity.
c.
UNFAVOURABLE SCHOOL CONDITION
School conditions also affect the development of
creativity. If unfavourable, they can counteract
much of the stimulation of creativity provided by a
favourable home environment. That is why the age
of school entry is a critical period in the
development of creativity. Among many school
conditions that discourage the development of
creativity are:
d.
CULTURAL BLOCK
We are often mediocre because of our conformity to
past solutions or way of behaving. We are the
conformists we are because we suffer from cultural
blocks. We find it easier to be one of a crowd than to
be ONE. The big danger in conforming to any
pattern that is accepted is that we do not even
question why the pattern is accepted or by whom it
was accepted in the first place. If some people
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Chapter Eleven
HOW TO STIMULATE YOUR
CREATIVITY
This chapter is to help you and those who want a
practical method put briefly to solve a problem.
(1)
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CONCLUSION
Finally, much of the serious criticism of our culture
and it trends may best be formulated in terms of a
death of creativity, let us state some of these briefly.
In education, we tend to turn out conformists,
stereotyped individuals whose education is
completed rather than freely creative and original.
(3)
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Chapter Twelve
SELF-TEST TO IMPROVE & PRACTICE
CREATIVITY
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)
(7)
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Chapter Thirteen
INSPIRATIONAL WORDS AND QUOTES
FOR CREATIVITY
Creativity can be defined as the experience of
thinking, reacting, and working in an
imaginative and idiosyncratic way which is
characterized by a high degree of innovation and
originality, divergent thinking, and risk taking. It
can also be thought of as the ability to create
knowledge or some previously nonexistent
information.
Creativity is a very vital component in solving
any kind of problems and in structuring new
thoughts. Creativity knows no bounds and a
creative mind always thinks out of the bounds.
Creative ability and personal responsibility are
strongest when the mind is free from
supernatural belief and operates in an
atmosphere of freedom and democracy.
Creativity quotes express the creative thinking of
the person who quotes them as well as make the
person stand out from the rest. They can also be
used to give a new dimension to the lines on
which a group is already thinking. They can
bring a new ray of hope in a group who has
already exhausted all other options.
(173)
The things we fear most in organizations -fluctuations, disturbances, imbalances -- are the
primary sources of creativity.
When I am working on a problem I never think
about beauty. I only think about how to solve the
problem. But when I have finished, if the
solution is not beautiful, I know it is wrong.
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