creativity
I read an interesting article on creativity. I especially liked the discussion of how schools are hard on creative students and how schools should change to promote creativity.
However, I disagree with the statement that creativity is solitary. The book No More Teams, by Michael Schrage, argues that almost all creativity comes from partnerships. (He doesn't like the word "team", but in fact the book is how creativity works in teams.) Creativity requires breaking out of the ruts of our minds. Working with the right person helps us to be creative because what seems normal to them is strange to us, and our usual way of working seems odd to them. Creative collaboration requires people to differ in some important way.
Comments
Great Creativity IS Groupthink, even when attacked individually...
[Mark Alan Effinger] August 23, 2005 15:42:40.102
Hi Ralph,
First, thanks for the very open discussion blog you've created.
Secondly, as an innovator within the creativity space (I headed IdeaFisher for 2 years, worked with Marsh Fisher for nearly 5, and launched a new Creativity and brainstorming software program called eXpertSystem-eXpertLingo just this year), i have been exposed to more of the creative process than many.
And here's what I've seen:
1) Creativity "in a vacuum" produces myopic results. You're only as creative as your informational resources and "synchronicity" will provide.
2) We've run into more "paranoid inventors" than you'll ever know. These are the folks who have a "brilliant, breakthrough idea", but failed to do any investigation past their initial brain fart. The results are typically rehashes of existing ideas or products, often times currentlyin the market and being commoditized as we speak.
These folks are determined to be the one and only idea folks, and they have you sign 3 NDA's before you can even see their (often) uninspiring invention. Then they fight with you when you bring evidence of similar, duplicate or superior products.
Another clear case for collaborative idea exchange and varied viewpoints.
3) Though innovative ideas CAN come from a lone soul synergizing concepts and ideas in their heads, we've found that much stronger ideas come NOT by concensus, but by running the idea by other creative, open, positive and intelligent minds.
Much better.
There are plenty of additional comments to be made here, but suffice to say, whether you engage the internet as your partner, or a group of smart, engaging and supportive associates, groupthink almost always produces better, stronger, more intelligent products, service and solutions.
Any comments on that? Please let me know. We certainly haven't figured out the holy grail of ideas yet, but look to continuous innovation as our mantra.
best regards,
Mark Alan Effinger
RichContent.com