Creativity and information.
1
C reativity is an elu- sive state of mind. As some one put it ‘we can’t tell you what it is, but we know it when we see it’. Even though it can be argued that everyone is creative and it exists in varying degrees, the rela- tionship between creativi- ty and information-seek- ing behaviour of creative persons help us to under- stand it better. A lot of information is consumed by creative per- sons as input to their cre- ative process. A few ge- niuses may be exceptions. An important characteris- tic of creative persons is that they tend to accumu- late an over abundance of data and information with willingness to ultimately discard. It is this willing- ness to discard the amassed information that distinguishes them from ordinary persons. Many creativity techniques like brainstorming, brainwrit- ing, synectics, bionics, morphological analysis, etc. generate enormous in- formation and it is a cre- ative person who can cope with the problem of infor- mation overload. One of the habits of suc- cessful creative thinkers is that they are at ease in making strange things fa- miliar and the familiar strange. In other words, the accumulated informa- tion and knowledge is, at choice, disowned and they can easily slip selectively into a ‘no knowledge’ zone. In fact, the cardinal principle of synectics is ‘trust things that are alien, and alienate things that are trusted’. One of the three basic principles of even directed creativity is ‘escape’ (the other are ‘at- tention’ and ‘movement’). In other words, they are in- volved in pitting them- selves against the un- known. Among the four surrounding ideas which yield solution to a creative problem (propounded by Brace Wands in his book Digital Creativity) ‘Immer- sion’ and ‘Isolation’ (the other two being ‘Inspira- tion’ and ‘Iteration’) also indirectly talk of having information and at times distancing from it. If ‘immersion’ requires adequate research and gathering information and material, ‘isolation’ refers to the opposite of informa- tion to clear the mind of everything and allow ideas to enter. It is like meditat- ing and working in an ‘al- pha state’. Sleeping is con- sidered to be an extreme form of isolation. Even other characteris- tics and habits of success- ful creative thinkers, di- rectly or indirectly, indi- cate that they are different in their ways of handling information. For example, it is very difficult for an or- dinary person to resist passing judgement and/ or criticism on any idea or thing if his information and knowledge demands so. On the other hand, cre- ative persons tend not to criticise any idea prema- turely but suspend their judgment. It is creative persons who can tolerate ambiguity in information and material gathered. They not only travel and listen to ideas with an open mind but use reading as a stimulus for cre- ative thinking. They like the challenges pre- sented by contra- dictions, excep- tions and appar- ent disorder. Normally, the human memory stores new infor- mation by associ- ation. Ordinary persons reject contradictory and ambiguous informa- tion, which fail to fit into neatly developed cate- gories already in the mem- ory. On the other hand, cre- ative persons not only hold ambiguous and contradic- tory information, but look at it as a source for their creativity. Yet another characteristic of creative persons is to challenge the assumptions. Rejection of conformity in thinking is their hallmark. They keep on struggling for freedom from fixed ideas. In this process, they go beyond the boundaries of the problem as well as the area of specialisation by ex- panding their span of at- tention and relevance. This is the tendency to- wards what are called ‘cross fertilisation’ of ideas and ‘hanging loose’. A noble laureate says that ‘any normally brilliant fel- low who allowed himself to be sensitive to creative ideas could, by being in the right lab at the right time, luck into some awesomely simple insight and it was just a matter of hanging loose’. In their information- gathering pattern, cre- ative persons don’t wait for inspiration, but keep working with constant up- dating of their knowledge. This process often leads to what are called ‘accidental or chance acquisition’ of relevant and useful infor- mation. Such ‘lucky acci- dents’ have great serendip- ity value and creative per- sons try to practice serendipity by welcoming chance intrusions and by holding a broad area of in- terest always alive in the mind. The creative process is not a comfortable thing as it involves urge and pres- sure, i.e., some kind of stress application on the person. Creative persons tend to have a unique set of values, which may at times, be at loggerheads with immediate goals of employed organisation. They are also charac- terised by broad interest in intellectual activities, rea- soning, intelligence, com- mon sense, analytical abil- ity, curiosity, sensitivity to encouragement, divergent thinking, initiative, enthu- siasm, excitement and preparedness to undergo hard- ship. Despite exten- sive knowledge through formal ed- ucation and train- ing, creative per- sons most endure their self-acquired information, knowledge and edu- cation. They are quite open to the ‘ir- rational’ in them- selves. They are also great optimists with a high degree of self-confidence, which at times may reach the point of objec- tionable arrogance. We cannot think of a creative person without in- formation and knowledge. That is why the creative Wilbur Wright, the inven- tor of the airplane, once said that ‘it is possible to fly without motors, but not without knowledge and skill’. M S SRIDHAR Creativity and information A hallmark of successful creative thinkers is the ease with which they can make strange things familiar and the familiar strange.
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In Deccan Herald, December 6, 2007, DH Education - p III.Explores the relation of information to creativity explaining the ways in which creative persons handle information. Creative persons not only consume lot of information, but also know how to face information overload and how to selectively disown to free their creative minds from cluttered notions and assumptions. They are clearly different from others in their information seeking behaviour. They suspend their judgement even when information on hand demands and they tolerate ambiguity in information. They look for opportunities in contradictions, exceptions and apparent disorders and challenge the assumptions. They go beyond their specilisation in seeking information by hanging loose and extending their span of attention. By doing so they tend to have cross fertilisation of ideas and avail serendipitous value of accidental encounters of useful information. Reading is a stimulus for creative thinkers. They don’t wait for information, but keep working with preparedness to undergo hardship. Their values, at times, may be at loggerheads with employed organisations. They endure self acquired knowledge and education with high degree of self confidence
Transcript of Creativity and information.
Creativity is an elu-sive state of mind.As some one put it
‘we can’t tell you what it is,but we know it when we seeit’. Even though it can beargued that everyone iscreative and it exists invarying degrees, the rela-tionship between creativi-ty and information-seek-ing behaviour of creativepersons help us to under-stand it better.
A lot of information isconsumed by creative per-
sons as input to their cre-ative process. A few ge-niuses may be exceptions.An important characteris-tic of creative persons isthat they tend to accumu-late an over abundance ofdata and information withwillingness to ultimatelydiscard. It is this willing-ness to discard theamassed information thatdistinguishes them fromordinary persons. Manycreativity techniques likebrainstorming, brainwrit-
ing, synectics, bionics,morphological analysis,etc. generate enormous in-formation and it is a cre-ative person who can copewith the problem of infor-mation overload.
One of the habits of suc-cessful creative thinkers isthat they are at ease inmaking strange things fa-miliar and the familiarstrange. In other words,the accumulated informa-tion and knowledge is, atchoice, disowned and theycan easily slip selectivelyinto a ‘no knowledge’ zone.
In fact, the cardinalprinciple of synectics is‘trust things that are alien,and alienate things thatare trusted’. One of thethree basic principles ofeven directed creativity is‘escape’ (the other are ‘at-tention’ and ‘movement’).In other words, they are in-volved in pitting them-selves against the un-known. Among the foursurrounding ideas whichyield solution to a creativeproblem (propounded byBrace Wands in his bookDigital Creativity) ‘Immer-sion’ and ‘Isolation’ (theother two being ‘Inspira-tion’ and ‘Iteration’) alsoindirectly talk of havinginformation and at timesdistancing from it.
If ‘immersion’ requiresadequate research andgathering information andmaterial, ‘isolation’ refersto the opposite of informa-tion to clear the mind ofeverything and allow ideasto enter. It is like meditat-ing and working in an ‘al-pha state’. Sleeping is con-
sidered to be an extremeform of isolation.
Even other characteris-tics and habits of success-ful creative thinkers, di-rectly or indirectly, indi-cate that they are differentin their ways of handlinginformation. For example,it is very difficult for an or-dinary person to resistpassing judgement and/ orcriticism on any idea orthing if his informationand knowledge demandsso.
On the other hand, cre-ative persons tend not tocriticise any idea prema-turely but suspend theirjudgment. It is creativepersons who can tolerateambiguity in informationand material gathered.They not onlytravel and listento ideas with anopen mind butuse reading as astimulus for cre-ative thinking.They like thechallenges pre-sented by contra-dictions, excep-tions and appar-ent disorder.Normally, thehuman memorystores new infor-mation by associ-ation. Ordinarypersons rejectcontradictoryand ambiguous informa-tion, which fail to fit intoneatly developed cate-gories already in the mem-ory.
On the other hand, cre-ative persons not only holdambiguous and contradic-tory information, but lookat it as a source for theircreativity. Yet anothercharacteristic of creativepersons is to challenge theassumptions. Rejection of
conformity in thinking istheir hallmark. They keepon struggling for freedomfrom fixed ideas. In thisprocess, they go beyondthe boundaries of theproblem as well as the areaof specialisation by ex-panding their span of at-tention and relevance.This is the tendency to-wards what are called‘cross fertilisation’ ofideas and ‘hanging loose’.A noble laureate says that‘any normally brilliant fel-low who allowed himselfto be sensitive to creativeideas could, by being in theright lab at the right time,luck into some awesomelysimple insight and it wasjust a matter of hangingloose’.
In their information-gathering pattern, cre-ative persons don’t waitfor inspiration, but keepworking with constant up-dating of their knowledge.This process often leads towhat are called ‘accidentalor chance acquisition’ ofrelevant and useful infor-mation. Such ‘lucky acci-dents’ have great serendip-ity value and creative per-sons try to practice
serendipity by welcomingchance intrusions and byholding a broad area of in-terest always alive in themind.
The creative process isnot a comfortable thing asit involves urge and pres-sure, i.e., some kind ofstress application on theperson. Creative personstend to have a unique set ofvalues, which may attimes, be at loggerheadswith immediate goals ofemployed organisation.They are also charac-terised by broad interest inintellectual activities, rea-soning, intelligence, com-mon sense, analytical abil-ity, curiosity, sensitivity toencouragement, divergentthinking, initiative, enthu-
siasm, excitementand preparednessto undergo hard-ship. Despite exten-sive knowledgethrough formal ed-ucation and train-ing, creative per-sons most enduretheir self-acquiredinformation,knowledge and edu-cation. They arequite open to the ‘ir-rational’ in them-selves. They arealso great optimistswith a high degreeof self-confidence,which at times may
reach the point of objec-tionable arrogance.
We cannot think of acreative person without in-formation and knowledge.That is why the creativeWilbur Wright, the inven-tor of the airplane, oncesaid that ‘it is possible tofly without motors, but notwithout knowledge andskill’.
M S SRIDHAR
Creativity and information A hallmark of successful creative thinkers is the ease with which they can make strange thingsfamiliar and the familiar strange.
