I found this quote from Pierre Bezier to be insightful.
On creativity.
"Which are the parts played by experience, theory and imagination in the
creation of a system? There is no definite answer to such a query. The
importance of experience and of theoretical knowledge is not always clearly
perceived; imagination seems a gift, a godsend or the result of a beneficial
heredity; but is imagination not, in fact, the result of the maturation of
knowledge gained during education and professional practice? Is it not born
from facts apparently forgotten, stored in a distant part of the memory, and
suddenly remembered when circumstances call them back? Is imagination not
based partly on the ability to connect notions which, at first sight, look
quite unrelated, such as mechanics, electronics, optics, foundry and data
processing? Is it not the ability to catch barely seen analogies - as Alice
in Wonderland did, to go "through the mirror"?
Will psychologists someday be able to detect in man such a gift that will be
applicable to science and technology? Is it related to the sense of humor
that can detect unexpected relationships between facts that look quite
unconnected? Shall we learn how to develop it? Will it forever remain a gift,
devoted by pure chance to some people while for others carefulness prevails?"
- Pierre Bezier
Arthur Koestle talks about creativity as bisociative thinking in his book
The Act of Creation. He describes artistic, scientific and comic creativity
as:
ARTISTIC: Ahhhhhhhh!
SCIENTIFIC: Ah-Ha!
COMIC: Ha-Ha!
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's work is inspiring, especially:
Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention
I know it's not in the realms of acedemia but a lot can be
learned in an improv class.
enjoy!
> Martti Lemieux
"craftsman"
Alias|wavfront
416 874 8453
-----Original Message-----
From: PhD-Design - This list is for discussion of PhDs in Design
[mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Jan Coker
Sent: Wednesday, February 26, 2003 9:00 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: PHD-DESIGN Digest - 24 Feb 2003 to 25 Feb 2003 (#2003-43)
How about creativity is problem solving. Think it over. It is just is a
question of problem definition. If you look at a solution, anything that is
the
result of applied creativity and ask yourself, "What was the problem to which
it is a solution?" you can always get an answer. So, I throw out a challenge.
Identify a specific piece of creativity which doesn't solve a problem.
My computer seems to think quotation marks are actually dashes of various
kinds, my apologies.
Jan
Jan Coker
C3-10 Underdale Campus
University of South Australia
+61 8 8302 6919
"There is no way to peace, peace is the way"
Gandhi
-----Original Message-----
From: Lubomir S. Popov [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Thursday, 27 February 2003 1:18 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: PHD-DESIGN Digest - 24 Feb 2003 to 25 Feb 2003 (#2003-43)
We better talk not about problem-solving creativity and artistic
creativity, but about creativity in problem solving in different areas:
mechanical engineering, art, etc. Art is about problem solving even when we
don't realize it. We get confused because the problem formulation and
problem solving in art has a nature that is completely different from that
in science and technology activities.
By the way, the field of creativity is so confused that it practically has
no impact on human problem solving. The problems stem from inadequaste and
often immature conceptualizations of creativity. On the other hand I have
nothing against practical tips for increasing creative potential. As usual,
rules of thumb are more efficient than scholarly developed recommendation.
In this realm, we are still in the age of craftsmen.
Best,
Lubomir
At 07:42 AM 2/26/2003 +0000, Chris RUST(SCS) wrote:
>Chris Heape said:
> >The two I have identified - to keep it simple - (Sternberg 1988) are
>
> >the differences between problem solving creativity and artistic
>
> >creativity. I find that the students can basically come to a grinding
>
> >halt when developing their projects, because they are not aware of the
>
> >difference between the two.
>...........
>........
> >I encourage the students to keep these two main areas of their project
>
> >or task apart, for a while, until they become clearer in their minds
>
>I'm not very happy with this. It seems to reinforce atomistic thinking and I
>suggest that design only works well as a holistic activity. I recognise the
>problem that Chris describes but I prefer to start the learning process of
>designers by giving students experience of dealing with explicitly discrete
>problems (eg mechanism, form handling, interaction) to build up their
ability
>to recognise and work with each kind of problem and expect them to integrate
>those abilities and handle progressively more complex questions as their
>education progresses. Learners need a chance to "dwell in" the different
>kinds
>of problems they are likely to encounter to build up a tacit understanding
>which can be integrated into their approach to complex problems. This is
>important as "illumination" requires well-developed tacit knowledge (Polanyi
>1958 p123). I wonder if Polanyi's idea of illumination, the "imaginative
>leap",
>is a better way of thinking about the central problem of being a designer
than
>the more passive concept of "creativity".
>
>Of course there is a role for deconstructing your ideas and carrying out
>discrete experiments to work out specific problems within the design, but
that
>has to take place against the background of a holistic understanding of the
>whole problem.
>
>And the ideas of "problem solving" and "artistic" (or "aesthetic")
creativity
>seem to provide no space for the kind of synthesis that designers
increasingly
>are expected to engage in, which sometimes feels more like social invention
>than anything else.
>
>best wishes from Sheffield
>Chris Rust
>
>Polanyi, M (1958) Personal Knowledge, Towards a Post-Critical Philosophy,
>Routledge, London (1962 corrected edition)
>
>*******************************************
>Professor Chris Rust
>Art and Design Research Centre
>Sheffield Hallam University UK
>www.shu.ac.uk/design
>
>[log in to unmask]
>tel +44 114 225 2706
>fax +44 114 225 2603
>Psalter Lane, Sheffield S11 8UZ, UK
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