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Understanding Those Who Create
by
Jane Piirto
When it comes to arguments, this is
weaker than a cup of instant coffee that you forgot to pour the coffee grounds
into. Understanding Those Who Create does, however, summarize thousands
of ideas in a well-organized manner.
Among the more plausible ideas here
are the claims that creativity appears to be enhanced by have huge numbers of
novel ideas per unit of time. Brainstorming helps in that regard. Immersing
oneself in excellent ideas and the cutting edges of whatever fields you choose
also help. Creative people are willing to explore uncomfortable ideas and
actions. Sometimes they mix and match various ideas and styles. An artist, for
example may list elements from symbolism, surrationalism, eroticism and kitsch,
then start mixing and matching various elements from these styles. Sometimes
creative people take what already exists and look for ways to improve it.
Creative people have good reasoning
and editing skills--at least in their fields. They keep pouring effort into
improving the environment as well as improving their drive and inner resources.
They fire themselves up when the environment is unhelpful. They are willing to
ask for help--often. They keep relentlessly thinking and acting. Time flies for
them or passes by without them noticing. Some have a strong intuitive
understanding of the importance of time. They rarely think thoughts such as
"How should I kill the next three hours?" They believe they have
important things to do.
Their emotional lives are varied--and not varieties of flat. They have tears of joy and sadness. They are curious and have high self-efficacy. They do not want to wait to begin their activities. They do not want to wait for tomorrow so they can get back into their activities. They are restless and they have an aesthetic sense about their work.
They create trancelike flow states. They have clear short-term and long-term goals. They get or seek immediate feedback. They create a good match of challenges and skills. They are not easily distracted. Self-consciousness and fretting about failure are rare. Happiness is a by-product of their pursuits, not an ultimate goal. They see subtle humor and humor in things others do not find humorous. They are playful and reject authoritarianism. Worth browsing if the subject interests you.
—Book review article by J.T. Fournier
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