Creativity Manifesto

Autumn Shreve

Creativity and Communication/ BSCOM/435

February 19, 2018

Shannon Sorrenson

Creativity Manifesto

Creativity is different to each person. It can be drawn into two categories artistic and scientific. Whether looking at it scientifically or artistically will determine how to define creativity. From someone on the artistic side, it would be described as a feeling that is within a person, a skill or talent that has been taught or inherited in a person. For the scientific side creativity is using facts and details to come up with solutions for problems. There can also be blocks that can cause a person to struggle with their creativity. There can be blocks and problems when you are dealing with creativity as well which should be paid attention to when working on expanding one’s creativity.

Creativity and Case Studies

There are many studies out there regarding creativity and people have learned a lot about creativity and the blocks that can happen. Ghiselin believed that the people who observed the artists, scientists, or musicians tended to be a great source of information regarding the creativity of people. (Weisberg, 2006) With just letters and reports not all information can be reliable but with first-hand experience there is a better idea of how creative thinkers work. The way that he thought brought a lot of what we learned about creativity. By watching individuals work on creative projects can help drive people to want to be more creative and to learn how to expand their own creativity as well.

Csikszentmihalyi thought that there were three different components that play a role in creativity. The three components are as follows, social systems, cultures and gene pool and personal experiences. He felt that the creative can only be used if it goes through the whole cycle (Weisberg, 2006, Chapter 2). Personally, I believe that these components all take a huge part in creativity in people. Whether it is a person’s experiences or who they hang out with, the creativity is linked to who we are as individuals. From my own personal experience, I learned throughout my life about my own creativity through watching my family work on project and do creative events.

Creativity is something that is within all of us. There are people born with talent, but it takes practice for an individual to perfect their talent. Ericsson found by researching students and professional that those who practiced more tended to be better at their craft compared to those who did not practice. (Weisberg, 2006). He was able to connect the amount of practice time with the how far the student can excel in their craft.

There is a lot of connections with critical thinking and creativity. When people are brainstorming it is a step to solving a problem. It gives the people the opportunity to use logic, resourcefulness, and imagination. Critical thinking can give people the opportunity to use their creativity to come up with a solution that will solve the problem.

Creative Blocks and Problems

There are many things within our lives that can cause problems when it comes to creativity for a person. These blocks come in many different forms. A mental block tends to be one of the biggest issues that people deal with. With a mental block you could be always looking for the right answer or trying to think logically. These can cause you to struggle because you are not learning from your mistakes or trying new things. When you think logically you are not taking any chances or exploring other solutions. A solution for this would be to change the way you are thinking. When it comes to an emotional block, you let your emotions rule over you and that can cause you to fear what you are doing. The emotional block can cause you to think that you might be embarrassed or weird. Work habits are something that I feel a lot of people struggle with. When people get set in their ways they tend to do the same thing consistently. Work habits can be anything from waiting until last minute to get a project done to getting to work earlier and still not getting it done. There are also a couple more blocks, they are personal problems and communication struggles. These can cause people to lack the motivation to continue with their creativity.

Conclusion

While creativity is not something that people think that they have, there is a little bit in all of us. There is always a way to excel at being creative. With many methods out there to increase your creativity it is important to know what is best for the individual. With creativity being both scientific or artistic, our society is going to be amazed with the different creations and solutions no matter how they are solved. As long as people continue to change their way of thinking and have an open mind they will excel.

References

Weisberg, R.W. (2006). Creativity: Understanding Innovation in Problem Solving, Science,

Invention, and the Arts. Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection

Database.

Weisberg, R.W. (2006). Creativity: Understanding Innovation in Problem Solving, Science,

Invention, and the Arts. Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection

Database.

Weisberg, R.W. (2006). Creativity: Understanding Innovation in Problem Solving, Science,

Invention, and the Arts. Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection

Database.