Is Creativity all Conscious Behaviour?

Watching the incredibly talented Ennio Marchetto perform last night got me thinking. Why does the show work so well? Ingenious paper costumes; a twist of the unexpected; great juxtapositioning of contradictory characters; and his own extremely funny facial expressions. But then it also struck me, how accurately he captured the mannerisms of the various personalities he portrayed.

Mannerism are the unique little gestures and movements we make that set us apart from those around us, and often instantaneously recognisable. They are ingrained into our subconscious and we rarely realize we're doing them.

Which then begs the question - Is creativity all conscious behaviour? (Deliberate thought process and some sort of manifestation, born out of inspiration).

Creativity is in the eye of the beholder.

When many people are asked what is creativity, the answer usually involves a reference to the arts, including literature, music, painting and cooking. I believe that creativity is in everything around us and that in order to identify the creativity we need to adapt our thinking and increase our knowledge to identify the creativity at work. Coming from an IT background, I have witnessed many solutions to IT problems that I have thought are truly creative and amazing. It is my knowledge of IT that allows me to accept the intricacies and genius way that the solution was obtained.

When I look at a painting (particularly modern art) my feeling is often one of “is that supposed to be good?” or “I drew better than that in Sub B (grade 2)” When we have listened to poetry some of us can relate and fully comprehend the meaning behind the words, I often relate it to a very descriptive essay. I used to think that there was something wrong with me, but now I believe that it rather my ignorance in certain fields that prevent me from realising and appreciating the creativity.

Muti Common Sense and etiquette

Wish I had read these two posts before trying out Muti...

http://justinhartman.com/2007/07/12/what-ive-learnt-not-to-do-on-muti/#comment-344

Justin said:

Guideline 1: Avoid Submission Spam
Guideline 2: Don’t submit content under a different username
Guideline 3: Don’t vote against a story to get a higher ranking

http://www.webaddict.co.za/2006/12/17/muti-rule-dont-add-your-own-stuff/

According to Rafiq: -

In the social web we live in today is there not more value in some1else submitting your URL to muti.co.za than yourself? I am not saying that Your Web AddiCT has not submitted some of our own ’stuff’ to muti.co.za, I have but… Lets look at an example:
2 of the top story submitters on muti.co.za in December 2006 have submitted nearly the same amount or links to muti.co.za, 15 & 17 respectivley. From the Muti stats page.
One of the users have been submitting alot of their own ’stuff’ to muti.co.za while the other has submitted other peoples ’stuff’ to muti.co.za. By comparing how the users of muti.co.za have been ‘digging’ the submissions, the user who has been submitting more of their own ’stuff’ to muti.co.za has 100% less kudus than the user who has been submitting other people’s ’stuff’.

In our situation is adding a fellow author's stuff also considered as adding your own, seeing that we are from one group?

The Right Brain, is NOT the Seat of Creativity!!

New development in Neurosurgery, is leading to the realisation that creativity might not be linked to the right brain after all. I came to this conclusion after listening to a talk by Prof Graeme Fieggan, a leading Paediatric Neurosurgeon. Radical surgeries on children who had life threatening conditions have involved removing the one side of the brain totally. Even though one half of the brain has been removed, some of these children recover, learn to speak again, and can interact and socialize normally with other people.

It seems that due to the ability of the brain to adapt, the other half can take over functions previously performed by the amputated half. If this is true, there is no sense in implying that any trait is limited only to this or that half. Rather there is a preference in development. Speech for example develops mostly in the left brain, although there are expectations. This then leads to the majority of right-handedness in the world. When the left brain is amputated, the right half happily takes over this function.

From my understanding this is made possible by the “plasticity” of the brain, or the ability of the neurons to make new connections.

It seems there is hope for the creatively challenged after all…

What do you see in the image - Fishes? supposedly left brain, something else? then you are probably using your right brain. My current thinking is that this is mere preference, changeable with the right environment and stimulation.

Muti driving Creativity?!?

An MBA class at the UCT Graduate School of Business recently embarked on a collaborative exploration of Creativity in Strategy, using amongst others tools such as a Wiki and Blogging. Extensive interviews of artists, creative minds and other geniuses led to insights about the drivers of successful creativity.

We came to realise that the fear of failure, an inability to suspend judgment and inspiration are some of the defining forces deciding how successful an artist will be. In addition good marketing, networking, business acumen and exposure to different media and genres will also improve chances of success.

Armed with this wisdom, a well crafted and academically sound argument was posted to the world for consumption.

No-one consumed...

It became blindingly obvious that the same forces were at work in the blogging environment. If you wanted to be heard, you had to be noticed - requiring marketing. We required some business acumen to improve the blog and list on Afrigator, Anatomu etc. In addition we needed to post frequently and engage with the ideas. Muti helped to put these posts on the radar screen. Individual members had to overcome their fear of failure to post their thoughts. Even though we do not have the answer yet, we have to voice opinion, risking laughter. In other words we have to suspend judgment, and jump.

Only time will tell if this is going to work, but in the meantime it seems that Muti, Afrigator and Blogger facilitate most of the attributes and traits required to be successful creatively. In searching for an answer we needn't have looked further than the first blog to discover all the elements of creativity, strategy and innovation.

In addition, it seems these environments are self regulating, protecting against poor quality, and abuse. In our derisive optimism, the class posted too much and engaged in too fervent a voting frenzy - resulting in being blocked for spam!!! One step forward and three back.

We live and learn....

Creativity expression and Fashion

The journey on Creativity in the Strategy, Design and Creativity Course has awakened many feelings as to whether I am creative or not. One of the areas in which creativity is expressed in is in fashion.

Being conservative in my dressing, I am left to wonder at my level of creativity. However, consolation comes to my heart when I learn that fashion has intensities. Fashion intensity is the rate at which one catches up with new trends in fashion and it also relates to how fashionable one is.

Fashion being one of the areas for creative expression, I therefore wonder how creatively I have expressed myself using this area as a measure for creative expression. Kindly, take a moment and consider your ability to express yourself creatively using fashion, having you been expressing yourself creatively?

The Key

The key? The key?
What be that key,
to unlock what we not be?

If only but to find the key,
that will allow us to see,
all that we can be...

Together we can only but agree,
on our need to find the key,
that will finally set us free.

Are we just too left to be?
Is the right perhaps our key?
Yet, some say it cannot be.

So in our quest to find the key,
seek painters and poets, full of glee.
They will provide the key!

In glimpses of what can be,
in awe we stand of thee,
Do you have our key?

And then, I begin to finally see
that maybe the key be me,
to explore, all that I can be!

Artists are Mediums for messages from a Spiritual place!!

After reading Graham Hancock's book, Supernatural, and interviewing a few artists, I am more and more inclined to believe that creating is a spiritual experience.

In his book, Graham explores the links and similarities between ancient cave paintings in Europe, Bushmen paintings in South Africa and paintings done by Shamans in South America. Shown on the left is one such painting done by the Peruvian Shaman, Pablo Amaringo under the influence of Ayahuasca.

Expanding on the work of renowned rock art expert David Lewis-Williams, Hancock postulates that hallucinations, induced by mushrooms or through physical exertions or pain, were responsible for this first jump from primitive dull pre-historic man, to the artistic and creative human being.

It is also known that up to 2% of the western population has the ability to hallucinate, or see visions, naturally without the aid of hallucinogenic agents such as Ayahuasca or LSD. These people may be receiving some of the same messages that people have been receiving over the ages, and depending on their social context might feel the urge to paint them on rock walls or canvas as the case may be.

Given the fact that the theories about the origin of art from Lewis-Williams and Hancock are gaining wider and wider acceptance in academic circles - is it not fair to question whether most art is still based on inspiration from the spiritual??

The Art of vulnerability

the art of vulnerability
is the power of authenticity
within a spirit of possibility

where I am nothing but coal
and everything of diamond

gentle flame child
creative breath

cut of panic
ego shattered
make myself safe
by the power of conviction
claim the space
for my mind
to become
bondservant
to my heart

Creativity of a Carrot

Creativity is not something that can be measured by the outcome – and this is why it eludes business.

Forget all that rubbish about business or school suppressing the ‘right-brain’ and that being the reasons that companies aren’t creative. The reason that they aren’t is because creativity doesn’t lend its self to measurement or incentives.

It is easy to tell an employee who stamps widgets all day that their bonus depends on how many they can stamp in a day. Creativity can’t be measured in this way and here is why:

“No two carrots taste the same.” George Jardine

That’s it. Simple hey? If all carrots tasted the same, we would know how to prepare each one we encountered and how long the preparation should take. But they don’t taste the same. So the challenge for the chef is to consistently produce the same outcome with different inputs. If you were measuring him on the outcome you would see no improvement, but because it is the end of winter, the chef has just had his toughest day of the year!

The only way to measure and reward creativity is by understanding the process – the outcome is irrelevant.

Don’t silence the trouble-maker

Don’t silence the trouble-maker.

There are roles in a team that everyone aspires too; joker, baker and candlestick maker. Very few consider the trouble-maker as a prominent role. Why? Because this individual is always stirring up trouble, asking the awkward questions, raising the anxiety levels of the team and killing creativity. Is creativity depended upon them?

Some may argue they see the world differently? Others say they use a wider lens.
Some may argue they possess deeper insights? Others say they hold back judgement and listen.

Some want to silence them and still be creative,…..BANG!!! ……

I played that role once too, not for long though.

Creativity in a bowl

I stood in front of the room, 17 people looked back at me. They were waiting for direction, for guidance on how to start this creative journey. I could feel the anxiety rise up in myself and in the others. How was I going to help everyone with their own uncertainty when I felt so lost myself? I needed help!

He walked up to the whiteboard with scented markers in hand. “We need to create a container to support this creative process, like a goldfish is supported by the bowl that it is in”. I slowly retreated to my seat among the rest of the group. That sounded really creative, he certainly must know what he is doing!

Months later, I have a deep appreciation for that “bowl” we created to support our journey. It continues to support us through this confusing, frustrating and rewarding creative experience.

My creativity: An object about the size of an orange labelled “Not for consumption”

I did it, you did it.

We placed my orange in my mental ‘Safe’, where I keep failed experiments and own treasures that I refuse to let go of, but would not dare to expose it to the rest of the world again.

I would love to make my ‘Safe’ see-through. It would let you see the benefit of my orange, to you and others without me feeling vulnerable.
If I do not have the confidence to take my orange and peel away the skin, how will you know what lies beneath, it could change your life?

I am the only person with the key to my ‘Safe’, how are you going to help me unlock it?

The Journey of More or Less?

I am a firm believer in the journey. A journey takes us down a road that leads us to discover, to explore our inner selves as much as our place within the universal system of life. The journey symbolises so much in regards to the idea of distance, growth and struggle. The process of learning and development. Yet through the course of life I engaged a concept which highlights for me the process of forgetting, of loss and stripping down of one’s inherent make-up and essence. A road that as we travel further down, we loose more and more of this essence. The loss I talk of is the diminishment of our creativity.

My interests have been perked by the possible exploration of what creativity is, what is the need for creative expression and what factors impact us profoundly that begin to strip us of our self-belief and expression as we get older and travel further down this road of self-discovery. I have an absolute belief that creativity is linked to ‘freedom of expression’ and this expression lies at the heart of the essence of humanity. I believe we are born from an energy of creativity and this energy is what drives us daily to explore, to expand and to express. It is possible that this energy is released through creative expression and this release could have a positive and exponential effect on our environments, whether personal or business, encouraging higher energy in those around us, and thereby higher enthusiasm and productivity.

What is important about this train of thought is that it provokes a direct inquiry as to the lack of creative management style prevalent in the world of business today. My primary interest around this broad topic is what possible practices can be instituted in today’s hierarchical governance and presidents in business to bring humanity back into the work place and into our lives. The ‘sanitising of the human spirit’ congers up the frightening but realistic image of the way most ‘big business’ is governed today. Is an endeavour to bring about more creativity in the business arena a worthy cause with validated effort or will the input be suppressed down by realistic practices and archaic leaders?

There is evidence that work environments void of creativity tend to breed a character of low motivation amongst employees and that leaders who exhibit creativity and diversity in their management styles encourage the growth of greater cohesion and connectivity within their teams. What boundaries must be crossed to bridge our essence of creativity with our linear life-styles? Perhaps in the end it is our individual responsibility to cross this bridge - back to creativity...

Creativity the Holy Grail???

Ever try to set up an interview with Archbishop Desmond Tutu?

Not easy. I tried to set up an appointment via his secretary.

The Archbishop was overseas at the time of my call, and unfortunately his secretary could not inform me of the timing of his return. Apparently, you see, the Archbishop organises his schedule according to the direct prompting of the Holy Spirit.

My intention was to interview the Archbishop was for the purposes of a course for my MBA degree on ‘Creativity, Design and Strategy – an inquiry into the so-called ‘right brain’ functions of creativity, empathy and intuition.

Naturally, I became a little concerned about how the Holy Spirit’s timing and my Business school deadline might align. None-the-less, intrigued by circumstances, I decided to wait around for the next few months to see whether the Holy Spirit might direct the Archbishop towards me.

I did all that I possibly could to clear all obstacles from my own life (and diary) - uncertain as to what kind of notice the Holy Spirit might give to the Archbishop to contact me.

I breathed, I meditated, I reflected, I prayed. And bit by bit, I cleared the clutter of my self imposed complexities and allowed a simple timelessness to take over. A quiet flow of creativity breathed through me – and I started to create.

Perhaps the Archbishop and I never met.
But perhaps the Holy Spirit and I did.

The creative journey.

Not so long ago, two students set off to interview a “creative” person, one of SA’s performing personalities. The idea was to gain insights into the inner workings of the creative mind and how this might be applied to stimulate the business mind. A worthy goal, to say the least.

Little did they know what else this might entail?

Armed with weapons of the sober analyst, such as Porters five forces, complexity theory, postulated drivers and outcomes of creativity, etc. they questioned and probed – and gained many “insights”. What was not expected was a glass of red wine after the interview. Apparently creative people have fun as well from time to time. One glass was not enough commitment and a second bottle was sacrificed for the good cause. All in the name of learning. Inebriated, the analytical two stumbled over some surprising insights, missed by their sober comrades.

The moral?

When venturing into the world of creativity – be wiling to sacrifice some of your sobriety, and be willing to give up control. You might just be called on to relax and laugh – and be surprised by the results!

The way back home proved to be troublesome. Some rather arduous delays resulted from the creative interpretation of the road signs, but alas time was not wasted as this allowed ample time to debate creativity.


PS. Is this a driver or an outcome? Or was the outcome an inebriated driver?

The role of “trauma” or “suffering” in “creativity”

Suffering is justified as soon as it becomes the raw material of beauty." Jean-Paul Sartre. So do we need to suffer to be creative? ...
The tortured artist mythology is an ancient and enduring notion: that art comes mainly from suffering, and artists are likely to be emotionally fraught and even need their pain to create. Support for this view at: Pain and suffering and the artist

Our hypothesis that suffering is one way, and in the arts - a common one,
· in which the artists supporting abilities or capabilities
· are formed or strengthened
· to enable him/her to be successful.

What is the significance of this for business??

Trauma is in no way the only characteristic required, but it may play a decisive role in the development of those things that will eventually discriminate between the arty person and the successful artist.

The causal loop diagram below illuminates this view that “trauma” or suffering, is one of the drivers that might eventually lead to successful creating. This is not to say that it is necessary or sufficient, merely that it can play a significant role when conditions are right.

It appears from the above that traumatic experiences can affect the creativity of an individual in two ways.

Firstly, as one of a class of experiences that provide the creative individual with a new perspective on life, and so removes the fear of the consequences of failure. This allows the creative individual to perform without barriers.

The second effect is as a creative stimulant. A traumatic experience can provide energy and inspiration that drives the creative session. We do think that if people embrace the journey that trauma brings, they are likely to evaluate what truly matters in life, and thereby, may be more willing to step out of the confined parameters of 'a normal life', and start experimenting, taking more risks, living it up and creating experiences that are more deeply fulfilling.

But what about business? Rather than traumatise people, one might simulate the conditions of uncertainty, ambiguity and introspection that trauma brings. Although this might be stressful at first, if it is embedded as a culture the organisation might find itself being creative much quicker than taking the “nurture/caring etc.” route.

The conclusion is that “disruptive initiatives” may have a role in moving a business to creativity quicker than by trying to facilitate it through more supportive environments. Once the business is there this environment will have to be supported and nurtured and won’t be sustained through suffering.

"Big crisis will only reveal the stuff we are made of; it won't put anything into us"- Oswald Chambers

Learning to be creative in strategy by being creative in the learning of strategy

Bethany Dalton-Kash (www.alexkash.com/bethanyart.html)

A group of 16 MBA students at the Graduate School of Business, Cape Town, elected to do a self-designed and evaluated course in “Strategy, design and creativity”. The elective is described as a master class for MBAs who have completed all MBA core courses, yet is essentially a ‘social learning experiment’, comprised of presumably intelligent and driven adults.

The process of emergence: From chaos to order MBA learning typically engages deductive, left brain cognitive processes. The MBA ‘Strategy, design and creativity’ elective allows students the opportunity to develop a deeper awareness and understanding of emergent, inductive learning processes. Ironically, even though most of life’s learning is emergent, this journey was new for many.

www.cartoonstock.com/directory/e/emergence.asp

Each student had unique expectations based on their understanding of:
· The terms ‘Strategy’, ‘Creativity’ and ‘Design’ and how these elements relate to each other
· The most effective learning methodology in this context. (Some sought to undergo an experiential awakening of their own creativity whilst others preferred an observer’s inquiry into other’s creative processes. And in this way, better understand how to manage creative people and/or innovation processes within organisations)

cgda.nic.in/.../H%20R%20D/Team%20Building.htm

Levels of awareness/ consciousness of ‘the self’, ‘the group’ and the ’process’ were initially very diverse. All students questioned their own right brain cognitive development, and what they could contribute to the group. In grappling with the process, some reacted to ‘working in the dark’ by imposing their views/parameters or opting for avoidance behaviour. These reactions presented an opportunity for boundaries within the group to be established.

As ‘the mist’ cleared, some saw that: in a creative process, elements move from a state of disparity into a merging of combined elements of similar substance. In the same way, members of the class moved through the ‘chasm of chaos’ by forming cliques with people of similar views and levels of insight. By drawing understanding and security form each other, cohesion and order started to develop.

Some students were able to perceive the ambiguity of being both an element within a creative process, and yet also an artist who, through collaboration, can create order from chaos, and thus purpose through process, and meaning from intention.

http://8ight.stumbleupon.com/tag/emergence/

It became apparent that rigid mental models inhibited us from truly listening to each other. Also, that effective communication demanded practise skill over the use of words and language to convey meaning to others. We practiced listening and questioning techniques and started to learn communication methods that empower ‘the other’ instead of just gratifying the self. This helped the interview technique and enhanced the interviewee’s experience of engaging with the class.

Richard Seel (http://www.new-paradigm.co.uk/culture-complex.htm)Figure 2—Emergent process: a system of diverse agents (A), richly connected (B), gives rise to an emergent pattern (C), which feeds back down into the system (D)

Common Vision: Learning methodology The community decided on a double-loop leaning methodology that investigated the boundary question, “What fundamental patterns
(tacit and hidden), beliefs, characteristics and behaviours, tend to enable productive creative outcomes?” Mini-groups will make sense of their interviews by using systems thinking methods. It is hoped that a theory may emerge through our subsequent analyses of 'the basket' of casual loop diagrams. The robustness of our theory will then be tested in our next university module in October.

During this interview and analysis process, this blog has been created in order to invite a greater community of ideas into this realm of experimentation and discovery. Each week, a new topic of discussion will be posted and we look forward to engaging in dynamic debate with people from across the globe.

Our questions: What factors are necessary to influence/facilitate the creativity process? Is it necessary to implement boundaries initially and do these boundaries become more rigid and prevalent as the the process of creativity proceeds?