Creativity, Part 2
This Thursday I had the chance to be part of the inaugural "5 Up" series here at CA. Produced by Director of Visual and Performing Arts director Jan DeSal, 5 Up is a concept similar to the famous TED talks in which a person shares something of interest to them that they hope will inspire others. I was one of three "pioneers" in this venture, along with parent Andy Rockmore and junior Amanda Funk, and my topic was focused on Creativity.
One of the major challenges of this talk was that I only had 5 minutes. I am very used to public speaking, but rarely do I have such a strict time constraint! That meant that I had to speed through a few things that I find interesting and that I think bear further discussion. Luckily, this blog provides the opportunity! In my research on how creativity works in the brain, I discovered some fascinating new things.
We have new levels of understanding of how interconnected all the parts of the brain are when we are engaged in creative tasks. No longer do we see the neurology in terms of the traditional left brain and right brain, but instead in terms of divergent and convergent thinking. Divergent thinking is the way we typically view creative minds: open to new input, curious, adventurous, seeking connections and complexity. Convergent thinking is more traditionally associated with the brain coming to one right answer, free of ambiguity.
While I had never before thought of it in these terms, clearly, a creative person needs to engage both kinds of thinking. This is what I believe Dorothy Parker describes in the quote I have included here: creativity brings the "wild mind" of divergent thinking together with the "disciplined eye" of convergent thinking, which in turn leads to the most creative and innovative outcomes possible. As one researcher recently noted, we can now fully embrace the messiness of the creative process and the dynamic brain activations that enhance it. Indeed, "the so-called magic synthesis that happens when memory, divergent thinking, and convergent thinking work harmoniously together can be enormously pleasurable," and I have been lucky enough to be engaged in many creative tasks that reach this state. But there is application here well beyond the realm of creativity. The NEA strongly contends that "Research on how creativity works in the brain has strong potential value for U.S. health and education, the workforce and the economy." We are in such an early stage of significant brain research that I believe years from now, we will better understand how exactly the creative mind works -- and how we can all tap into it.One of the major challenges of this talk was that I only had 5 minutes. I am very used to public speaking, but rarely do I have such a strict time constraint! That meant that I had to speed through a few things that I find interesting and that I think bear further discussion. Luckily, this blog provides the opportunity! In my research on how creativity works in the brain, I discovered some fascinating new things.
We have new levels of understanding of how interconnected all the parts of the brain are when we are engaged in creative tasks. No longer do we see the neurology in terms of the traditional left brain and right brain, but instead in terms of divergent and convergent thinking. Divergent thinking is the way we typically view creative minds: open to new input, curious, adventurous, seeking connections and complexity. Convergent thinking is more traditionally associated with the brain coming to one right answer, free of ambiguity.
Sources: https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/beautiful-minds/the-real-neuroscience-of-creativity/
https://www.arts.gov/sites/default/files/how-creativity-works-in-the-brain-report.pdf
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