Imagine

“Creativity begins with a problem.”

–    Jonah Lehrer, from the book Imagine

I listened to the audio book Imagine on my recent drive to St. Paul.  The book is about creativity: what it is, who has it, and how to encourage it in individuals and organizations.  I really enjoyed the book and was considering suggesting it to my book club, so I went to Amazon to read some reviews.  Boy, was I surprised?  Imagine was removed from shelves by the publisher in 2012 because the author was found guilty of plagiarism and fabricating quotes (specifically quotes by Bob Dylan).  I was so disappointed.

In spite of the controversy surrounding the book, it did make me think about creativity.  I had not previously connected the word ”problem” to “art” but now I see how those two go together.  When I imagine a completed piece of art I have to problem solve ways to make it come to fruition.  What media should I use?  How large should the piece be?  How will I attach/mount/hang it?  For me there is something comforting about thinking of making art as a problem to be solved.  Perhaps it is my analytical side that wants creativity to be more tangible.

The author points out that creativity requires combining ideas and skills from all areas of background knowledge.  In order to accomplish that, he suggests a less focused approach.  Step away from the problem you are trying to solve, think about the forest rather than an individual tree, and talk to people who have no connection to the problem.  You never know how an idle conversation around the water cooler or an interaction at the gym might spark an idea that leads to a breakthrough.  Similarly, the author sites a study that showed people with ADHD are more creative due to their inability to focus.  I now have doubts about the authenticity of that study, but it is an interesting hypothesis to consider while working with students.

The bottom line is that creativity is complex, challenging, intriguing and often elusive.  Most of all, it must be practiced.  So off I go to work on my art ….

- christina