'How Creativity Works': It's All In Your Imagination iStockphoto.com What makes people creative? What gives some of us the ability to create work that captivates the eyes, minds and hearts of others? Jonah Lehrer, a writer specializing in neuroscience, addresses that question in his new book, Imagine: How Creativity Works. Lehrer defines creativity broadly, considering everything from the invention of masking tape to breakthroughs in mathematics; from memorable ad campaigns to Shakespearean tragedies. Lehrer joins NPR's Robert Siegel to talk about the creative process — where great ideas come from, how to foster them, and what to do when you inevitably get stuck. Interview Highlights On comparing Shakespeare with the inventor of masking tape "I think we absolutely can lump them all together. "... On how Steve Jobs redesigned Pixar studios to maximize collaboration and creativity On forcing people to meet and mingle ... even if it's in the bathroom " ... Nina Subin/Courtesy Houghton Mifflin Harcourt "It's near midnight.
Why Are We So Afraid of Creativity? | Literally Psyched Creativity: now there’s a word I thought I wouldn’t see under attack. Don’t we live in a society that thrives on the idea of innovation and creative thought? The age of the entrepreneur, of the man of ideas, of Steve Jobs and the think different motto? Well, yes and no. That is, indisputably yes on the surface. We're not always willing to take the risks that come with innovation. As a general rule, we dislike uncertainty. Creativity, on the other hand, requires novelty. Consider a common paradox: organizations, institutions, and individual decision makers often reject creative ideas even as they state openly that creativity is, to them, an important and sometimes even central goal. As Matthew Pearl reminds us in his new historical thriller, The Technologists (out this week), this general distrust of innovation is nothing new. William Barton Rogers, the founder and first president of MIT. Luckily, we know how this particular story ends.
A creative life is a healthy life Take solace in the fact that "the creative process is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration." Link between creativity and better mental and physical health is well established Passion protects us physiologically, allowing us to work longer with less stressTake time off and find ways to recharge your creative and physical energy, expert says Editor's note: Columnist Amanda Enayati ponders the theme of seeking serenity, the quest for well-being and life balance in stressful times. (CNN) -- There are many conversations taking place right now about creativity -- how our future depends on it, how our kids are losing it, how most schools are killing it, and how parents ought to be nurturing and encouraging it. I recently attended a lecture on the topic by Tony Wagner, Innovation Education Fellow at Harvard's Technology & Entrepreneurship Center and author of "Creating Innovators: The Making of Young People Who Will Change the World." But I am equally interested in what reignites "old" innovators.