Creativity (All you'll ever need to know about being creative) (Paperback)

8/20/2019 Creativity (All you'll ever need to know about being creative) (Paperback)

1/18

About the Author

Samuel A Malone is a self-employed training consultant,lecturer, moderator, examiner and author. He is the author of

20 books published in Ireland, the UK and worldwide onlearning, personal development, study skills and businessmanagement. Many of his books have been translated into

foreign languages and gone into second editions. His mostrecent book (2014) is titled Awaken the Genius Within – AGuide to Lifelong Learning Skills (Glasnevin Publishing,

Dublin). He has a M.Ed with distinction (in training anddevelopment) from the University of Sheffield and is a

qualified Chartered Management Accountant (ACMA),Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA) and aChartered Secretary (ACIS). He is a Fellow of the Irish

Institute of Training and Development (FIITD). Previous books published by the author include Why Some PeopleSucceed and Others Fail (Glasnevin Publishing, Dublin),

Learning about Learning (CIPD, London), A Practical Guide

to Learning in the Workplace (The Liffey Press, Dublin), Better Exam Results (Elsevier/CIMA, London) and How To

Set Up and Manage A Corporate Learning Centre (Gower,Aldershot, UK). All of these books are available online fromAmazon.co.uk.


2/18


3/18

Dedication

To my wife Veronica, my children Caroline, Sandra and Davidand my three grandchildren Shane, Kate and Rachel.


4/18


5/18


6/18

Copyright © Samuel A. Malone (2015)

The right of Samuel A. Malone to be identified as author of thiswork has been asserted by him in accordance with section 77 and

78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may bereproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any

form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the

publishers.

Any person who commits any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims

for damages.

A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the BritishLibrary.

ISBN 978 1 78455 416 3

www.austinmacauley.com

First Published (2015)

Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd.25 Canada Square

Canary WharfLondon

E14 5LB

Printed and bound in Great Britain


7/18

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank Austin Macauley Publishers for having the

confidence in me to publish this book. I would also like to thank

them for the great job done on layout, typesetting and editorialwork.


8/18


9/18

Contents

Preface 13

1 What Is Creativity 20

Introduction 20

Exploring Creativity 20

Nature Verses Nurture 23

Creativity and Innovation 25

IQ and CQ 31

Multiple Intelligences 35

Barriers to Creativity 42

Myths of Creativity 58

Summary of Chapter 1 69

2 Why Does Creativity Happen? 70

Introduction 70

Business Needs 71

Visualisation 73

Design Needs 75

Career Opportunities 80

Creativity and Travel 81

Creativity and Motivation 82

Adopting Certain Roles 90


3 When Does Creativity Happen? 94

Introduction 94

Role of the Subconscious 94

Inspired By Dreams 96

Notes to Inspire 101

Serendipity 104

Thinking Creatively 118


4 How Does Creativity Happen? 126

Introduction 126

Five Stages of Creativity 127

Practical Creativity 133

The 4 Ps of Creativity 139

How to Kill Creativity 141


10/18

Creative Perspectives 147

The Range of Creativity Paradigms 152

Brainstorming 157

Techniques for Stimulating Creativity 165

Suggestion Schemes 180

Creative Problem Solving 184

TRIZ 191

Biomimicry – Creativity Inspired by Nature 199


5 Where Does Creativity Take Place? 215

Introduction 215

Creativity in the Brain 216

Flow and Creativity 220

Exercise, Sleep and Mediation 221

Creativity in the Home 223

Creativity in the Workplace 231

Nurturing Creativity at Work 241

Nurturing Creativity in Teams 244

Universities and R&D 247

Western Verses Eastern Cultures 250

Cities as Creative Hubs 254


6 Who Is Creative? 261

Introduction 261

Traits of Creative People 262

The Dark Side of Creativity 266

The DISC Personal Profile System 269

Thinking Styles Preferences 271

Gender and Creativity 273

Famous Creative People 278

Creativity over the Lifespan 281

Diffusion of Innovation Curve 293

Education and Creativity 295

Entrepreneurs 296


References and Bibliography 301

INDEX 314


11/18

P r e f a c e

This book answers the six vital questions everybody has about

creativity: What is creativity? Why does creativity happen?When does creativity happen? How does creativity happen?Where does creativity take place? And who is creative? There

are six chapters in the book devoted to addressing each ofthese issues. Each chapter is illustrated by practical examples

of creativity and innovation in action. These range from business to science; from continuous improvement to new product development.

Creativity is creating something that wasn’t there before,seeing novel relationships between things, ideas, artefacts,

products, places and people. Creativity has been linked to

genius, in science, business, and art, and many people haveattained world fame through their wonderful discoveries andinventions. Every idea that changed the world began in the

mind of someone as a thought. Modern living has beenenriched and made possible through creative endeavours.

Apart from making something new or original, creativity can be also about improving, refining, changing or combiningthings in unusual ways. Creativity is not just for the privileged

few, because we all have the potential to be creative.

The debate about the contribution of nature versus nurtureto creativity still goes on and evokes considerable

controversy. Research shows that certain characteristics,whether from nature or nurture, or a combination of both,account for a person’s creativity. These traits include having a

broad range of interests, being attracted to complex issues,seeking out novel experiences, aesthetic sensitivity, and

toleration of ambiguity, non-conformity, risk taking and self-confidence. Historiometry is the study of personal traitsmaking up genius such as creativity. It covers the lifespan of

people who were exceptionally creative, and the progress oftheir creativity throughout their lives. By studying these role


12/18

models we should be able to learn about what it takes to becreative, and apply them to our own lives.

Creativity and innovation are different. Creativity is the

production of novel and useful ideas in any field, whereasinnovation is the implementation of these ideas. Creative

companies believe in flexibility, adaptability and involvement,implemented by a policy of employee empowerment anddevelopment. Creative companies such as 3M, Apple and

Google actively support a culture of creativity.Intelligence and creativity are linked but different.

Creativity is just one aspect of intelligence. Nevertheless, you

need a certain amount of IQ to be creative, although peoplewith a high IQ are not necessarily creative. Howard Gardner,

who has come up with the theory of multiple intelligences, haswidened the definition of intelligence to include eight aspectsthat have a strong creativity bias. These include spatial,

interpersonal, musical, intrapersonal, linguistic, kinaesthetic,logical and naturalistic. People can develop their creativeskills in any or a combination of these areas.

The barriers to creativity include conformity, fear andgroup think. The myths of creativity include that the right side

of the brain controls creativity, and that all the best ways ofdoing things have already been found. Being aware of the

barriers and myths to creativity will help you develop a more

positive attitude to creativity and counteract any negativity.Evidence of creativity has spanned the history of human

kind, from the drawings on cave walls and the invention of thewheel to the modern wonders of telecommunications. Globalcompetition, rapidly changing technology, and the shorteningof the product life cycle, has made creativity more important

in business than ever before.Creativity is important because it creates business

opportunities, visualises possibilities, fulfils design needs,meets personal ambitions, provides roles for people to play

and presents career opportunities for employees. Without being creative we would be unable to solve the everyday problems of life, and the ever changing challenges of business. The people who progress in their careers are the


13/18

ones who can come up with new and innovative ideas, andnew and improved ways of doing things.

To survive, a business needs to work smarter and faster,

continually develop new products and services, and improveexisting ones. We tend to move towards those goals that we

clearly visualise. If you visualise a difficult task before you doit, you are more likely to successfully complete it.

Good design is an important ingredient of creativity in

business and permeates all aspects of our lives. Manysuccessful companies are now driven by design. It is often themain competitive advantage. Good design will increase sales,

create brand recognition, and should be considered aninvestment rather than a cost.

Travelling to foreign parts and particularly living inforeign countries seems to be an aid to creativity. Living andadapting to a new culture forces us to think and to learn novel

approaches to problem solving, and behave differently to copewith a changed way of life.

In general, people will be most creative if intrinsically

rather than extrinsically motivated. If you love what you doyou are intrinsically motivated. The roles people adopt

facilitate the process of creativity. These roles are: explorer,artist, judge and warrior. A combination of these roles isneeded for creativity.

The subconscious plays a vital role in our creativity. Yoursubconscious is the storehouse of everything you know, even

things you can’t readily recall to mind. It makes patterns andconnections without your conscious knowledge. It will

process, recombine, adapt and consolidate ideas, images andexperiences and suggest solutions. You can tap spontaneous

insights by accessing the vast resources of your subconscious.Many famous people came up with their most brilliant

ideas and marvellous inventions after a daydream or a dream.When you sleep your mind doesn’t turn off but instead

becomes very active. Sometimes dreams are the way yourmind works out solutions to difficult problems, and it taps intothe creativity in your subconscious to do so. Thomas Edisonclaimed that most of his ideas came to him after dozing.


14/18

Similar claims have been made by other prominent scientistsand authors.

Creative people are great note takers. Leonardo da Vinci

kept detailed notes and drawings of his ideas that survive tothis day. Charles Darwin was an avid note taker. Scientists

could not keep track of their experiments and research withoutkeeping comprehensive notes. Novelists and non-fictionwriters could not produce their books without notes on their

observations and research.Many famous inventions were inspired by serendipitous

or accidental events. Serendipity is the source of many ideas

in consumer goods, pharmaceuticals, science, medicaldevices, industry and discoveries about astronomy. One of the

most notable accidental discoveries was Alexander Fleming’s penicillin made in 1928.

Thinking creatively can be encouraged by having the right

mindset, adopting the right approach and having fun duringthe process. You are more likely to be creative if you areoptimistic, have a strong self-belief and pursue ideas with

confidence and purpose.The five stages of creativity are preparation, effort,

incubation, insight and evaluation. New ideas may betriggered off by means of the acronym CAMPERS. Thisstands for combine ideas, adapt, modify, put to other uses,

eliminate unnecessary parts, rearrange and simplify. Thissimple acronym if used purposefully can be a great inspiration

for creativity.In many organisations ideas are killed before they ever get

off the ground. Some of the best ideas were initially rejected but came to fruition through the persistence and determination

of their owners. The ‘not invented here’ syndrome is a goodexample of a prevalent barrier to creativity.

Edward De Bono, the inventor of lateral thinking, hassuggested the six thinking hats as a way for people to become

more creative. Wearing these metaphorical hats gives usdifferent perspective on a problem. The hats represent whitehat thinking (logical), red hat thinking (emotional), yellow hat


15/18

thinking (optimistic), black hat thinking (pessimistic), greenhat thinking (creative), and blue hat thinking (control).

Brainstorming is one of the most popular methods used in

companies to generate ideas. The four stages of brainstormingare: suspend judgement, freewheel, generate many ideas and

cross fertilise. Other techniques of creativity include fantasy,attribute listing, metaphors, synectics, swot analysis, stretchimaging and suggestion schemes. Companies may set up

suggestion schemes to encourage employees to make costsavings and improvements related to their work or the

products or services of the company.

Creative Problem Solving (CPS) is another majorcreativity technique for generating ideas and solving

problems. TRIZ is the Theory of Inventive Problem Solvingdeveloped from world-wide patterns of inventions from patentliterature and it has now been adopted by many major

multinationals. These two techniques have made a majorcontribution to creative problem solving in organisations.

Biomimicry is creativity inspired by nature. Sources

include birds, the sea, plants, insects and humans/animals. Nature has evolved over 3.8 billion years to solve problems in

surprisingly efficient and novel ways. A closely related fieldto biomimicry is bionics, which is used creatively to mend

broken bodies.

Creativity starts in the brain. Both sides of the brain areneeded for creativity. The entire creative process engages

different regions of the brain. The neocortex is the part of the brain that distinguishes us from the other mammals. Thanks tothe neocortex, humans can perform extraordinary creative andcomplex tasks. These include writing a book, composing a

symphony, painting a landscape or building a computer.Creative people tend to lose themselves in the creative

process. This is known as a state of flow.Exercise, sleep and meditation are good for your

creativity. Creativity can happen at home or at work.Creativity is needed in our personal lives to solve everyday

problems. These could include household budgeting, interiordesign and carrying out do-it-yourself projects.


16/18

In the workplace there are numerous opportunities toexercise creativity from continuous improvements to new

product developments. Simple everyday changes and

improvements may reap major benefits in productivity.Responding in a creative way to a customer’s request, or

solving a crisis requiring a quick response, are everydayoccurrences in most businesses. At a more sophisticated levelnew goods and services are coming on the market all the time.

Universities are designed to encourage the flow of ideas between disciplines within and outside the university. Pureresearch is conducted in universities rather than development.

The fruits of this research benefits industry. The internetenables universities to keep up to date on the research

activities of other universities at home and abroad.Western and eastern countries differ to the extent that they

are creative. Originality, initiative, fluidity and flexibility are

highly regarded and respected in the west. On the other hand,eastern cultures emphasise the importance of the group overthe individual, and the need for conformity, respect for

tradition and social harmony. Japan has built its reputation onincremental improvements rather than invention. China is

becoming a major economic force in the world.Major cities are creative hubs. The average inhabitant of a

city is three times more creative than someone living in a

small town. Innovation is a prime driver of economic growthin cities and regions. Globalised cities such as New York and

London now trade in creativity, ideas, knowledge andinnovation.

The traits of creative people include playfulness,resilience, imagination, novelty, curiosity and energy. These

traits are well worth developing. The average personunderestimates how creative they are. Creativity can be

expressed in our lifestyle, in the way we solve problems, inthe way we dress, in the way we speak, in how we interact

with others and in the way we cook.There is a dark side to creativity. Many famous creative

people show symptoms of extreme personality disorders suchas schizoid, histrionic, narcissistic and manic depressive. The


17/18

DISC Personal Profile System attempts to develop a creativityquotient (CQ) similar to the intelligence quotient (IQ), but hasnot achieved the same level of acceptance. There are thinking

style preferences in creativity such as the inventive style, theimplementing style and the evaluating style. Men and women

are equally creative.Creativity lasts a lifetime despite the fact that some people

consider themselves too old to be creative. Creativity is a

highly desirable skill at any age even though it may vary overthe lifespan of a person. Scientists, artists, politicians,entertainers and writers can remain creative throughout their

lives and into old age.Education plays a critical role in creativity. Deep

knowledge of a particular domain and a fund of generalknowledge is an important resource for creativity. Creative

people need a store of knowledge to fall back on. An

individual must have knowledge of a specific field of study toengage in problem solving related to that field, and make acreative contribution to that domain. Entrepreneurs need to

know their businesses and be knowledgeable and creative iftheir enterprise is to survive and thrive.


18/18

1

W h a t I s C r e a t i v i t y

Introduction

The word creative means to create, to make or to produce.Creativity is creating something that wasn’t there before,

seeing novel relationships between things, ideas, artefacts, products, places and people.The debate about the contribution of nature versus nurture

to creativity still goes on and evokes considerablecontroversy. Historiometry is the study of personal traits

making up genius such as creativity. It covers the lifespan of people who were exceptionally creative and the progress oftheir creativity throughout their lives.

Creativity and innovation are different. Creativity is the production of novel and useful ideas in any field, whereasinnovation is the implementation of these ideas into useful

products. Creative companies actively support a culture ofcreativity.

Creativity is an aspect of intelligence, although peoplewith a high IQ are not necessarily creative. Howard Gardnerhas widened the definition of intelligence to include eight

aspects having a strong creativity bias.The barriers to creativity can be social, corporate and

psychological. The myths of creativity relate to people, ideas,

business and the brain.

Exploring Creativity

The word “creative” or “creativity” comes from the Latinword “creare” which means “to create, to make” or “to

produce.” Beginning in the Renaissance (14th – 17th century),

into the Age of Enlightenment (18th century), and continuing

Documents

Creativity (All you'll ever need to know about being creative) (Paperback)