Longitude Sound Bytes: Series Synopsis | Creativity – by Bilge Arslan
Creativity: What is creativity and what sparks creativity?
Difficulties and constraints spark creativity because problems push us to come up with solutions, which in turn leads to opportunities to think outside of the box.
“Solving problems” is a concept that mostly comes to mind when talking about creativity (Ep01). This is true for some cases and sectors but hearing about a variety of experiences in different fields shows that being creative is more than solving problems. Especially in the arts, inspiration can cause creativity, as Anthony Brandt (Ep08) touches upon. What has been done by others in the past can encourage us to create for ourselves (Ep06). Then, we can share our creation and inspire others as well. Glory Nwaugbala (Ep10) indicates that creativity for her is to use old experiences to create new ones. In this sense, creativity is a continuous force that connects the past, the present, and the future. It is like a flowing river that is home to diverse species and allows for various plants to flourish in the places it passes by. Creativity is the way we get inspired by the past to shape the future by acting in the present.
Creativity is both a personal and collective experience. Some professions require people to collaborate while being creative. Leticia Roinesdal, senior manager at Deloitte Consulting, talks about how her job involves getting her clients to think creatively by organizing labs and ideation sessions (Ep03). Ozeal DeBastos talks about creative collaboration (Ep11), which consists of bringing people together in a safe space where they can share their ideas freely. On the other hand, there should be moments where we reflect on forming a path to our own unique creativity. What works for others in terms of generating creativity might not work for us. As Jasmeet Sidhu (Ep05) says, there is no single formula that leads to creativity.
Sticking to a routine or embarking on a brand new journey can give birth to creativity. Carrie Ott-Holland (Ep09) thinks that creativity requires someone to be boring for a long time. This is because one needs to invest time to become good or to develop a strong foundation in their area. Being knowledgeable about a field and developing skills related to a specific interest can be helpful to spark creativity. Laura Huang (Ep04) also mentions that creativity is about patterns. Nonetheless, going out of your comfort zone, challenging the status-quo, and seeing what you know about your field from a different perspective can be definitely helpful to be creative as well. For instance, the labs and brainstorm sessions Vinita Israni (Ep02) organizes encourages being creative by changing the usual environment and ways of thinking.
Being brave and open to try new things, discover new fields, learn, and take risks usually seem to contribute to creativity. Our creative process is intimately tied to everything that we have taken in already. Molly Turner (Ep07), an artist and a musician, says creativity is a result of observations in our lives, and being “mindful” observers.
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