So I recently read a book about creativity and the brain. The author made a great point about how to foster creativity, what with it being a product of free associations in part of the brain called the "Basal Ganglia". She even recommended a person having periods of "free association", whereby one simply puts his head down and just thinks - without any barriers - and with a conscious effort to break down any normal "barriers" between concepts one might have in his head. This is what creativity is all about after all - creative ideas are those that come when someone links concepts in his mind that one wouldnt think of normally doing, and then going "ahh, why didnt I think of that before! Its so obvious!". Of course, its not really all that obvious, because we have artificial (and useful if not necessary) barriers and compartmentalizations as part of how we structure the world around us, and make sense of it. In the creative process however, we must try to break the bonds of those rigid associations, make a conceptual soup so to speak, and allow it to re-solidify into new concepts with brand new shapes we have never seen before. It is like melting a metal ore, and then recasting it into a new and original new piece of jewelry.
Its funny, even though I try to conciously 'melt' certain concepts like this - or think freely, it seems that the very act of getting a thought is precisely because I was led to it after bumping into mental barriers such that said thought finally converged into something. It would then seem that the creative process is not a total breakdown of all associations, but maybe akin to making whatever rigid concepts one has in his head more maleable. Why I am writing this? Oh yeah, I just started a blog so I have to write something.
Anyway, its all really quite interesting - might it be possible to have a computer program aid or help one in turning concepts into mush, so that creativity can then work its way? It would be nice to have an actual example of a creative instance, and then actually map out what associations between words or concepts, and what new ones were made. Einstein is said to have imagined riding on a light wave. Although I suppose that is more imagination than anything else. Still, when I think of something, Ill be sure to write about it. Assuming this wont be my last entry.
Its funny, even though I try to conciously 'melt' certain concepts like this - or think freely, it seems that the very act of getting a thought is precisely because I was led to it after bumping into mental barriers such that said thought finally converged into something. It would then seem that the creative process is not a total breakdown of all associations, but maybe akin to making whatever rigid concepts one has in his head more maleable. Why I am writing this? Oh yeah, I just started a blog so I have to write something.
Anyway, its all really quite interesting - might it be possible to have a computer program aid or help one in turning concepts into mush, so that creativity can then work its way? It would be nice to have an actual example of a creative instance, and then actually map out what associations between words or concepts, and what new ones were made. Einstein is said to have imagined riding on a light wave. Although I suppose that is more imagination than anything else. Still, when I think of something, Ill be sure to write about it. Assuming this wont be my last entry.
