Creativity and Its Source

“What is the big idea” is an essay by Guy Claxton (2004) discusses where creative people get their inspiration. Claxton explains in his essay that imagine pleasant things is very important to the creative mind. Moreover he asserts that reverie comes down to nurture instead of nature and creativity is lost without an instinctive ability. Cluxton gives some specific examples from ideas of Ted Hughes and agrees his point of view. I mostly agree with Cluxton’s ideas about source of creativity.

The author of the essay claims that some unforeseen events, which is pretty well-formed and some proofs indicates that most of the people get their best ideas when they are off guard or unexpected it. I agree with his opinions because approximately, all best ideas get with regard to coincidence. Creative people have a more intimate relationship with the “fringes of their mind” and they catch the flash of an idea as it lie down their consciousness. If you have to be able to catch ideas when they come up from unconscious means you can use your creativity well. Most of creative people had been found ideas come up from unhoped times. For example, Newton discovered gravity force when apple had fallen down his head coincidencely. This event had enabled him inspiration. After that he had noticed gravity force with respect to this incident. However, not every best idea gets in coincidence. You need to try to produce something new. For instance, Alexander Graham Bell (inventor of the telephone) invented the telephone to connect his girlfriend. He had got their inspiration to his love.

The writer asserts that “creativity is mainly learnt”. People get their creativity from their parents. Furthermore, creative people do instinctively know the value of changing the rhythms of work. Simultaneously this enables them very important flexibility of mind. Experiments have revealed that creative people have different view from others. That is the skill to receive ideas, inspiration and to be able to concentrate and work on those ideas. This process called ‘elaboration phase’. Both creative and non-creative people were able to apply themselves this phase. Although creative people couldn’t do this, they instinctively know when it was right to be focused. If you foster people relaxing they can increase ideas numbers which they think and maybe they can do the same thing intuitively like creative people. For example, people may do meditation related activities to relax and produce more ideas.

In summary, Guy Cluxton’s “What is the big idea?” and my personal opinions about the inspiration source which we have almost similar. People get their inspiration unexpected incidents and coincidence as Cluxton said (2004).If we want to be more creative, we have to able to catch ideas as they come up from coincidence. To do this we need relaxation.

written by: Hasan AYGIR