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Marco Lemcke

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What is Creativity?

Dear Ted'sters,

I am working on a Project that is based on the Question "What is creativity?"

The internet is full of scinitfic ansawers, but I am intrested in the Personal Opinions of you guys out there?

For Example:

What is creativity in your daily lifes?
What Inspires your creativity?
What kind of thinking makes some people more Creative then others
?

etc...


It would be a great help to me if you could sit down for 5 min an Brainstorm about what Creativity actualy is!

Thank you very much
Best Regards from Hamburg/ Germany

Marco

Related Talks:
Topics: creative creativity ideas inspiration
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    Sue Morris

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    Jan 8 2012: Creativity is seeing possibilities rather than obstacles.
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    Thadeus Frei

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    Jan 8 2012: More than anything creativity is about connecting things and to do this one has to be a universalist rather than a specialist. Ultimately perspective is the function of creativity, another word for perspective is sympathy. If this isn't clear enough we can look at the converse which would be someone who only looks at direct results and focuses only on what is "relevant".
    It is a way of allowing emotions (and the reason for them) rather than resisting them. Creativity is imperative, even, in the most uncreative of situation for it is after all a reflection of humanity and not a doctrine asserted on to it.
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    Udit Kumar Sahoo

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    Jan 7 2012: Creativity is something that makes others feel that "Hey!! I never thought this way!!!!!". It'll vary from person to person.
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    Sebastian Betti 500+

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    HostTED AttendeeTED TranslatorAssociateLanguage Coordinator
    Jan 6 2012: For me creativity has to do with challenging the common sense, with experimenting a sense of self challenge, it has to do with the inventive thinking, with the fun spirit of play, with a positive nonconformity, with a desire to see things differently for the sake of it. I see it as a way to explore and exercise our innate curiosity, a way to experiment a deep feeling of discovery, a way to cope with uncertainty and ambiguity, a desire to questioning others and ourselves in search of wonder, a way to 'domesticate' the unexpected.

    Related link:
    http://creativity.stanford.edu/
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    Neel Prabhu

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    Jan 5 2012: The beauty of your thought which gets translated in some kind of action can be one of the ways in which creativity can be defined..
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    Helena Ripoll Hazell 20+

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    TED Translator
    Jan 5 2012: Watch "Pina" the docummentary about Pina Bausch. I believe is being presented at the Berlin International Film Festival next February. It may give you some answers.

    I watched it last night and I'm still overwhelmed by it's beauty and humanity. Amazing talent.
    http://youtu.be/LGKzXUWAjnI
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    natasha nikulina 50+

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    TED Translator
    Jan 5 2012: What is Creativity ?
    For me it is an attempt to give a voice to my intuition.
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    Scott Armstrong 50+

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    Jan 4 2012: I think it relies more on the "space" provided than any one particular human trait.
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    Md Santo

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    Jan 4 2012: CREATIVITY BASED ON COMPLEXITY THEORY AND
    KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT MODEL FRAMEWORK

    My point of view based on Complexity Theory :
    • Creativity : is the output of the ability in managing chaos (chaotic condition)
    • Innovation : is the output in using maximum (highest) effective complexity in learning state
    • Invention : is the output of doing work of well planned controllable and predictable high complexity of determinacies …

    My point of view based on Human System Biology-based Knowledge Management (HSBKM) model framework :
    • Invention mostly generated from high complexity of KM Process Framework
    • Innovation mostly generated from KM Process Framework with KM Standards Culture and Value driven by maximum (highest) effective complexity in learning state
    • Creativity mostly generated also from KM Process Framework with KM Standards Culture and Value but driven by less effective complexity in learning state

    Ref generated from http://gravatar.com/mdsanto
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    lynn eschbach 30+

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    Jan 4 2012: Creativity is like a fragrant rose blooming in one's mind causing one to pause before going forward.
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    Gerald O'brian 50+

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    Jan 3 2012: It is computation related in some aspect to objective reality.

  • Zared Schwartz

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    Jan 3 2012: Creativity is creating the idea from the ideal and then, creating the model from that idea. In other words, it is trying out different methods for desired goals.
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      Frans Kellner 100+

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      TED Translator
      Jan 5 2012: This you describe looks to me like engineering or designing. It takes a flexible mind though, however it isn't creative as it is to create what means to bring in the world what never before existed.

      • Zared Schwartz

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        Jan 6 2012: It is the only way possible to bring an idea to this world.
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          Frans Kellner 100+

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          TED Translator
          Jan 7 2012: I think there's another way.
          Ask for what you desire, concentrate on the desired and let it go. Any solution or form, or concept will surface after a while. You just have to be alert and pick it up. Leave the mind out of it all and put your feeling to it. If someone is balanced and in a good feeling it's easy.
          The universe delivers everything at will and is all knowledgeable. We can’t compete with our limited mind but only have to make it visible for that mind which takes some practice.
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          Julija L. 30+

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          TED Translator
          Jan 7 2012: Engineering and designing can be uncreative.
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        Juliette Zahn 50+

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        Jan 7 2012: Frans!! You took the words right out of my head !!:-)

        • Zared Schwartz

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          Jan 7 2012: No matter what you say. All models come from ideas that were created for to fulfill ideals and in that sense, you cannot argue there is another way for an idea to be introduce to you. Then again, creativity just might be finding new solutions to problems.
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    Fritzie Reisner 100+

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    Host
    Jan 3 2012: Marco, I don't know how comprehensive a study you are doing. Have you read Csikzenmihalyi's book called Creativity? There is a Cambridge Handbook of Creativity that compiles articles from leading scholars who study creativity.

    I am sure you noticed that there are several dozen TED talks about creativity.
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    Julija L. 30+

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    TED Translator
    Jan 3 2012: To me, creativity is a good relationship between unconscious and conscious mind; it's when conscious mind 'listens' what conscious mind 'tells' and does that in a understandable way.
    1.When conscious mind' listens' but does not participate much in doing art or behaving, for other people it's not understandable; the example of this case - J. Joyce "Ulysses";
    2.When conscious mind listens to the unconscious one and contributes quite much to reveal an idea or sth, it's mostly understandable to others.
    3.When conscious mind does not listen but does something like 'an art', there's no art.
    Between 1 and 2 cases, less of one, more of the the other vary, of course.
    When conscious mind listens to the unconscious but does not do anything, that probably a problem.
    I was thinking about this, so I just write an answer which occurred to me. Maybe it does not sound very fluent here, but in my mind it's fluent and logical.

    • Zared Schwartz

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      Jan 3 2012: The individual cannot understand their own subconscious.It is literally impossible. By the meaning of the conscious mind and by the meaning of the subconscious mind, it is literally impossible for the ego to understand its superego.
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        Julija L. 30+

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        TED Translator
        Jan 3 2012: Unconscious mind throws to our conscious minds various associations almost all the time (as well as intuition time to time).

        • Zared Schwartz

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          Jan 3 2012: Yes, but the conscious mind is not aware of its own subconscious mind. This is why analytic psychology exists.
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        Julija L. 30+

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        TED Translator
        Jan 3 2012: And it's extremely interesting.
        But conscious mind perceives those associations and intuition in words, in symbols in views, in feelings etc.
        Many creators after creating a masterpiece spoke about god; maybe that was incomprehensible yet existing unconscious... (not a comprehensible by some yet non-existing ... ouch)

        • Zared Schwartz

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          Jan 4 2012: Yes, but the connection is subtle and one cannot improve that connection by any means. The artist does not focus on that connection and the subconscious does not necessarily make the masterpiece. The superego protects and organizes the ego but does not control the ego in terms of its actions.
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        Julija L. 30+

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        TED Translator
        Jan 4 2012: YES, BUT the intense of the connection differs at times, don't you think so? (I mean not conscious and unconscious mind but conscious and the things (initiative etc.) unconscious dropped to conscious, and they are already in conscious, hm hm).
        A fiction example: I just saw leaf falling from a tree, my unconscious drops association of me having broken an aquarium, the breakage of the glass, the water covered the floor. I had much work with that. Will that not bring any emotions to me, even a little, even for a several seconds?
        I've read about an experiment, when some people were made to enter the room, sit, and listen to the list of the the words like raisin and other which relate to old rage, but not from the first sight (raisin is WRINKLED grape). When the list ended, people we asked to leave the room. They walked differently, not alike when entering. They were more crouched, slower...

        • Zared Schwartz

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          Jan 4 2012: Misconception, the intense of that connection can not be strengthened or weakened just by observation of the individual in the connection. Priming justifies your concept because certain memories are trigger by similar associations. For example, a rabbit might trigger you to remember a time where you got your hair cut due to the known word hare. The experiment you speak of is too vague on explanation. Either way, it does not justify your point. The connection is just normal mental activity.
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        Julija L. 30+

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        TED Translator
        Jan 5 2012: My example of leaf watching was not about the stronger or weaker connection but to your point superego does not control ego. The experiment is described in Malcolm Gladwell' s Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking. The experiment is a little different, but I do not remember it the whole, so I retold the main part, main results. I will try to find that part about the experiment in the book.
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          Frans Kellner 100+

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          TED Translator
          Jan 5 2012: Julija, I think your comments make a lot of sense.

          "The Power of Thinking Without Thinking.", Taoist call this "Wu Wei".
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        Julija L. 30+

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        TED Translator
        Jan 5 2012: Natasha Nikulina below said something similar to what I had: 'For me it is an attempt to give a voice to my intuition.'
        I'm SO happy there's a person saying something alike to me.
        About the psychologist who made that experiment, about the experiment and more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Bargh
        I just have no idea if that 'automation', someone's influence on our unconscious which makes us do something needs NONE of our consciousness; especially if the action lasts longer than 1-5 secs or it actually needs.

        • Zared Schwartz

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          Jan 6 2012: It is focusing on the behavioral perspective and chooses nurture over nature, so it does not focus on the genetic impact and the cognitive ability of the individual. This does not mean it is wrong. It just neglects that we have some free will over our actions for we are aware of those actions and those actions are effected by genetics. Then again, I could be misinterpreting the provided information.
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    edward long 100+

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    Jan 3 2012: Someone said there are three kinds of people: 1) Creators who solve problems by conceiving and developing a solution. 2) Users who maneuver through life by utilizing whatever is readily available to them. 3) Destroyers who plunder their environment with no thought for solving or improving anything. I think that defines creativity in a round-about way. Thanks Marco.

  • Michael M 30+

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    Jan 3 2012: For me creativity is that ability to take something, an image I see (in my photography), words and ideas (in my head), and re-arrange them to make something beautiful. Creativity to me is producing the beautiful so others can enjoy it.
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    Benny boy

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    Jan 3 2012: conceiving, and comprehending, using imagination, i believe in creative energy that comes from my spirit, i would also say opposite to destructive, yet even that i consider creative because you have to conceive of something destructive you want to do or something you want to destroy which is therefore creative.

    some people are less destructive, and accept that they are creative at some level, some people think they arn't creative at all and deny that they are creative so they are probably more destructive. lol thats my reasoning hope you like it.

  • Marco Lemcke

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    Jan 3 2012: If you know any Artikles, Blog-Post, or talks on this Topic that you recommend! I would be more than happy if you could send me a link! Thank you
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