Week 2: Creativity

Reflections

I’ve never thought about creativity in such depth before and was surprised by how many cognitive processes take place that I’d otherwise not have noticed happening.

I like the ICEDIP method for creative thinking as it essentially permits radical thinking while giving ample time to clarify, evaluate and consider before acting.

Learning about Computational Creativity (Colton n.d.) was certainly eye-opening and a stark reminder of what is possible. Yes, a computer or software can appear to be creative by simulating human emotions. Still, I very much agree with the argument that we, as humans, need more evidence of the thought process and what steps have contributed to the content being “created”. I’m almost sceptical that the software can generate ideas through machine learning, but perhaps that’s due to my limited knowledge of software capabilities.

First impressions on Opposite Thinking: it certainly has benefits in expanding a concept and exploring elements that may, otherwise, have been overlooked. I look forward to applying this to problems faced at work and (hopefully) experiencing the benefits of this method.

Having listened to various videos and articles about creativity, some described it as being like a muscle that, with practice, can be built upon and developed. Creativity tends to stem from a problem and is used to examine and propose possible solutions. I’ve never thought of creativity as something you can get better at, and having now had time to mull over this idea, I see how it’s possible.

(Dietrich 2016)

---

Spark Forum Post

Task: Think about times you've had to channel your inner creativity. Explain what happened and if, in doing so, it changed how you saw things.

In all honesty, it's taken me some time to contemplate what gets my creative juices flowing. A few articles I've read this week have suggested that creativity is something you can develop and improve. I wouldn't consider my academic and professional endeavours to have been particularly creative. However, this belief is consistent with an idea construed throughout my readings. People's perception of the term creativity differs vastly, and some wouldn't consider their work creative when it is (TEDx Talks 2015). Creativity tends to stem from a problem that needs to be solved, thus evoking an analytical process whereby various ideas are generated, considered and possibly implemented.

With that in mind, I got to thinking about problems I'd come across in the past and what I'd done to overcome them. I tend to adopt a practical approach to problem-solving but have never before considered this in any way creative.

My first port of call on any quest towards creativity is to relieve stress by writing down my thoughts, thereby transferring them from my conscience and onto paper. Similarly, I find swimming a great reliever of stress, as, after a few lengths, I find myself having processed my thoughts and regaining a sense of clarity.

To record my ideas or, at the very least, start generating them, I lean towards bullet-pointed lists where I can categorise and sub-categorise until my heart's content. Much like a mind-map, listing ideas linearly allows a birdseye view of the subject, as well as allowing additional points to be slotted in where necessary. When dealing with screeds of notes, I find it easier to work with lists and avoid mind-maps due to their sometimes cluttered appearance.

Another tool I gravitate towards when trying to expand my knowledge or find inspiration is YouTube. I'll tend to make playlists of videos relevant to a particular interest and later watch or listen to gain insight into an idea, concept or subject area. I find this method particularly useful as videos tend to be presented in a more conversational style, making it easier to absorb what's being said. With that in mind, YouTube videos offer a contrasting option to reading academic articles or otherwise published materials that encapsulate a more formal style.

---

References

COLTON, Simon. n.d. Computational Creativity Full - Part 1 [Film]. Available at: https://learn.falmouth.ac.uk/courses/240/pages/week-2-computational-creativity?module_item_id=9140 [accessed 2 Oct 2021].

DIETRICH, Alice. 2016. Photo by Alice Dietrich on Unsplash. Available at: https://unsplash.com/photos/FwF_fKj5tBo [accessed 20 Jan 2022].

TEDX TALKS. 2015. The shape of ideation | Stefan Mumaw | TEDxLawrence [Film]. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BErt2qRmoFQ [accessed 2 Oct 2021].