Thanks to the University of Minnesota’s College of Continuing Education for having me speak at your annual Town Hall meeting. This post is for you.
First, two articles on what psychologists call “sudden insight.” While I cautioned against getting too excited about that Eureka! feeling (aha! means “pay attention to this” not necessarily “I’m a genius”) those moments are still important and fun.
Aha! Favors the Prepared Mind (courtesy of ScienceDaily)
The Eureka Hunt by Jonah Lehrer (.pdf of article from The New Yorker)
Second, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point professor emerita Leslie Owen Wilson has a nice, brief overview of the eight aspects of divergent thinking.
They’re all important, but personally I think fluency (the ability to generate a lot of ideas), risk-taking and curiosity are the most important. Volume, fearlessness and an appetite for knowledge will take you far.
Third, the opening credits to Katamari Damacy, a Japanese video game (aka 59 seconds of pure divergent thinking):
Finally, divergent thinking is nothing without convergent thinking. We often discount the creative contributions of analytical thinkers, but without focus, limits, and consensus, then divergent thinking can lead to creativity for creativity’s sake. You can—and will—do better.
Good luck.
This is a great subject. “Curiosity… and the appetite for knowledge….” I always thought David Halberstam had the best job, writing on an endless diversity ofsubjects from baseball to Viet Nam, to the auto industry and a myriad of others. Interviewed by Charlie Rose, he said that he had no special knowledge as he entered each topic, and each became like an intense grad-school program of discovery (paraphrasing).
Thanks for the link ot the Lehrer article. His book “Proust was a Neuroscientist” is on the shelf alongside “Head Case”.
I always have made better art when under severe constraints, be they time, money, or requirements.
I love epiphanous moments, a la Joyce.
I bet these are in the same ballbark?
I read the first article and it totally makes sense to me! I have a lot of these AHA moments when I’m out jogging, and I often zone out so that when I ‘come to’ again, I’ve jogged a short distance I don’t remember covering.
Interesting post!