Can creativity be developed?
Everyone is born creative to
smaller or greater degree but in 95 percent of cases, the level of creativity
is lowered between the ages of 5-8 years as one grows up by-
- · Social pressures to confirm.
- · Unimaginative and competitive formal education system.
So what's creativity?
The oxford dictionary meaning of
creativity is the use of imagination or original ideas to create something,
inventiveness. The generation of an original or productive idea put into action
is called creativity. In the same time, it should be cleared that creativity is
different form imagination. Imagination lacks an objective, whereas creativity
involves thought process for certain purpose in a direction to action. Talent,
originality and imagination definitely help creativity.
Creative people are generally curious,
open minded, optimist, enthusiastic, self-motivated, an independent thinker and
usually believes nothing is impossible. Person who have distinguished
themselves in artistic, scientific and entrepreneurial creation exemplify this
duality between integration and diffusion, conveyance and divergence, thesis
and antithesis: psychological studies describe this duality as intellect and
intuition, the conscious and unconscious, conventional and unconventional,
simple and complex.( Encyclopedia Britannica, pp 711-712).
Creativity is neither a born
trait nor a gift of god but can be developed and built up. Prof. William James
of Harvard University has said that the average man develops only ten percent
of his mental ability.
Factors affecting creativity
The factors that affect
creativity in human are given below:
1. Motivation
Motivation refers to the psychological process that gives purpose and
direction to behavior. it is want, need, desire, aspiration, wish, aim, ambition, goal
lead to certain activity and finally learning process that propels the
creative process . i.e;
Performance = f (ability x motivation)
2. Questioning attitude
The famous author, Peter Drucker once said, "Be curious and you
will be innovative." A questioning attitude in man develops learning about
new ideas and techniques for certain purposes.
3. Constructive discontentment
Constructive discontentment is degree of restlessness that activates
the inner urge to think of creative ideas. Those who are content on themselves
are creative less.
4. Perseverance
Perseverance means
continuance in a state of grace leading finally to a state of glory. If a
person has to be creative, should never say die.
5. Guarding against mental blocks
A creative person should guard
against negative dusts of mind that impede creativity. These mental blocks may
be perceptual blocks, cultural blocks, emotional blocks.
Perception means what an
individual experiences at given time. It refers to the process through which the
individual receives structures and interprets information from the environment.
A creative person should look beyond the traditional approach to achieve
breakthrough.
·
Cultural blocks:
It might arise due to
restriction imposed by society in the form of customs, tradition, beliefs and
laws. It may include tendency to over- generalized, using statistical approach,
following taboos, social beliefs and having mind set ie; a set in pattern of
thinking.
·
Emotional
blocks:
Emotional blocks in human is due to
negative feeling such as fear of making pioneering effort, fear of appearing before
a crowd, timidity and tension. It's about strong determination, courage,
conviction, faith and belief in themselves to overcome this blocks from mind.
The ability to innovate and create faster than your competitors may be
only sustainable competitive advantages. Since the global market becomes
interconnected, all things in this globe will become complex, concrete, dynamic
and competitive. So, the key for survival and existence in competitive today's
and future then is creativity and innovation. Yes! May be the next step is to
develop of our own habit of creativity and attempt to implement in daily life
to adapt not only survive to this dynamic global competition.
