The Creative Process: A Symposium

by Brewster Ghiselin

This unique anthology brings together material from 38 well-known writers, artists, and scientists who attempt to describe the process by which original ideas come to them. Contributors include Albert Einstein, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Amy Lowell, Rudyard Kipling, Max Ernst, Katherine Anne Porter, Henry Miller, Carl Gustav Jung, Mary Wigman, Yasuo Kuniyoshi, Henri Poincaré and many others.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, Essays, Psychology, Writing, Science, Philosophy

249 pages, Nook

First published January 1, 1954

Reviews

[James Madsen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this when it was entitled simply "The Creative Process." The anthology is an illuminating collection of material from authors, musicians, and scientists about how they individually perceive elements of the mystery of creative inspiration. The individual entries are all in the first person and are culled from historical sources (for example, one entry is from a letter from Mozart) and suffer from not having been initially composed with the goal of the book in mind. However, the entries are nevertheless fascinating, even though it's clear that the creative process is often very idiosyncratic and not well understood even by the most gifted artists themselves.

[Penny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I only read certain sections of this book, but it was a broad sampling of mathematicians, scientist, musicians and poets. The common theme seems to be the now familiar idea that your brain is working on things even when you aren't actively struggling with them. In fact, the alternating pattern of work and "rest" appears to be necessary for creativity to happen.

This may not be earth-shattering news to anyone today, but it isn't always easy to actually put into practice the things we know. Somehow, having Poincare, Einstein and Mozart tell you to take a brain break makes it easier to give yourself permission.

Since I'm reading this for an education class, I'm also thinking about how this applies to learning. We already know that time for "reflection" is important for learning, but somehow the command to write a journal or blog entry that will be graded doesn't seem quite the same as Mozart's "travelling in a carriage, or walking after a good meal" for promoting reflection and creativity. I wonder how we could reasonably build more true reflection time into the classroom (for adult education as well as for kids).

[Daniel Schulte · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a really fun book to read about how people receive "inspiration" on their creative works. I was fascinated to read about the different ways that people approach solving the large problem of, "Create something new!" Using their advice, I think I'm going to go on a walk until some genius idea hits me accidentally. That's not what this book really claims, but I was surprised to see how many people spoke of their great ideas as "strokes of inspiration".

[Seth]

The beginnings of an exploration of the idea of process. Not sure where this idea is leading. This book is a fascinating look at different artists, scientists, mathematicians, etc. and their ideas about how they create. Has not been updated in many years, so there are no entries from anyone who has been active only in the past few decades, but an excellent overview nonetheless.

[Kasandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent. Has essays from people as varied as Mozart and Einstein on creativity and their creative process. Many quotable passages in the book, and valuable in terms of thinking about your own creative process. Will definitely refer to this one again and again, re-reading sections that have been dogeared and underlined!

[Sara Bowling · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book bridged what I felt about the creative process and what I needed to begin to wonder about the CP.
A nice marriage of psychology and creativity, some of it is now outdated. It helped me in grad school, though, and demystified the curious notion of "creative madness."

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though I struggled through his introduction, I took a lot of ideas from it. The rest of the book covers artists (Mozart, James, Wordsworth, Yeats, Miller, Nietzche, Lawrence) and their thought on the creative process.

[Shayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting insight into creative minds.

[Nathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book! It was hard work to read, but every few pages something would leap out and change your life.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s good as a reference, but some of the selections did not really elaborate on the process itself.


NOTE: Read this for HUMA 6300

[Len · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot imagine a "writer" failing to get something out of this book. It's a collection of essays and not all of them are about writing. Some are about the visual arts! One is a letter by Albert Einstein. Another, by Roger Sessions, is about musical composition. Even the art of sculpture is not forgotten.

Most, however, are about writing as writing is believed to be and, in best cases, is a 'creative' enterprise. In a single volume, you will find many writers/authors and all of them, it seems, are "speaking" directly to you. That is especially the case with Thomas Wolfe's "The Story of a Novel". Think of it as a Monet but with words. There are dabs and strokes both here and there and up close they mean very little, but from a respectable distance, the whole will coalesce. In a single setting, Wolfe gives you "his" Paris. The only other "work" which does the same and as well is Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue".

Wolfe writes: "During that summer in Paris, I think I felt this homesickness more than ever before, and I really believe that from this emotion, this constant and almost intolerable effort of memory and desire, the material and the structure of the books I now began to write were derived."

Now --the obligatory "recommendation": get this book. You won't regret it.

[R.W. Clark · Rating 3 out of 5]

A rather uninspired assembly of how they did it essays. The 1960s equivalent of project Gutenberg re-publishing old wine in new bottles.

It does allow the reader, however, to pick up, read, and put down.

[Kate Catanese · Rating 5 out of 5]

Will always re-read.

[Whoof · Rating 4 out of 5]

sick selections, wide variety of sources/mediums. fun looking for common threads between them. The subconscious is important.

I think Henry Miller's was my favorite.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

interesting take on the creative process.