Inspired!: The Science of Creativity

by Scientific American

Creativity was long thought to be a gift from the muses, a special quality of a select minority of people. Fortunately, more recent studies have debunked this belief and have shown promise for techniques to help us all boost our creative potential. Nature gives some people a genetic edge, but nurture has a large role in developing creative genius. In this eBook, we look at this difficult-to-define quality from all where creativity comes from, lessons we can learn from creative geniuses and how to cultivate creativity. In "The Unleashed Mind," Shelley Carson writes that genetic variations may make some people more open to thoughts or ideas that get stuck in the average person's mental filters – and these variations may also explain why creative people exhibit eccentric behavior, or even suffer from mental illness. On the nurture side, Dean Keith Simonton illustrates in "The Science of Genius" that training and exposure to unfamiliar ideas and experiences play essential roles in shaping creativity. In "Your Fertile Brain at Work," Evangelia G. Chrysikou looks at how breaking down established ways of looking at the world and encouraging unconscious thought processes can increase creative potential. Several stories discuss the role of dreams and imagination, including "Answers While You Sleep," in which Deirdre Barrett writes that thinking of specific dilemmas before bed increases the chances of dreaming a solution. In "Let Creativity Soar," Scientific American Editor in Chief Mariette DiChristina and a panel of experts address other powerful techniques for cultivating creativity. We hope that these techniques, and this eBook as a whole, will help unleash your own creative self.

154 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 12, 2014

About the author

Scientific American , as an institutional author, is a popular science magazine founded by Rufus M. Porter and controlled by Nature Publishing Group since autumn, 2008. Mariette DiChristina has been editor-in-chief since December, 2009.

Reviews

[James Taborn · Rating 3 out of 5]

several interesting articles

There are several articles in this collection that are interesting from a human interest angle. You'll probably be disappointed if looking for concrete, unexpected ways to boost your creativity. Easy to read.

[Alex Shrugged · Rating 4 out of 5]

Normally I would give this type of collection of articles 3 stars, but I found the articles on genius and on lucid dreaming very interesting. That boosted the overall rating.

Contents

Section 1-Where Creativity Comes From (00:07)
o The Origins of Creativity by Heather Pringle (27:48)
o Predicting Artistic Brilliance by Jennifer E. Drake and Ellen Winner (21:23)
o So You Want to Be a Genius by Daisy Yuhas (05:11)
o The Science of Genius by Dean Keith Simonton (27:20)

Section 2-Lessons From Creative Geniuses (00:07)
o The Unleashed Mind by Shelley Carson (26:26)
o Charles J. Limb-Inner Sparks by Alicia Anstead (15:07)
o Brian Wilson-A Cork on the Ocean by Brian Levine (24:49)
o Leonardo da Vinci, Neuroscientist by Jonathan Pevsner (21:39)
o Unveiling the Real Evil Genius by Ingrid Wickelgren (08:01)

Section 3-The Creative Unconscious (00:07)
o Answers While You Sleep by Deirdre Barrett (23:46)
o Unlocking the Lucid Dream by Ursula Voss (09:57)
o Living in an Imaginary World by Josie Glausiusz (28:20)
o The Serious Need for Play by Melinda Wenner Moyer (24:25)

Section 4-Cultivating Creativity (00:07)
o Your Fertile Brain at Work by Evangelia G. Chrysikou (26:05)
o Let Your Creativity Soar by Mariette DiChristina, John Houtz, Julia Cameron, and Robert Epstein (23:09)
o Engines of Innovation by Edward Glaeser (12:22)
o Bigger Cities Do More with Less by Luís M.A. Bettencourt and Geoffrey B. West (10:21)
o Switching on Creativity by Allan W. Snyder and Sophie Ellwood (17:20)

[mono · Rating 3 out of 5]

Starts off with short articles about the Beach Boys Brian Wilson & Da Vinci. The section on dreams is pure speculation. SA ebook chapters.

I wasn't expecting to find a nice theory about the importance of playing games in youth. Stuart Brown interviewed 6k individuals finding if people lacked an open playful environment, they were less likely to play nice with others. reference article

[JanaT · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed the different points of view. Appreciated practical pieces of advice on kids.