About book Creativity: Flow And The Psychology Of Discovery And Invention (1997)
This was a good if not a great book. Its greatest strength lies in the thesis introduced early on and supported throughout that the kind of creativity that leaves a trace in the cultural matrix rests not in the personal creativity of the individual, but in what Csikszentmihalyi tags the “systems approach “ to creativity. To have any effect, a creative idea must be couched in terms that are understandable to others, pass muster with the experts in the field (i.e. the gatekeepers to the domain), and be included within the cultural domain (the set of symbolic rules or procedures) to which it belongs. In this systems view, the definition of a creative person is someone whose thoughts or actions change a domain or establish a new domain (pp. 27-28). This is no easy task, especially since he or she needs to learn the existing domain or domains first, and almost always necessitates being in the right place at the right time (e.g. studying quantum physics at the beginning of the 20th century or women seeking academic opportunities when WWII broke out). Having established this in the first 30 pages, if you didn’t read the remaining 350 you wouldn’t miss much. But I still enjoyed reading the stories and thoughts of selected individuals whom the author deemed as “creative” according to the definition above (However, I disagreed with the selection of a few of these and would have chosen at least one more person of faith in addition to the Quaker who was briefly highlighted. Also on the issue of faith, I found the author's grouping on page 371 of studying the bible with addictive behaviors such as cruising the internet and betting on horse races to be rather laughable!).Some additional personal nuggets I gleaned from this book include the following:1.tThose who persevere and succeed must be creative not only in their manipulation of symbols but maybe even more in shaping a career and a future for themselves that will enable them to survive while continuing to explore the strange universe in which they live (p. 199).2.tWhen seeking to allow your mind to make new connections in a beautiful setting, just sitting and watching is fine, but taking a leisurely walk seems to be even better. The shaping of one’s personal space is also important. The Greek philosophers settled on the peripatetic method, preferring to discuss ideas walking up and down in the courtyards of the academy. When we participate in this kind of “semiautomatic activity” that uses a certain amount of attention, we allow the rest of it to be free to make connections among ideas, often from different domains, well below the threshold of conscious intentionality. “Devoting full attention to a problem is not the best recipe for having creative thoughts. “(p. 138)3.tBoth creativity and innovation on the one hand and conservation and traditionalism on the other are both equally important. “Neither uncritical acceptance nor wholesale dismissal of human creativity will lead us far. “ (p. 322)The final section deals with how to enhance personal creativity. Some of these ideas were helpful (e.g. to seek to be surprised and to seek to surprise another person at least once every day, to seek to look at problems from multiple perspectives instead of assuming you see the issue clearly from one perspective, etc.) but others just seem to be taking up space on the page. I’m afraid the phraseology of how to use psychic energy more effectively on page 356 and a few other places lost my interest almost completely.
An extremely thought intriguing read. Consists of a compact compilation of research results with corroborated hypotheses on the subject of creativity, in which the author has spent, a course of 30 years studying in - to coin his trademark, flow. - The characterization of different fundamental forms of creativity - Personal creativity - Brilliance - Creativity [With the capital C]- The incorporation of the systems approach into the processes of how creative ideas are born and released into society. - The variables responsible for the nurturing and destruction of the creative individual. I find his concept of 'systems theory' in the processes of creativity incredibly compelling simply because it is undeniably coherent. The three main variables that he touches on with regards to the systems approach on creativity are, 1. Individual creativity2. Domain [The professionalized skillset of the individual. e.g. economics, the arts, chemistry etc.]3. Field [The community of practising experts and dominant authority in the validation of the inflow of work and maintaining the integrity of the domain] Mihaly has managed to provide us with a distinctly coherent and substantiated corroboration, through strong historical and contemporary suppoort, of the workings of creativity and its impact on society [vice versa].
Do You like book Creativity: Flow And The Psychology Of Discovery And Invention (1997)?
2 stars="it was ok"I was interested in this book at first, but Csikszentmihalyi believes your work has to go thru the acceptance of those already in the field and contribute to the culture in order to be considered "creative." I was thinking, "I don't think I agree but I'll keep reading. . .because I have to. For class." Then I felt annoyed that I had to read about creative men who couldn't bother with mundane life responsibility stuff, gender role stuff, and I was like, "Should I skim this? ugh" but I did enjoy finding out about Jonas Salk and his idea for this beautiful center where minds from all disciplines could come together, even tho it didn't work out.These 2-star Amazon reviews match my thoughts.This idea to create something different is not my aim, and shouldn't be anybody's aim. Because, first of all, if you are a designer or a playful person in any of these crafts, you have to be able to function a long life, and you can't always try to be different. . .To be different means not like this and not like that. . .No negative impulse can work, can produce any happy creation. Only a positive one.—artist Eva Zeisel, p. 72
—Vicky
Mihaly's book "Flow" told us that the way to happiness involves mindful challenges.The author studied creative people, and tells us what he found. But more importantly for the reader, he gives us his ideas for making our lives as creative as his interviewees.10 Dimensions of CreativityPhysical EnergySmartPlayfulness & DisciplineFantasy & RealityExtrovert & IntrovertHumble & ProudEscape Rigid Gender Role StereotypingTraditional & RebelliousPassionateSuffering and EnjoymentFor those who have seen the recent movie Divergent, I came across this quote in the book:"Divergent thinking is often perceived as deviant by the majority, and so the creative person may feel isolated and misunderstood."Tips for Creative ActivityCuriosity & Interest Try to be surprised every day Try to surprise someone every dayCultivate Flow in Everyday Life Specific Goal every day Enjoy Activity through increasing complexityHabits of Strength Scheduling Reflection and Relaxation Shape your space Find What you like and hate Do more what you love, less what you hateInternal Traits Aim for ComplexityProblem Finding Differing Viewpoints Implications/Solutions to problemsDivergent Thinking Produce many ideas Unlikely IdeasChoose a Special DomainSome of the creative people interviewed for the book include Hans Bethe, Freeman Dyson, Stephen J. Gould, Eugene McCarthy, Linus Pauling, Jonas Salk, and Benjamin Spock.So Go Forth and Create!
—John Orman
Though it took me a couple of chapters to get used to the author's tone, I have found the book to be very enjoyable. It provides a definition of creativity that I've never thought about before, that includes not only the creative person, but also the community/specialists whose recognition are needed for the creativity to be valid.The book is very well organized. I like how it breaks creativity and the factors involved in it down into subtopics and offers extensive analysis of each. The book talks about creativity, creative people, and the creative process. I think each topic is given exactly as much attention as it needs, never too little or too much. I also really like how parts of the interviews with creative people within the text are used. It makes the ideas presented seem more credible and gives them more meaning somehow. There are also a lot of examples that make the presented ideas easy to understand.Rather than a how-to book, I find an exploration of what creativity is and how it comes about much more interesting. I think this book is essential for anyone who considers themselves creative.
—Ruby
