Creativity and eureka experience
In my hours of
inspiration I am stronger than that hill, that person, that tree. In
ecstasy they are stronger than me. When inspired I radiate out onto them
and flatten them; in ecstasy they radiate onto me and I become one with
them. The poet is a person who takes in passively for a long time, then
gives out suddenly.
Gerald Brenan
Very often, scientists talk about the ‘eureka experience’, the sight
that comes suddenly from discovering what data from experiments and
research mean. Like the scientist, budding writers should get ready for
the eureka experience by getting interested in whatever the subjects
they choose. They should dig deep into the subject and keep on writing
until they get the real break.
Writers have many ways to get ready for the eureka experience. As
pinpointed in a previous column, they can keep a journal. Brainstorming
with others or by themselves is another way to get the eureka
experience. Most writers prepare a list of ideas as they occur to them.
Then they try free writing for a while until they are ready to start
on serious subjects. Beginners who take to writing should read randomly
and then purposefully.

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi: Real creativity can only emerge once we
have mastered the medium or domain in which we work. |
What scientists call eureka experience comes close to inspiration for
they appear to be accompanied by a kind of ecstasy. Eureka experience or
inspiration is a prelude to creativity. However, real creativity can
only emerge once we have mastered the medium or domain in which we work.
For a poet or novelist, creativity is essential for his work.
Masterpiece
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (pronounced Chick - sent - me - hi) is a
psychologist who turned his mind to creativity before writing his
masterpiece titled Flow. He tried to understand why some people were
creative while others did not display any sparks of creativity. Of
course, Mihaly was not interested in what he called ‘small c’ creativity
that helped people to make a cake or choose a curtain. He was more
concerned with creativity that changed the whole domain of human
endeavour. For instance, a novel such as Anna Karenina can only be
written by a truly creative person. Mihaly wanted to know how they did
such wonderful creations.
Mihaly was no armchair psychologist. He interviewed more than 100
eminent people including philosopher Mortimer J. Adler, physicist John
Bardeen, economist Kenneth Boulding and biologist Barry Commoner. After
studying their contributions to their domains, Mihaly came to the
conclusion that creativity results from a complex interaction between a
person and his environment or culture. Creativity, he found, also
depended on timing.
According to Mihaly, even the gifted few did not get the eureka
experience suddenly as if a bolt of lightning struck them. For
creativity to thrive, there should be a technological or cultural
background. In other words, we should develop the domain to facilitate
the birth of creative people. For instance, when the great Renaissance
artist Michelangelo was born, the culture of artistic patronage was in
place. Similarly, Albert Einstein and Thomas Alva Edison were links in a
chain. They would not have invented the Theory of Relativity or
electricity if the domain had not been developed at the time.
Recognition
Any creation, whether it is a novel or a new machine, has to be
recognised by the people. When there is no receptive audience, the
creation vanishes. On the other hand, the eureka experience will not
come out of the blue because creativity is the result of many years of
hard work and commitment. Thus recognition as a writer or scientist will
not depend on luck or stars. Luck comes after long years of hard work in
the domain you work.
Most local writers want to be celebrities overnight. When they write
a novel or a collection of poetry, they clamour for recognition in the
media. Sometimes they spend heavily on book launching ceremonies,
thinking that recognition and awards would come their way. Getting cheap
publicity is easy. However, a great work has to stand the test of time.
William Shakespeare and Leo Tolstoy are two great writers who stood the
test of time for recognition.
Any creative person must master their domain. In simple words,
anybody who aspires to be a poet should read the poetry written by
eminent poets. Similarly, if you have not read the essays of Thomas
Hardy or Carlyle, you will never be an essayist. In addition, anybody
who wishes to feel the eureka experience should be equipped with
sufficient curiosity and drive. |