Last time we came up with a working definition of creativity as 1) connecting with the world and 2) affecting it in a meaningful way. We also looked at the various ways in which we engage the world through 1) our senses 2) our thoughts (including thoughts about how we perceive ourselves) and 3) our […]
Are You Black, White, Red, or Yellow? Creativity and The Truth about Racial Interdependence
One of the main tenants of creativity and leading a creative life is experiencing the interdependence of all things everywhere. Nothing could be more telling of this truth than the myth of “pure” races. The curiously creative human organism first arose in Africa, some 150,000 years ago, then migrated north, south, east, and westwards, developing […]
Creativity and Precious Human Birth
There is a saying in Buddhism which goes as follows: “Contemplate the preciousness of being born free and well favored. This is difficult to gain and easy to lose. Now I must do something meaningful.” This saying is know as “Precious Human Birth” and is the first saying of what is known as The Four […]
Five Star Rating for My New eBook on Creativity
I am proud to say that I have received my first customer review on Amazon. It appears that my ebook, Between the Bridge and The Water: Death, Rebirth, and Creative Awakening is starting to have an impact on the way people think about creativity. Here’s the review: Insightful, Graphic, Intense, Thought-provoking April 23, 2012 By […]
Understanding Creativity Across Art, Science, and Religion Part I
It is common for people to pigeonhole creativity into a specific type of activity such as art, invention, or innovation. It is also common for people to say that there are creative “types” out there, those that seem to be inherently more creative than others. But from my own perspective, all of human activities share […]
New Report Confirms Age-Old Wisdom: Walking About In Nature Sparks Creativity
Like many of you, as the owner of both a smartphone and a laptop computer, so long as my devices are on, I tend to be inundated with information, much of which is totally useless. To have creativity be an integral part of your life, it is essential that you learn to take breaks from […]
Timelapse Cinematography Unveils the Dynamic Creativity Inherent to the Universe
Yosemite Range of Light from Shawn Reeder on Vimeo. Here is a clip from cinematographer, Shawn Reeder, featuring one of my all time favorite places in the world, Yosemite Valley, with other shots from the Eastern Sierras, Mono Lake, and Joshua Tree. One of the most important aspects of understanding creativity is seeing the dynamic, ongoing changes happening all […]
Slivers of Eternity: One Minute Meditations on the Ground of Creativity, #14
In this clip, filmed shortly after dawn in the parking lot of HS Lordship’s restaurant on the east side of the Berkeley Marina, sunlight filters through low hanging clouds as the smoke rises up from a chimney stack, the smoke itself lit by the same light filtering through the clouds. From this place, with the […]
Creativity 101: What Does It Mean to Be Creative?
Here is a really good overview of creativity by Michele and Robert Root-Bernstein entitled, “(Almost) Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Creativity.” The article includes a basic definition of what it means to be creative, goes on to explain the way creative people think, and concludes with what you can do to improve your […]
How Can Education Be Redesigned to Both Teach and Test Creativity and Entrepreneurship?
In the article below, Jennifer Medbery makes the argument that standardized testing isn’t all that bad, as long as those tests are evaluating a student’s ability to contribute to future challenges. And for all of you who like to cram a bunch of information into your head and regurgitate it on a test, rote memorization […]