First Blog

  Becoming Creative Don Allen Introduction . How to become creative? This question is on all minds if only out of curiosity, but specifically on how to do it. In this short note, we identify two main types of creativity. Many types associated with a topic, e.g. digital, educational, art, and science, have detailed interpretations online. We look here at more of a foundational level, as in what’s common with all. Assume there is some problem at hand about which you want to find a solution or an explanation. Very rarely, if ever, does the creative process work spontaneously, rendering up some solution to something about which you are substantially unknowledgeable or unaware. Sometimes, though, it happens when you notice something unusual that you cannot explain. However, this creates a problem, upon which you must focus. Alternate terms for creativity include innovation, inspiration, and intuition.   Creativity is not for amateurs, even though folks, me included, are always firing

 Creativity and innovation can be compared with learning to high dive.  You can read books on them for days, months, or years. But until you actually do it, you don't know how, and moreover hardly know what to do.  A complement I always give athletes, is that they practice, and hopefully with a patient coach. They know practice is essential. But for creativity, some think they just need a course or a couple online videos, and they're ready to create. Not so. Bottom line is that creativity is both a skill and an intellectual activity. Without practice and even with, there's never a guarantee. BTW, most attempts at creativity amount to crap, just like those first dives into the deep.  

Dear all, Right now, I'm listening to Mozart's Piano Concerto #18, KV 456, just one more example of this great genius' contributions to music.  As I listen, I ask, I always ask, if there is anything I've done that measures up to this or any other concerto, or for that matter any other work composed by Mozart. As usual, I come up with a resounding "No."  This brings me to a life's recurrent theme, and that is how great is the genius of Mozart that even my best of whatever I've done pales next to even his most mediocre work.  (In fact, nothing of Mozart is mediocre.)  Mozart provides for me the ultimate humility of creativity.   It demonstrates we, as a race, are capable of reaches simply beyond our own understanding. Make no doubt, this applies in philosophy, in physics, in mathematics, in psychology, and in almost anything of meritorious effort.    I am diminished by but enhanced by Mozart.  Don't get me started on Bach or Beethoven, both com