Creativity

BOOK PRESENTATION

CREATIVITY FLOW AND THE PSYCHOLOGY OF DISCOVERY AND INVENTION

by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

BIOGRAPHY

MIHALY CSIKSZENTMIHALYI Author and Psychology Professor

“

It is when we act freely, for the sake of the action itself rather than for ulterior motives, that we learn to become more than what we were.�

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi at his Graduation

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi and Wife

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Divergent thinking is often perceived as deviant by the majority, and so the creative person may feel isolated and misunderstood."

Creativity cannot be understood by looking only at the people who appear to make it happen. Creative ideas need a receptive audience to record and implement them and without the assessment of competent outsiders, we cannot decide whether the claims of a self-� styled creative person are valid.

Creativity results from the interaction of a system consisting of three elements: a culture that contains symbolic rules, a person who brings novelty into the symbolic domain, and a field of experts who recognize and validate the innovation.

Creativity is the process by which a symbolic domain in the culture is changed. So we must learn the domain well. To master a domain, we must pay attention to the information to be assimilated. A bulk of our attention is committed to the tasks of surviving from one day to the next. And we do not do much with the small amount of attention left over because of the lack of focus.

Diffused thinking leads to lack of concentration. Creativity is possible only when we are able to focus attention on the problem at hand.

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Creative individuals are remarkable for their ability to adapt to different situations and to manage with whatever is needed to reach their goals.

If nothing else, this distinguishes them from the rest of us."

10 DIMENSIONS OF CREATIVITY

1

PHYSICAL ENERGY

SMART

3

2

PLAYFULNESS & DISCIPLINE

FANTASY & REALITY

5

EXTROVERT & INTROVERT

4

HUMBLE & PROUD

7

SUFFERING & ENJOYMENT

PASSIONATE

9

8

TRADITIONAL & REBELLIOUS

ESCAPE GENDER ROLE STEREOTYPE

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6

10

I discovered chess was a miraculous way of entering into a different world where all those things didn’t matter. For hours I’d just focus on a reality that had clear rules and goals."

Problem Finding

Internal Traits

Habits of Strength

TIPS FOR CREATIVE ACTIVITY

Curiosity & Interest Divergent Thinking

Cultivate Flow in Everyday Life

Interviews

IYLAHIMTNEZSKISC YLAHIM yb

01 Asner, Edward. Male. b.

11/15/29. Actor. American.

Recipient, five Golden Globe awards; seven Emmy awards. President, Screen Actors Guild (1981-1985). Roles in theater, motion pictures, and television, including The Mary Tyler Moore Show (TV series, 19701977); Roots (TV miniseries, 1977); Lou Grant (TV series, 19771982). Interviewed (4/30/91). Age 61.

02 LeVine, Sarah. Female. b. 8/14/40. Author, anthropologist. American (b. England). Currently working on a doctorate in Sanskrit and Pali. Author, Mothers and Wives: Gusii Women of West Africa (1979); Dolor y Alegria: Women and Social Change in Urban Mexico (1993). Novels under the name of Louisa Dawkins: Natives and Strangers (1985); Chasing Shadows (1988). Interviewed (2/22/91). Age 51.

03 Gruenenberg, Nina. Female. b.

10/7/36. Journalist, editor. German.

Columnist, political reporter, associate editor, Die Zeit (Hamburg). Listed as the 41st most influential woman in Germany.

Interviewed by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (9/18/90). Age 56.

VIDEOS

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Control of consciousness determines the quality of life.�

Flow The Psychology of Happiness Flow has become the classic work on happiness and a major contribution to contemporary psychology. It examines such timeless issues as the challenge of lifelong learning; family relationships; art, sport and sex as 'flow'; the pain of loneliness; optimal use of free time; and how to make our lives meaningful.

Finding Flow The Psychology Of Engagement With Everyday Life Part psychological study, part self-help book, Finding Flow is a prescriptive guide that helps us reclaim ownership of our lives. Based on a far-reaching study of thousands of individuals, Finding Flow contends that we often walk through our days unaware and out of touch with our emotional lives.

Flow Psychology of Optimal Experience Providing an introduction to "flow," a new field of behavioral science that offers life-fulfilling potentialities, this study explains its principals and shows how to introduce flow into all aspects of life, avoiding the interferences of disharmony.

Beyond Boredom and Anxiety Experiencing Flow in Work and Play Beyond Boredom and Anxiety offers a timeless introduction to the concept of flow and the scientific basis behind it– all through the work of one of the field′s great scientists. Through real–life examples, discover how enjoyable activities provide a common experience.

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Most enjoyable activities are not natural; they demand an effort that initially one is reluctant to make. But once the interaction starts to provide feedback to the person's skills, it usually begins to be intrinsically rewarding.”

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…an intriguing look at the age-old problem of the pursuit of happiness and how, through conscious effort, we may more easily attain it.”

Library Journal

CREATIVITY