Creativity
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To be creative, Chinese philosophy teaches us to abandon ‘originality’
Whether grieving a death or connecting to colleagues, creativity enables an artful life, according to Chinese philosophy
by Julianne Chung
Creativity
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A life of splendid uselessness is a life well lived
Like the fertile soil of a well-kept garden, a life of splendid, utter uselessness yields abundance beyond our immediate aims
by Joseph M Keegin
Memoir
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Learn the art of journaling and archive your life
Journaling is an art and a daily practice that allows you to write your life and find your way, one sentence at a time
by Sarah Boon
Imagination
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See faces in the clouds? It might be a sign of your creativity
Long considered a sign of mental illness, ‘pareidolia’ or seeing patterns in randomness might be a useful measure of creativity
by René Müri & Nicole Göbel
Creativity
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Our greatest invention was the invention of invention itself
Hypothetical thinking is the key to sustained innovation and creativity: invention drove the evolution of the human mind
by Keith Frankish
Neurodiversity
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When the mind is dark, making art is a thrilling way to see
For aphantasic artists with no mind’s eye, creating paintings is a way to experience the mental pictures they can’t see
by Adam Zeman
Sleep and dreams
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The brain’s twilight zone: when you’re neither awake nor asleep
Neuroscientists are demystifying this in-between state, uncovering its role in memory processing and its creative potential
by Célia Lacaux
Poetry
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Emily Dickinson and the creative ‘solitude of space’
For the poet Emily Dickinson, sequester was a feminist act of independence: it gave her mental and literal space to write
by Magdalena Ostas
Creativity
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Your 10-step plan for achieving a creative breakthrough
We often think of Aha! moments occurring by fluke, but there are evidence-based ways to make it more likely they will occur
by Nick Kabrél
Beauty and aesthetics
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Beauty is not an ornament to the good life, it is at its heart
Why does the hand want to draw what the eye sees as beautiful? Why do we respond to beauty by creating the beautiful?
by Nick Riggle
Stories and literature
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Are successful authors creative geniuses or literary labourers?
Some writers are explorers, like Edgar Allan Poe. Others are exploiters, like Jules Verne. Which type is better off?
by Oleg Sobchuk
Creativity
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A key part of creativity is picking up on what others overlook
We all constantly filter a flood of details coming in. This process helps explain what gives some brains a creative edge
by Madeleine Gross