Creativity
Creativity
idea
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
idea
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
Imagination
idea
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
Memoir
idea
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
Creativity
idea
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
Poetry
idea
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
Neurodiversity
idea
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
Beauty and aesthetics
idea
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
idea
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
Altered states
idea
Only by taking leave of our senses can we plunge into reverie
By letting meaning loose, allowing it to graze, we can revel in reverie, free of the tether that commonsense keeps tight
by Rachel Genn
Artists and art history
idea
The art of Ice Age children offers a tactile sense of the past
Small hands in dark caves: Ice Age art reveals the role of artistic expression and child’s play in ancient societies
by Izzy Wisher
Creativity
idea
Recognise the creativity behind crime, then you can thwart it
The malevolent creativity of criminals has many parallels with the benevolent creativity of artists and entrepreneurs
by David Cropley