What is creative thinking? Moreover, can all people think creatively? Through the years many great thinkers have tried to answer these questions and creativity researchers have established several theories in an attempt to explain the cognitive process known as human creativity. However, no one has yet arrived at a definitive answer, so the debate continues and probably will continue for some time to come. In the meantime, it’s enough that people continue to think creatively, for without innovative thought, where would humankind be?
Creative Thinking, Innovation, and the Ability to Imagine
“The human imagination,” according to Timothy Williamson, Wykeham Professor of Logic at Oxford University, “is not just a source of fiction and fancy; it is integral to science, philosophy, and even our survival” (Emory University, 2010).
However, what is it that makes one person more creative than another? Dr. Willis Harmon and Howard Rheingold, coauthors of Higher Creativity: Liberating the Unconscious for Breakthrough Insights, maintain that the major trait of the creative mind is the ability to create images of things that are different from ordinary reality. To put it simply, creative individuals aren’t afraid to use their imaginations.
Research has demonstrated, however, that individuals for whom imagination does not come easily can strengthen their imaginative powers by making a concerted effort to do so. In other words, people who don’t consider themselves especially creative can actually learn to be more creative, that is, as long as they’re willing to make a concerted effort.
Inspirational Quotations on Creativity and Imagination
Below are some of the best quotes, at least in this writer’s opinion, about humankind’s ability to create and use its imagination to accomplish the seemingly impossible. After all as Franz Kafka once said, “By believing passionately in something that still does not exist, we create it. The nonexistent is whatever we have not sufficiently desired” (Seldes, 1995).
- “You need chaos in your soul to give birth to a dancing star. ” ~ Nietzsche (1885)
- “The creative person is more primitive and more cultured, more destructive and more constructive, crazier and saner, than the average person.” ~ Frank Barron (Harman & Rheingold, 1984)
- "The creative individual not only respects the irrational in himself, but also courts the most promising source of novelty in his own thought." ~ Frank Barron (Harman & Rheingold, 1984)
- “A rock pile ceases to be a rock pile the moment a single man contemplates it, bearing within him the image of a cathedral.”~ Antoine de Saint-Exupery (Seldes, 1995)
- “Here’s to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes... the ones who see things differently – they’re not fond of rules... You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can’t do is ignore them because they change things... they push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world are the ones who do.” ~ Jack Kerouac (Seldes, 1995)
- “The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn, like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars and in the middle you see the blue centerlight pop and everybody goes "Awww!” ~ Jack Kerouac (Seldes, 1995)
- “The creative is the place where no one else has ever been. You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition. What you'll discover will be wonderful. What you'll discover will be yourself.” ~ Alan Alda, actor and star of M*A*S*H (Seldes, 1995)
- “Human salvation lies in the hands of the creatively maladjusted.” ~ Dr. Martin Luther King (Seldes, 1995).
Finding The Courage to Be Creative
In conclusion, existential thinker Rollo May, in his most famous work, The Courage to Create, says that creativity is a yearning for immortality. Perhaps May is right, but even if he’s wrong, to borrow from an infomercial from the mid-60’s, the mind is a terrible thing to waste, but then, so is one’s creativity. (Barron, 1984). That said, why not show some courage and begin using your creativity and imagination—and do it today?
If you enjoyed this article, you might also enjoy reading these additional articles on the subject of creativity:
- “How To Become More Creative”
- “The Five Major Theories of Creativity”
- “The Difference Between Creative Thinkers and Non-Creative Thinkers”
Sources:
Emory University (2010) “Creativity: Art and Innovation,” retrieved November 15, 2010 from emory.edu
Barron, F. (1984) Foreword to Liberating the Unconscious for Breakthrough Insights,Harman & Rheingold; New York: St. Martin Press
Harman, W. & Rheingold, H. (1984) Higher Creativity: Liberating the Unconscious for Breakthrough Insights. New York: St. Martin's Press
Nietzsche, F. (1885) Thus Spoke Zarathustra; New York: Dover Publications Inc. Preface p. xviii.
Seldes, G. (1995) The Great Thoughts; New York: Ballantine Books
Carol Rzadkiewicz - Carol Rzadkiewicz has taught college English for over 14 years and is the author of three published novels and numerous short stories.
