Honors Seminar - Jan 22, 1992
Creativity
John Janovy, Jr.
Creativity as a general phenomenon is expressed in a number of areas of intellectual endeavor, not just in those we most often see as creative, e.g. the arts. Thus creativity is manifested in science, government, and business, as well as in art and music. In every case, however, it seems that creative acts tend to alter the intellectual climate in which we do our business. An innovation obligates us to consider its impact. Those who are successful innovators sometimes solve problems that seem quite intractable to others. Innovations provide more than technological tools and economic benefits; they alter ideas about possibilities. And in the case of scientific innovations, ethical considerations always become a factor in social decisions. In the arts, creativity routinely inspires public discussion of morality. And finally, we are not always able to predict what ultimate effect an innovation will have on society, or even whether a society will be able to control an innovation. These are the reasons why creativity is an appropriate subject for an honors seminar.
General objectives for the semester:
I would like to conduct a formal study of creativity, with particular reference to the social impact of innovation. Although there are many ways we could go about this task, I suggest the following specific goals as an initial guide to planning the semester’s activities:
1. Each of us should actually do something creative. I will come prepared with a number of small exercises in the first part of the semester, but you should develop your own idea about a project some time during the first two or three weeks. These projects can take any form. I’m less interested in their quality, however, than in your willingness and ability to eventually analyze them from an emotionally neutral perspective.
2. Each of us should have an opportunity to evaluate another’s creative efforts (not necessarily another student in the class). I will develop a set of points to address in these evaluations. Fortunately we have a rich supply of material readily available to us (local museums and libraries).
3. We need to formally examine several areas of endeavor, with respect to their innovative aspects. That is, we will ask what constitutes a creative act in science, politics, economics, athletics, as well as in art and music. It is quite possible that there will be enough diversity of projects in the class so that we won’t need to go outside class for this part of the work.
4. We need to formally assess the capacity of some innovation to
generate additional change and to consider the types of changes that accompany creative acts. I see this part of the work as
something that can easily be a part of the
project you choose for yourself.
5. We need to consider some instances in which creative acts have had unexpected social consequences. This activity can also be a part of your project work.
6. By the end of the semester, you should have a fairly large and sophisticated document.
Assignment #1: Due Jan 29, 1992
One page of typing with a paragraph addressing each of the following:
(1) A book you recommend to the rest of the class, along with an explanation of why you are recommending it.
(2) A personal definition of creativity, inspired at least in part by a solitary visit to the Sheldon Gallery.
(3) At least one idea about a subject or subject area you would like to focus on this semester.
JJ’s homework:
Book: Douglas Hofstadter’s Metamagical Themas, a compilation of his mathematical columns for Scientific American, plus additional comments and text. I suggest this book for a couple of reasons. First, it is reasonably easy reading, at least in part, and one can always get far enough into the mathematical portions to understand the implications of what Hofstadter is saying. Second, and perhaps most importantly, he directly addresses the matter of creativity, but in a rather mathematical way, talking about roles of symbols, messages conveyed by position, patterns of change, etc. And, he integrates social impact and social concerns with the math.
Creativity: The act of combining items, including tangible and intangible ones, in ways that (1)they have not been combined before, and (2)result in some communication that is outside the immediate realm of reality of the combination. For example, paint and canvas can be combined to communicate an idea about technology.
