Creative Spark : Where Does Creativity Hide

Amy Tan made a talk entitled “Where Does Creativity Hide” on February 2008 in Monterey, California. Tan claims that creativity begins with an identity crisis. She claims that in some instances people are equipped with certain skills, which may not enhance creativity. She claims that when she was a child, she used to draw. However, here drawings were not creative. The drawings were merely a one-on-one way representation of things. She claims she did not know that later in life she would make a living from an artful arrangement of words.

Tan claims that childhood trauma is one of the principles of creativity. When Tan was a child, so much expectation was placed on her. Failure to meet the expectations made Tan have a sense of failure. When Tan was about 14 years old, her brother and father were diagnosed with brain tumors. They ultimately died six months apart. Tan’s mother believed that death hung in the family. She believed that Tan would be the next person to die. She claims that when people are faced with a near death experience, they tend to think deeply about everything. This helps in improving their creativity in a survival sense.

According to Tan, the inability to repress things helps in improving creativity. It enables people to look at associations in practicality with anything in their life. She uses quantum mechanics to explain creativity. Dark matter and dark energy are some of the things that constitute quantum mechanics. She uses these to claim that there is a lot of unknown in the universe. She asserts that people do not know what it is except in its absence. She claims that people do not know what is operating, but they have a sense that there is something operating. Trying to overcome ambiguity improves an individual’s creativity.

Tan argues that she get hints and realizes that they have been obvious all along. However, she claims that the hints have not been obvious. What one needs to get the clues is a focus. She claims that certain things happen in her life that she may be tempted to think they are a coincidence. However, in reality they are not a coincidence. Having a focus makes people view things as a coincidence. However, lack of focus would not make people view the happenings as a coincidence.

The talk illuminates various stages of creativity. Having a focus is one of the major stages of creativity. Tan asserts that having a focus makes people start noticing things that the individual would have otherwise ignored. Questioning things is also one of the stages of creativity. Tan argues that questioning things enables people to think of how and why things happen. This helps them in creating things around their universe. “Where Does Creativity Hide” strives to determine the sources of creativity. This relates to the concepts of imagination and curiosity. Tan asserts that improved focus and questioning various things are vital in improving the creativity of an individual.

The talk applies to my personal life. I have been faced with various difficulties in my life. Some of the problems have seemed insurmountable. However, I have been most creative when faced with difficulties as I strive to solve the problems. The points highlighted in the talk may benefit the society. It highlights the importance of difficulties in the formulation of solutions. According to Tan, near death experiences help in improving people’s creativity as they strive to survive.

The Crazy Ones

Question 1: Are there defining characteristics shared among all or most of the individuals?

There are significant similarities between people who are referred to as the “crazy ones” in the commercial titled “The Crazy Ones.” These people see things differently. They are generally not fond of rules. Therefore, rules do not restrict from performing activities they would like to do. They think they can change the world. Their activities elicit mixed reactions. Some people may love them. Others may hate them. However, despite the differences in opinion on their activities, it is impossible for people to ignore them. Throughout history, people who are referred to as the crazy ones are the ones that have helped in changing the human race.

Question 2: what is the value of imagination and thinking outside the box with regard to their contributions?

The crazy ones ensure that the set laws do not determine the activities they should undertake. Thinking outside the box enables them to perceive things differently from other people. They are also not limited by various obstacles. Thinking outside the box enables them to revolutionize people’s thinking. Thinking outside the box enables “The Crazy Ones” to have alternative solutions to existing problems. It helps in eliminating the limits of imagination. Thinking outside the box enables people to leave behind their experiences, mindsets and attitudes behind and view thinks from a different perceptive. Thinking outside the box enables “The Crazy Ones” to be ready to think of what no one has ever thought of.

Scroll to Top