Hi,
No wonder why Albert Einstein once said, "Imagination is more important than knowledge." It is the imaginative people and the innovative organizations that succeed more than the others. What is then imagination? How can one tap the power of imagination, a trait only possessed by the humans, and not by any other animals or any machines created by the man?
I have just read the book, 'IMAGINATION' by Dr. Harold Rugg, late Professor of Education at Columbia University, who spent years of research to answer one question that baffled him, "What is the nature of the act of imagination, and how a new idea is born?" He studied the autobiographies of several distinguished scientists, artists, authors, and personalities that included many Nobel Prize winners. He studied several acts of human imagination that became miracles. During the process, he found that the modern man, though unleashed the power of imagination, did not actually know how he did it. So, he wanted to unearth this aspect of 'HOW' and presented his findings in his book. I would like to draw the essence of this crucially important aspect for the people at the present time from this book and share it with you through this week's TNSS.
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What is a Creative Act?
How is a poem made - a house, a bridge, a motor designed - a scientific hypothesis drawn? The creative process involves 4 stages:
Stage 1: A preparatory conscious period of confused struggle involving a focused effort to understand the problem in depth
Stage 2: A period of giving up and pushing the problem back or down into another compartment of the mind, requiring a patient wait
Stage 3: A sudden and unexpected flash of insight, that is required to be felt in order to capture it
Stage 4: A period of verification, critical testing, and reconstruction, taking advantage of the imaginative flash and building it further to solve the problem
The imagination flash can not be brought forth by sheer force or will. One must immerse himself deeply in the problem excluding all else for a long period of time. It could be days, weeks, months, or even years. Whether it is Newton's sudden flash about gravitation or Darwin's theory of evolution, or any other creative acts, all of them were invariably and inevitably preceded by the stage of dedicated effort, some suspense, and a patient wait. The flash will eventually occur. And when? No one knows. It might occur anytime, anywhere, suddenly, and unexpectedly. Only, the prepared grasp it, capture it, relate it, record it, and release it.
How to nurture and trigger imagination?
The conditions that favor the act of creativity are: 1) the quiet mind of relaxed concentration, 2) prolonged conscious preparation, 3) pertinent and ordered storage in the non-conscious mind, 4) a perceptive and alert observer, 5) the disciplinary effect of the form of the medium, and finally 6) the compelling and passionate drive.
Ways of releasing imagination?
Prof. Rugg also studied the ways of releasing the imagination and presented them in his book in detail with excellent examples. Those interested to learn more about this could read his book.
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We are all gifted with the power of imagination. However, we differ from each other in the way we tap this power, though we know our success in today's world very much depends on how 'innovative' we are in what we do. It is therefore important to appreciate the need to nurture the nature of creativity and create a culture both at home and office that encourages people to 'imagine' more and more. It would make a world of difference. JUST IMGINE.
To your greater SUCCESS,
With love and regards,
Siva
No wonder why Albert Einstein once said, "Imagination is more important than knowledge." It is the imaginative people and the innovative organizations that succeed more than the others. What is then imagination? How can one tap the power of imagination, a trait only possessed by the humans, and not by any other animals or any machines created by the man?
I have just read the book, 'IMAGINATION' by Dr. Harold Rugg, late Professor of Education at Columbia University, who spent years of research to answer one question that baffled him, "What is the nature of the act of imagination, and how a new idea is born?" He studied the autobiographies of several distinguished scientists, artists, authors, and personalities that included many Nobel Prize winners. He studied several acts of human imagination that became miracles. During the process, he found that the modern man, though unleashed the power of imagination, did not actually know how he did it. So, he wanted to unearth this aspect of 'HOW' and presented his findings in his book. I would like to draw the essence of this crucially important aspect for the people at the present time from this book and share it with you through this week's TNSS.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
What is a Creative Act?
How is a poem made - a house, a bridge, a motor designed - a scientific hypothesis drawn? The creative process involves 4 stages:
Stage 1: A preparatory conscious period of confused struggle involving a focused effort to understand the problem in depth
Stage 2: A period of giving up and pushing the problem back or down into another compartment of the mind, requiring a patient wait
Stage 3: A sudden and unexpected flash of insight, that is required to be felt in order to capture it
Stage 4: A period of verification, critical testing, and reconstruction, taking advantage of the imaginative flash and building it further to solve the problem
The imagination flash can not be brought forth by sheer force or will. One must immerse himself deeply in the problem excluding all else for a long period of time. It could be days, weeks, months, or even years. Whether it is Newton's sudden flash about gravitation or Darwin's theory of evolution, or any other creative acts, all of them were invariably and inevitably preceded by the stage of dedicated effort, some suspense, and a patient wait. The flash will eventually occur. And when? No one knows. It might occur anytime, anywhere, suddenly, and unexpectedly. Only, the prepared grasp it, capture it, relate it, record it, and release it.
How to nurture and trigger imagination?
The conditions that favor the act of creativity are: 1) the quiet mind of relaxed concentration, 2) prolonged conscious preparation, 3) pertinent and ordered storage in the non-conscious mind, 4) a perceptive and alert observer, 5) the disciplinary effect of the form of the medium, and finally 6) the compelling and passionate drive.
Ways of releasing imagination?
Prof. Rugg also studied the ways of releasing the imagination and presented them in his book in detail with excellent examples. Those interested to learn more about this could read his book.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
We are all gifted with the power of imagination. However, we differ from each other in the way we tap this power, though we know our success in today's world very much depends on how 'innovative' we are in what we do. It is therefore important to appreciate the need to nurture the nature of creativity and create a culture both at home and office that encourages people to 'imagine' more and more. It would make a world of difference. JUST IMGINE.
To your greater SUCCESS,
With love and regards,
Siva
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