Thursday, January 7, 2010
Creativity
posted at 5:35 PM |
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One of my favorite blog friends asked me a question that gave rise to my mentioning Thomas Aquinas's recommendation for some boundaries and restrictions in order - apparently contradictorily - to enhance creative expression. The more I thought about it, the more I realized I wanted to mention it in a "real" post in order (I hope) to elicit reactions from any passing-by readers.
The idea certainly seems contradictory. I have forgotten where the suggestion is, in Aquinas's writing, but the point is along the lines of utter freedom actually NOT being conducive to creativity and careful thought. I totally remember how I balked at the idea when I first read it but my philosophy teacher urged me to put it on a shelf for future consideration. And Aristotle concurred, as it turns out (not in person or time, of course), which was persuasive. Then I experienced it myself in some situations where I was limited by deadlines or having to use only two colors in a design or not discuss something specific in an essay. Lo and behold, heightened expressiveness seemed to result. Perhaps when you restrict one thing, you focus on something else and with more intensity. Perhaps that explains the dearth of great art from peaceful societies but the explosion of art from Communist Russia, for example, and the interesting (if not altogether brilliant) novel without using the letter e. Which is not to say that I'm recommending totalitarianism as a booster for artistic brilliance, duh.
The idea certainly seems contradictory. I have forgotten where the suggestion is, in Aquinas's writing, but the point is along the lines of utter freedom actually NOT being conducive to creativity and careful thought. I totally remember how I balked at the idea when I first read it but my philosophy teacher urged me to put it on a shelf for future consideration. And Aristotle concurred, as it turns out (not in person or time, of course), which was persuasive. Then I experienced it myself in some situations where I was limited by deadlines or having to use only two colors in a design or not discuss something specific in an essay. Lo and behold, heightened expressiveness seemed to result. Perhaps when you restrict one thing, you focus on something else and with more intensity. Perhaps that explains the dearth of great art from peaceful societies but the explosion of art from Communist Russia, for example, and the interesting (if not altogether brilliant) novel without using the letter e. Which is not to say that I'm recommending totalitarianism as a booster for artistic brilliance, duh.
1 comments
It's interesting how far back these ideas go and yet how many people now either know or understand them? As I understand the left, it's one of their shibboleths that without discipline or criticism of children's activities you encourage them to be 'creative', yet what has that great shining example of lefty ideology Sweden produced? Abba, Volvo and Ikea! They can't even vary the number of letters in the titles.
O/T. Have to bring this to your attention.
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