ABOUT THIS BOOKMichelangelo was raised in a rustic village by a family of modest means. Shakespeare's father was a middle-class businessman. Abraham Lincoln came from a family of itinerant farmers. Yet all these men broke free from their limited circumstances and achieved brilliant careers as creative artists and leaders. How such extraordinary creativity develops in the human brain is the subject of renowned psychiatrist Nancy Andreasen's The Creating Brain.
Andreasen explains here how the brain produces creative breakthroughs in art, literature, and science, revealing that creativity is not the same thing as intelligence. She scrutinizes the complex factors involved in the development of creativity, including the role of patrons and mentors, "non-standard" educations, and the possession of an "omnivorous" vision. A fascinating interview with acclaimed playwright Neil Simon sheds further light on the creative process.The relationship between genius and insanity also plays an important role in Andreasen's examination. Drawing on her studies of writers in the Iowa Writers' Workshop and other scientific evidence, Andreasen asserts that while creativity may sometimes be linked to mental disorders and may be partially due to familial/genetic factors, neither is inevitable nor needed for creativity to flourish.
Scientist's increasing understanding of the brain's plasticity suggests even more possibilities for nurturing the creative drive, and Andreasen looks ahead to exciting implications for child-rearing and education. The Creating Brain presents an inspiring vision for a future where everyone—not just artists or writers—can fulfill their creative capacity.
EXCERPTOn the Nature of Creativity
“We can define and conceptualize creativity in many ways. Boundary issues, such as the distinction between intelligence and creativity, must be considered. Both in popular language and in the historical literature, the terms ‘genius,’ ‘gifted,’ ‘talented,’ and ‘creative’ are often used interchangeably. There are boundary issues with domains as well. Both in popular culture and in research studies, one sometimes senses a presumption that creativity occurs primarily in the arts and humanities—literature, music, dance, or visual arts—with little recognition that creativity is crucial for other fields as well, such as biology, mathematics, physics, chemistry, earth science, and engineering.”
On the Neural Basis of Extraordinary Creativity
“Extraordinary creativity is qualitatively different from ordinary creativity. The underlying neural processes are distinct. They proceed by tapping into the unconscious in ways that possessors of ordinary creativity alone are usually unable to do…Put simply, they are gifted with unusual brains that permit them to see and think in ways that are not accessible to ordinary mortals. This capacity is both a blessing and a curse, for it makes the creative person not only creative but also vulnerable.”
On Genius and Insanity
“In my own experience, most creative people feel that mental illnesses such as mania or depression are the enemy of the creative process. If their symptoms are severe or crippling, creative people want to have them treated. However, individual clinicians working with individual patients must proceed with care, sensitivity, and respect. The aim is to reduce symptoms and suffering without sacrificing creativity. The physician’s motto—primum non nocere, ‘first, do no harm’—sets forth an important and challenging standard for those who are privileged to provide psychiatric care for creative people who suffer from mental illness.”
On Creativity and the Role of Nature
“What we perhaps can say is that Mother Nature gives creative people brains that are well designed for perceiving and thinking in original ways. Some of that influence must be coded in the genetic shuffle in ways that we do not yet understand. And very likely the gift given by Mother Nature is an enriched ability to make noble associations and to self-organize in the midst of apparent disorganization or even chaos. The creative brain may appear unexpectedly, in people who simply seem to have been given innate gifts. Or it may appear within a hereditary context, in people who seem to have a genetic endowment that makes them creative.”
On How to Build Better Brains
“The creative process is characterized by openness to experience. One of the best ways to get a new perspective on things—an important resource for thinking creatively—is to tackle a new field that you know little or nothing about. If your college major was biology or physics, try studying poetry or painting. If you spend your life thinking about computer architecture, try studying history or reading biographies. If you have longed to learn to play the piano and have had no training in music, start doing it. Just choose something that is quite different from your current interests or occupation.”