Religion, the arts, and the sciences are three stable pillars of society that provide meaning and hope. In ancient times, communities relied on faith for hope. The innate drive toward beauty led to many forms of artistic expression, enabling people to rise above a primitive existence. The sophistication and insight the arts provide still fuel our desire for progress and understanding. Science is the youngest of the three disciplines, yet its influence has grown immensely. It shares with the arts an innate search for meaning and beauty. Like religion, science is a belief system that guides decision-making, for example, by accepting evolution or the Higgs boson.
Practicing the arts or sciences requires creativity, a rare gift among the most affluent or the destitute. (The most affluent have no need for it, and the impoverished cannot rise above the basic struggles for food and daily necessities.) In the hierarchical societies of the past, creativity was a rare, celebrated gift, but it is becoming an expected asset in almost any position in our modern world.
Csikszentmihalyi introduced the term 'flow' to describe the creative mental state. Originality stands in stark contrast to the tiring analytic thinking. The careful abandon of creative endeavor was perhaps best expressed by Picasso: "When I work, I rest, when I rest, I get tired." This difference stems from contrasting mental involvement. Brain frequencies increase with concentration, which makes analytic thinking tiring. However, brain oscillations actually decrease during creative endeavor; eliminating unnecessary details expands focus. Creative flow can produce natural, novel solutions with an almost childish joy, as Picasso so well described.
Creativity inspires positive emotions, and conversely, only a positive mindset can be creative. A positive attitude deflects negativity and conflict, inspiring creativity, success, and longevity. Creativity cannot be planned for. It occurs unexpectedly, often when people are engaged in unrelated activities. Creativity is inherent in children's play and in the aha moments of inventors, artists, and scientists. Because "necessity is the mother of invention," emotional discomfort or stress often spur creative solutions. A goal-directed effort is a potent learning mechanism; for example, rats learn faster when seeking a reward. Goal-seeking also makes a difference in artificial intelligence (Wissner-Gross). Focused, goal-directed effort facilitates progress by mitigating stress and reducing pain sensitivity. There are many ways to arrive at creativity; being bound by your circumstances is not one of them.
Picture credit: By CERN for the ATLAS and CMS Collaborations
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