The paths of creativity

The paths of creativity and how to promote them


All that man is able to think, he is also able to do.

(Johann Wolfgang Goethe)

In Sanskrit kar means create, kar-tr is the one who creates from nothing, the creator. Is creative activity the result of pure randomness, or is it the result of computing activities of the brain, or the result of the reflections of the soul? If we believe that it is the mere randomness used to control the creative process, we assume an anti scientific attitude, in contradiction with the more recent findings of studies on the brain and how it works. It is equally true, however, that many times, where pure logical reasoning fails, we arrive at a creative solution by accident. Creativity often follows unpredictable paths, while drawing on studies and experiences, reworks them in an original and almost magical way. Suddenly we feel the inspiration and give life to a creation that comes spontaneously, as we were inspired by our inner self. The researchers call this creative skill “lateral thinking”, the ability to roam free with the mind, combining in unconventional ways the elements to be assembled to reconstruct the puzzle of knowledge and creativity. Children love to play using “lateral thinking”, letting there minds wander to deconstruct and reconstruct the sensory and affective experiences.
The repressive upbringing, rote learning, social organization and work based on oppression of originality and repetition are the most important causes that restrain the creative intelligence. Understanding how the brain works is one of the most fascinating scientific challenges and the most important to discover the creative methods and how to promote them.
At the base of the functioning of the brain there are billions of neurons and their endings called synapses. These endings are in contact with other synapses and to communicate release chemicals in response to electrical stimulation. Neuroscientist Eric Kandel (1920), winner of the 2000 Nobel Prize for medicine, with his studies demonstrated synaptic plasticity of neurons, that is, when a person learns something new it changes the connections in the brain and determines physical changes in the synapses. Repeated nerve impulses cause a change in the functional organization of the brain. The moment you are invested with new impulses, neurons sway and can disrupt normal connections to create new ones with neighboring neurons. The brain is not only learning continually, modifying its connections, but behaves like any other muscle in the body because the more you exercise it, the more it develops and the  more complex it becomes. This helps us to understand the importance of the choices we make, because all activity stimulates a modification of our automatic responses to specific stimuli. Building on these presuppositions we understand how helpful it is to encourage the development of a balanced and creative mind from an early age. An upbringing of respect for oneself and for the norms of society, an open and democratic social environment, a family atmosphere full of empathy and irony, are the basis of an innovative community that cares about the well being of its citizens. Learning changes the functional structure of the brain, that, in a newborn child, is only partially structured. The brain completes the process of development only between twenty and forty years of age. For each solicitation due to learning, follows a modification of the connections in the brain. There are no two people who have the same connections in the brain, each in the course of his/her life creates a unique and original map, different from that of any other individual.
How many times do we have the impression that dreams escape us, how many times do we let wilt our creativity, how many times we have the perception that life runs flat, meaningless. We are resigned, however change is possible. it would be enough to stop and listen to the inner self, remove beliefs that inhibit creativity, practice being receptive to new ideas and learning. This will favor the path of creativity, create new synaptic connections, encourage imagination and intelligence to manifest themselves in free and original ways.