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Creativity並不如想像的難求
( 2011-03-25 )





      背書相對容易,因為只要專心和記憶力好,肯花時間、工夫,大部分人都會做得到。背書的所得,是hard facts(實在的資料)。Hard facts當然是知識,也有它的價值。若能把硬資料融會貫通,用來解決實際問題,也是很有用的。
      但最有價值的能力,卻是創作力或原創的能力,即creativity;例如︰Creativity is not a common trait among students. (學生中有原創能力的不多。)形容詞是creative,例如︰She has a very creative mind.(她的腦袋很有創作力。)或可簡單的說︰She is very creative.(她的創作力很高。)
      Creativity被重視,是因為世上所有新的東西,都是creativity的產物。藝術就更注重原創力。其實在很多範疇,creativity都是帶來突破的鑰匙,設計、科學,也都因creativity才會前進。
可是,有creative ideas的人卻不多。因為creativity的本質,就是要由無到有,沒得抄襲,沒有譜模可跟。要的是天馬行空的想像力,think out of the box(打破因循的思考方式),所以不是常人可以做得到的,要講天分。
      這是大部分人對creativity的看法,所以很多人都會認為自己沒有creativity。也覺得creativity不是肯學就會有的技能。我怎會像音樂大師一樣作得出這些好旋律,或學名畫家、作家般,炮製出膾炙人口的作品?

      聰明地打破常規
      但Samuel Neaman Centre for Advanced Studies in Science and Technology的資深研究學者Shlomo Maital卻認為這種想法是錯的。他在最近一個名為"How to Unchain your Super Creativity"(“如何釋放你的超級創作力”)的講座上說,人人都有super creativity。
      Maital認為creativity是:"'breaking the rules intelligently' in order to create 'useful, novel things.' It has to be a structured process, he adds: 'Creativity is thinking in the box, because you are always restrained by people, resources and time.'"
      創作力是“聰明地去打破常規”,以製造“新穎而有用的東西”,是個有結構的過程。“創作力是在框框內思考,因為你一定要面對人事上、資源上和時間上的掣肘。”
      "I've come to realize creativity itself is the problem. Most people don't think they're creative, and they work for organizations that extinguish the spark of creativity."他認為社會缺乏creativity的主因,是大家自覺無創作力,機構也撲滅創作力的火種。
     

      摒棄習慣滿熱情
      如何尋回創作力?"Shun routine."(摒棄慣常程序。)因為"Habit is the enemy of creativity."(習慣是創作力的敵人。)"Be curious."(要有好奇心。)另外,"Cultivate(培養) the art of asking 'laser' questions. How does this work? How did you get that idea? 'Focus your questions to get the answers to the things you really want to know about.'"
      Maital說︰"Creativity also requires passion."(創作力也需要熱情。) "People will laugh at you. They will shoot down your idea with a machine gun. Passion will be the rocket fuel that drives you through those barriers."獨排眾議不容易。聽到你的新見解,很多人都會像用機關槍般把它射倒。對自己的想法有熱情,是向前走的動力。
      Hugh MacLeod的Ignore Everybody: and 39 Other Keys to Creativity,教你如何堅持己見。