So, here is the summary for Lesson 2. Let me start by describing what are novelty, creativity, innovation and invention.
Novelty: Novelty is the quality of being new. You can also read more about novelty by clicking here.
Creativity: Involves the translation of our unique gifts, talents and vision into an external reality that is new and useful. You can also read more about creativity by clicking here.
Innovation: Innovation is the process of turning ideas into practical reality. You can also read more about innovation by clicking here.
Invention: An invention is a new composition, device, or process. An invention may be derived from a pre-existing model or idea, or it could be independently conceived in which case it may be a radical breakthrough.
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The definite definition of the word creativity has long been an argument among many scholar and researchers. (Amabile, 1996. P 19). On one occasion a debate has taken place regarding to this matter between Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi and another psychologist, Professor Robert Epstein the author of the book Creativity Games for Trainers.
One arguing that creativity can and should be taught, whereas the other insisting that cultures can tolerate only a handful of creative people in each generation. (Williams & Stockmyer, 1999).
As for me, I do hope that creativity can be nurtured in anyone and everyone rather than leaving it into the hands of nature and being bestowed to the selected few or the gifted ones only.
The best example of novelty, creativity, innovation and invention can simply be presented through one creative person: Jackson Pollock.
Source: http://www.youtube.com/v/7bICqvmKL5s?fs
Novelty?
Until the twentieth century, most paintings were representational. This means that artists “represented” their subjects in a way that was realistic and recognizable. However, during the first half of the twentieth century, artists like Jackson Pollock started to explore other methods of representation. He was an influential American painter and a major figure in the abstract expressionist movement. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackson_Pollock)
Creativity?
Creativity involves intelligence, knowledge, wisdom and thinking skills. Studies by Taylor, Micolich and Jonas have examined Pollock's technique and have determined that some works display the properties of mathematical fractals. They assert that the works become more fractal-like chronologically through Pollock's career. The authors even speculate that Pollock may have had an intuition of the nature of chaotic motion, and attempted to form a representation of mathematical chaos, more than ten years before "Chaos Theory" itself was proposed. Other experts suggest that Pollock may have merely imitated popular theories of the time in order to give his paintings a depth not previously seen. Though his paintings appear accidental, they required careful control. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackson_Pollock)
Innovation?
His paintings were in several shows in galleries in the middle 1940s. Today, Pollock’s works sell for millions of dollars. But only one painting sold at this show. It was a famous work called “Lavender Mist”. This painting now hangs in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. “Lavender Mist” represents perfectly what was so interesting about Pollock’s work.
Invention?
Pollock invented a new kind of painting that changed the way the world looked at art. He created art that was very physical. In fact, his method is sometimes called “action painting”. Most artists painted on a surface that stood upright or vertical. But Pollock put his large canvases on the floor so that he could move around all four sides of his work. He also used very liquid paints so that he could easily drop the paint onto his canvases. This “dripping” method allowed him to make energetic works.
Jackson Pollock helped introduce the world to Abstract Expressionism and helped break the traditional rules of representation and established America as an important center for modern art. (http://www.manythings.org/voa/people/Jackson_Pollock.html)
