Real creativity is a social activity

December 2, 2005 | article by Ken Thompson in Social Networking (36)

Creative innovation needs social networks not just neural networks

We often have in our head the stereotype of the brilliant but solitary artist or writer who cannot, or will not, work with anyone else but is this the whole story on creativity and innovation?

Sure there are those who fit this mould but New Scientist’s special issue on creativity (29 October 2005) quotes Professor Vera John-Steiner author of Creative Collaboration that to be really creative:

“you need strong social networks and trusting relationships…and at least one other person in your life who doesn’t think you are completely nuts”

This brought my attention back to the article How is your personal ecosystem and the excellent example of how Jim Henson, creator of the Muppets, carefully cultivated his own personal ecosystem of relationships each of whom had different roles in the overall creative process.

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Bioteams Books Reviews

Group Genius: The Creative Power of Collaboration

March 16, 2008 | article by Ken Thompson in Book Reviews (37)

Steven Poole, writing for the Guardian on Saturday March 15, reviews "Group Genius: The Creative Power of Collaboration", by Keith Sawyer and concludes that the book's big idea is that there is no such thing as the lone genius: everything turns out to be collaborative.

Buy it now from:
Amazon.Com
Amazon.Co.UK

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