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

The secret physics of social network growth

February 26, 2007 | article by Ken Thompson in Book Reviews (37)

A crowd draws a crowd but you need to be fit too. Distinguished Physicist Albert Laszlo Barabasi in his excellent book "Linked - the New Science of Networks" lets us into the secret of how any kind of network grows.

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

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