What do you think about creation and innovation? What do you think about creativity? Is it something that people are born with or is it acquired trait? Is creativity a skill that is inherited or can it be learned. Let’s explore this further in this post.
No definition of entrepreneurship is complete without mention of innovation and creativity. Entrepreneurship is the most sought after skill these days and thus our question on inheritance of creativity is crucial.
While lots of entrepreneurs are self made there is an even bigger chunk of entrepreneurs coming from business families.
A lot of creative people believe creation and innovation to be an in-born trait embedded in the DNA. On proper nurturing and availability of conducive environment, it prospers into excellence.
On the other hand, creativity and innovation are believed by a big section of the critics to be a quality acquired through vigorous practice, perseverance, proper research and mental stamina.
Creation and innovation- research of the brains of artists
It is certain that an innovator requires higher levels of intrinsic energy to keep himself/herself ahead of competitors. If we take the example of an artist, a genre of the group of innovators, it can be conclusively said that this genre represents one of the most creative species of the universe. Especially in terms of tapping the diversities of universe on a canvas or through a craft. So, let’s find on what a research on artists revealed.
A study was conducted to ascertain the brain alignment of artists vis a vis non-artists, with a sample size of approximately 50 artists and others.
Scanning method called voxel morphometry was used for the purpose.
The results revealed the brain structures of artists to be different from the rest.
However, it was asserted that training and upbringing also play a crucial part in the development process. The details of the study can be found on the article from BBC.
It has been claimed on the basis of same study that artists have more grey matter than non-artists.
Another interesting study would be to track the development throughout the evolution cycle of an artist and correlate it with other innovators.
Is it the matter of exercising neurons as one does for building muscles?
Creation and Innovation requires a lot of mental flexing of neurons and that might result in the difference in the grey matter volume.
This, also, is a subject of study. Importantly, this is heartening to see that the hitherto neglected groups, i.e, artists, innovators, creators etc. have now become subjects of research studies. This, in itself is a big motivation for further innovations and to keep flexing the latent neurons.
Creation and innovation have been and will always be an area which to an extent will have an invisible side to it. Researchers are trying to decode the secrets on how creation and innovation sprout from within.
Another study on Creativity and innovation
Here is another interesting study which shows that it is not the artist actually but the creative juices willing to innovate flowing within the person, which act as a driving factor to these amazing impacts on brain and body.
According to an article published in the Telegraph, UK (LINK- Brain Scan).
‘Human guinea pigs underwent brain scans while being shown a series of 30 paintings by some of the world’s greatest artists.The artworks they considered most beautiful increased blood flow in a certain part of the brain by as much as 10 per cent – the equivalent to gazing at a loved one.’
This is what Art can do to our brain and given the fact that artists spend their lives pondering over creativity, colours, imagination, nature and all these when superimposed on the canvas through paints and brushes weave magic on the neurons.
Final words- Creativity is inherited but can be acquired
So, getting back to the key question. Can creativity be learned? Can innovation and entrepreneurship be taught in schools or institutions as a skills that can be acquired?
As we have seen in the research mentioned above, there are ways that can alter ways on how our brain reacts to situations. A lot of these changes can be permanent.
Few methods to inculcate creativity and innovation within individuals are:
1.Guided meditation
2. Using divergent and convergent thinking
3. Increasing curiosity and asking more questions
4. Open discussions
5. Tapping into multiple intelligence
6. Using sports, art or other things unrelated to the person
7. Linking art of creativity and innovation to the passion of an individual
8. Attaching oneself with a larger cause
and there are endless number of ways that have been proven to have helped improve creativity and innovation.
It can thus be inferred (or assumed would be a better word) that innovation is the latent talent in each creature and all it requires is the stimulation of neurons to get the creative juices flowing. Forms of stimulation can be visual, aural or olfactory.
Passion is one such thing which stimulates brain and revitalises the energy system to bring the best out of each human.
All that is required is the willingness to utilize the latent potential. To end the article, let’s get back to the beginning;
Is it all in the brain!!
