G1.1 Introduction: Learning about Creativity from Creative Geoscientists

Geoscience Introduction, Quote-Posters, and Table of Contents

Mar 23, 2022

My objective in this report is to use quotations from people that have been creative to understand the creative process. I have sought to collect and classify quotations from many workers. There are currently over 1,400 different individuals in my classified collection. There are over 3,000 quotations in my collection. My hope is that more quotes means a better classification. I have tried to select quotes which are helpful to the the reader. This report, focusing on the geosciences, relies on quote classification from a much larger general collection. There is also a third collection mostly limited to quotes from women.

I have attempted classify phases derived from the quotations of other workers. One can use these phases as a check list and steps. There is an order to the phases. The phase are in an order that might be followed in the creative process. However, the creative process may bounce around.

In this table my classification is correlated to the steps in the Scientific Method. I separate two groups (A through S) and (T through W). A Through S I call phases. T through W I call topics. The phases are more sequential and the topics fit less sequentially.

The order of the phases might also be thought of as a pedagogic or teaching list. At the end of the list are topics. which are not meant to be in an order. Each phase or topic I give a letter, A through W. One can imagine starting with A and ending with W, however, it probably never happens that way. How do I rationalize the order, the creative process may follow that order, but mostly it is an order which I believe can be helpful to the reader.

Two phases introduce the process. A) The Importance of Creativity, in this phase the individual must value the objective of Creativity. The quotations in this category will give you some idea of the importance of creativity as seen by the quote authors. As examples some have stated that creativity creates change and that creativity is the essence of life. In the second phase one has to be motivated to be creative. I have called this the B) Dreams and Desire phase. Again read the quotes in this phase to see what the authors have written. Maybe for you it a very important problem, perhaps you are striving for beauty, or you are just trying to come up with something better. One has to want to do it.

The third, fourth and fifth phases I call the Problem Phases. Understanding the Problem phases, I believe is the most important part of the creative process. I want to underline the Problem Phases so that education will take note and change. In order to take note of problem one must first be observant and curious, C) Problem Observation and Curiosity. Problem recognition comes next when the worker begins to generate questions, D) Problem Recognition and Questions. The last step in the Problem Phases is to define the problem. Sifting through your observation and questions one must define what is unknown or the kernel of the problem, E) Problem Definition, Focusing, and Simplicity. In my view these three problem observation, recognition, and definition steps or phases are more important than the (jumping forward on the list) N) Eureka Moment and Discovery phase. There is a whole family of wonderful quotes on simplicity. In my view there may be a real Eureka Moment at the time of reducing the problem definition down to the most clear and simple definition. The problem definition must continually be revisited. The evolution of the problem definition is part of the real work of the creative process.

Before we arrive at N) Eureka Moment and Discovery there are a group of phases which I think of as forming the heart of work. Each of these phases has it own set of quotes or texts which can help the reader. Some phases like F) Preparation, Experience, and Planning are almost self explanatory. G) Investigation, Analysis and Persistence, this phase often forms the heart of any work, and is often long, difficult, and dreary. Go to this group of quotations to see how others have dealt with the long slog of research. One of my pet peeves in science is notion that science does not use judgment. The quotes you will see illustrated in H) Judgment, Balancing, and Objectivity give emphasis to Judgment. Richard Feynman wrote: “It is not unscientific to make a guess, although many people who are not in science think it is. “One needs good judgment to make good guesses.

One of the most fruitful endeavors in any investigation is the phase which I call I) Synthesis, Connections, Patterns, and Classification. Here the worker considers all of her or his knowledge and looks for relationships that relate to the defined problem. Seeking an explanation of the problem one considers ideas of explanation called hypotheses, J) Hypothesis Formation, Ideas, and Models. A hypothesis may be a guess. Sometimes we call them a “working” hypothesis. A favored technique for geologists is to have “multiple working hypotheses”. The question of risk aversion weighs heavily on workers making guesses. No one wants to be considered a fool. For this reason I have grouped together quotations under one category, K) Fear, Courage, and Action. One of the pioneers of Creativity research wrote: “It takes courage to be creative. Just as soon as you have an idea, you become a minority of one.”

For the problem solver there are a whole set of blocks which may block successful solutions. I recommend James Adams’ book on “Conceptual Blockbusting” on L) Blockbusting, Doubt, and the Impossible.

There is often, in advance of successful discovery a period of fretful thinking, perhaps resulting from some previous error or misunderstanding or unsought connection. Here, I group these quotes in a category called, M) Muddle, Error, and Failure. Alfred North Whitehead referenced this phase as “The state of imaginative muddled suspense which precedes successful inductive generalization.” Management needs to be sensitive to the Muddle Error phase as his workers may seem confused and yet on the verge of discovery. This stage or phase could be the least opportune time to disrupt your creative workers.

The N) Eureka Moment and Discovery category groups quotations which bear on the conditions and circumstances of discovery. When I began this study I mistakenly thought this category would be the most important and most interesting. After more than twenty years of collecting quotations, I now believe that the problem triad C), D), and E) are more important. Sometimes discoveries are unsought and found by O) Serendipity and Opportunity.

After the discovery, one may rehash what happened and realize that the discovery was obvious all along, P) Obvious Now. My concern here is the worker may turn to a sort of unfounded self-belittlement. Judy Belmont wrote, "Forgive yourself for not having the foresight to know what now seems so obvious in hindsight." As long at the discovery is new and useful, it is worthy. But, through proper preparation you only know that is new and useful.

Without your discovery being clearly communicated to others it will be no help to anyone, Q) Clear Communication. Any hypothesis must be validated in order to advance to become a Theory. This validation process can be arduous and may require creativity, R) Testing, Verification and Experimentation. Finally and perhaps the most important phase is S) Utilization and Innovation. If the solution to the problem is not useful it is of little value. Scott Berkun wrote, “At some point, all creative tasks become work. The interesting and fun challenges fade, and the ordinary, boring, inglorious work necessary to bring an idea to the world becomes the reality.” The Utilization phase compiles quotes which attempt to give aid to those workers confronted with this stage of the process. In my opinion because of the inglorious aspect of utilization, texts and quotes are rare. Nonetheless without utilization your creation will not be recognized.

The last four Topics, T, U, V, and W are not phases but questions about creativity. How do you educate for creativity, T) Education and Creativity? Albert Einstein wrote, “It is, in fact, nothing short of a miracle that the modern methods of instruction have not yet entirely strangled the holy curiosity of inquiry; for this delicate little plant, aside from stimulation, stands mainly in need of freedom. Without this it goes to wrack and ruin without fail.” How do you define Creativity, U) Definition of Creativity? Does pressure help or hinder creativity, V) The Need for Tension? Horace wrote, "Adversity has the effect of eliciting talents, which in prosperous circumstances would have lain dormant." How do you manage for creativity, W) Management and Leadership?

These twenty three phases and topics and their relationship to the scientific method (Table 1) are a brief outline of the creative process as I have learned from my collection of quotes and texts. But, I am not an expert on creativity. The following carefully selected quote and texts are from the experts. My hope is that classification and ordering of these little nuggets of wisdom will aid you on your creative process.

Quotation Compilation

Originally I began collection of quotations as a hobby. Gradually I shifted a bit, to focus on quotations from old oil and gas explorers. Then it began to be more of an interest in quotations by creative people. After that, it became a full-blown interest in the subject of Creativity. Now, what I am trying to do is to make the collection, an enabling devise, to help people solve problems creatively. The idea is to have groups of quotation represent phases of the act of creation. I look for workers, scientists, writers, artists, business men and women that I believe have made creative contributions. Actually working to classify these quotations into “phases” of the creative process has helped me to better understand the creative process. To add weightiness to the quotes, I began to make posters of the quotes. Basically I have searched for likenesses of the individuals who have either written or spoken the words. I try to make these likenesses appropriate for the quote. I try to have these posters showing the quotes with pictures of the people who said the words become the narrative of HOW creativity works.

This is the way I hope people will use the compilation. First attempt to judge where they are in the problem solving process by studying Table I, the initial table in the report, page 2, then study the quotes in the compilation which I have chosen for that phase or those phases. My hope is that studying and understanding the sense of the quotes of those phases will accelerate the mind toward a creative solution.

Type Quotations

Importance of Creativity

Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.

-Marie Curie

Dreams and Desire

To make a great dream come true, you must first have a great dream.

-Dr. Hans Selye

Problem Observation, Listening, and Curiosity

Tranio is advising his master Lucentio on the best way to go about his programme of self improvement. “The jewel that we find, we stoop and take't Because we see it: but what we do not see We tread upon, and never think of it......”

-William Shakespeare

Problem Recognition and Questions

Recognizing a problem doesn’t always bring a solution, but until we recognize that problem, there can be no solution.

-James Baldwin

Problem Definition, Focusing, and Simplicity

A problem well stated is half solved.

-John Dewey

Preparation, Experience, and Planning

In the field of observation, chance only favors those minds which have been prepared.

-Louis Pasteur

Investigation, Analysis, and Persistence

Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish

-John Quincy Adams

Judgment, Balancing, and Objectivity

Invention consists in avoiding the constructing of useless combinations and in constructing the useful combinations which are in the infinite minority. To invent is to discern, to choose.

-Jules Henri Poincare

Synthesis, Connections, Patterns, and Classification

The idea that in order for us to truly create and contribute to the world, we have to be able to connect countless dots, to cross-pollinate ideas from a wealth of disciplines, to combine and recombine these pieces and build new castles.

-Maria Popova

Hypothesis Formation, Ideas, and Models

Knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution.

-Albert Einstein

Fear, Courage, and Action

There is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things, because the innovator has for enemies all those who have done well under the old condition, and lukewarm defenders in those who may do well under the new.

-N. Machiavelli, Il. Principe

Blockbusting, Doubt, and the Impossible

The most useful piece of learning for the uses of life is to unlearn what is untrue.

-Antistenes

Muddle, Error, and Failure

The state of Imaginative muddled suspense which precedes successful inductive generalization.

-Alfred North Whitehead

Eureka Moment and Discovery

I can remember the very spot in the road, whilst in my carriage, when to my joy the solution occurred to me.

-Charles Darwin

Serendipity and Opportunity

Court serendipity by being eccentric. Your probability of inventing something different increases as your experience, hobbies, skills, knowledge, philosophy, and goals become increasingly unusual.

-Benjamin Disraeli

Obvious Now

It is characteristic of insight solutions and new ideas, that they should be obvious after they have been found. In itself this shows how insufficient logic is in practice, otherwise such simple solutions must have occurred much earlier.

-Edward De Bono

Clear Communication

Say all you have to say in the fewest possible words, or your reader will be sure to skip them; and in the plainest possible words or he will certainly misunderstand them.

-John Ruskin

Testing, Verification, and Experimentation

The demolition of hypotheses, instead to testifying to the futility of research, is the method and

condition of progress.

-G. K. Gilbert

(Geologist)

Utilization and Innovation

Creativity is not the finding of a thing, but the making something out of it after it is found.

-James Russell Lowell

Education and Creativity

The principle goal of education is to create men who are capable of doing new things, not simply of repeating what other generations have done - men who are creative, inventive and discoverers.

-Jean Piaget

Definition of Creativity

It is surprising that people do not believe that there is imagination in science. It is a very interesting kind of imagination, unlike that of the artist. The great difficulty is in trying to imagine something that you have never seen, that is consistent in every detail with what has already been seen, and that is different from what has been thought of; furthermore, it must be definite and not a vague proposition. That is indeed difficult.

-Richard Feynman

The Need for Tension

Adversity has the effect of eliciting talents, which in prosperous circumstances would have lain dormant.

-Horace

Management and Leadership

The way I see it, my job as a manager is to create a fertile environment, keep it healthy, and watch for the things that undermine it. I believe, to my core, that everybody has the potential to be creative—whatever form that creativity takes—and that to encourage such development is a noble thing.