Murray Gell-mann discusses On Getting Creative Ideas here (it’s a google video). I listened to about two-thirds of it today mopping the floor.
I took some notes:
Creative process
1. Saturation
2. Incubation
3. Illumination
4. Verification
Book title: “A Fine Disregard” What Makes Modern Art Modern” by Kurt Varnedoe.
“Problem formulation more important than problem solving….”
Throughout schooling you basically problem solve. After school you spend time formulating problems then solving them.
Importance of randomness in problem formulation and solving was illustrated by one person who insisted that his colleagues approach each day’s problem using the last noun on the front page of a certain newspaper. This randomness would lead them into new directions.
Another example of interesting problem solving: a company had a picnic and they brought cheese but nothing to cut it with it. One enterprising employee pulled out a credit card and began cutting cheese with it.
Murray-Gellman mentions “Conceptual Blockbusting: a guide to better ideas” by James L. Adams.