Creativity is not a talent, it is a way of operating.

April 9, 2012 7:53 AM

John Cleese on creativity.
posted by Lord_Pall (13 comments total)

This really rather interesting. I've often found that when working on projects (eg computer programming, engineering design work), the walk home is often the most enlightening part of the day. It's when you stop worrying about the project and move into the relaxed mindset that comes with a walk that I can explore ideas and other solutions.

I'd never thought about it quite as John Cleese is describing it in this talk, but the concept of a "closed mode" and an "open mode" is really quite interesting and I can definitely see how it works in my life.
posted by leo_r at 9:27 AM on April 9, 2012 [1 favorite]

Thanks for this -- fascinating stuff!
posted by unwordy at 9:33 AM on April 9, 2012

I love it when the subtitles start talking about the moose.
posted by Catblack at 9:55 AM on April 9, 2012 [1 favorite]

He starts off saying that creatives have a similar childhood but then does not describe it. Not so good.

So what kind of childhood should I have had?
posted by IndigoJones at 11:19 AM on April 9, 2012

He starts off saying that creatives have a similar childhood but then does not describe it. Not so good.

So what kind of childhood should I have had?

This book does not in fact explain creativity per se, but it does provide an easy overview of how contemporary mind sciences approach creativity, including a correlational commonality amongst certain 'creative' subjects and their childhoods.

And, imho, it is essential to remain constructively critical of such nacent disciplines of study. The many exceptions of creativity in practice abound. No single childhood factor alone predicts or precludes being a creative adult.

Still, it's well worth looking into for a fuller perspective and interesting formal insights, to embrace or debate. For instance, some observable trends may be counterintuitive.

I think this Cleese video from twenty years ago is a healthy addition to the dialog.
posted by methinks at 12:52 PM on April 9, 2012

Much obliged, methinks!
posted by IndigoJones at 1:37 PM on April 9, 2012 [1 favorite]

Fantastic! I can't believe how little interest this has generated here. Watch it, all of you, watch it.
posted by Chuckles at 10:48 PM on April 9, 2012 [1 favorite]

Fantastic! I can't believe how little interest this has generated here. Watch it, all of you, watch it.

It's not that. It's that everyone watched it and immediately began working on that project they'd been toying with in their mind for the last five years.
posted by jwhite1979 at 2:48 AM on April 10, 2012 [2 favorites]

Most awesome, thanks for sharing!
posted by Vindaloo at 4:20 AM on April 10, 2012

I just got around to watching this - but it's gone!

In its place is the following Page Not Found message:

Sorry, "John Cleese - a lecture on Creativity" was deleted at 7:04:41 Tue Apr 10, 2012. We have no more information about it on our mainframe or elsewhere.

Does anyone know of an alternate link? I googled a bit, and there were other relevant videos, but none that matched the length of the original video (i.e. 36:39).
posted by paleyellowwithorange at 4:19 PM on April 10, 2012 [1 favorite]

found it here

Such a great lecture. Pretty much all of it rings very true to my experience with writing, but never heard it so eloquently stated.
posted by troubles at 9:05 PM on April 10, 2012

Mod note: Switched out the deleted link in the post for troubles' link.
posted by taz (staff) at 10:56 PM on April 10, 2012

Great post, thanks
posted by Acey at 10:57 AM on April 11, 2012