Creating Minds : An Anatomy Of Creativity Seen Through The Lives Of Freud, Einstein, Picasso, Stravinsky.

Howard Gardner

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Howard Gardner changed the way we think about intelligence. In his classic work Frames of Mind , he undermined the common notion that intelligence is a single capacity that every human being possesses to a greater or lesser extent. Now building on the framework he developed for understanding intelligence, Gardner gives us a path breaking view of creativity, along with riveting portraits of seven figures who each reinvented an area of human endeavor.

Using as a point of departure his concept of seven “intelligences,” ranging from musical intelligence to the intelligence involved in understanding oneself, Gardner examines seven extraordinary individuals—Sigmund Freud, Albert Einstein, Pablo Picasso, Igor Stravinsky, T.S. Eliot, Martha Graham, and Mahatma Gandhi—each an outstanding exemplar of one kind of intelligence.

Understanding the nature of their disparate creative breakthroughs not only sheds light on their achievements but also helps to elucidate the “modern era”—the times that formed these creators and which they in turn helped to define. While focusing on the moment of each creator's most significant breakthrough, Gardner discovers patterns crucial to our understanding of the creative process.

Not surprisingly, Gardner believes that a single variety of creativity is a myth. But he supplies evidence that certain personality configurations and needs characterize creative individuals in our time, and that numerous commonalities color the ways in which ideas are conceived, articulated, and disseminated to the public.

He notes, for example, that it almost invariably takes ten years to make the initial creative breakthrough and another ten years for subsequent breakthroughs. Creative people feature unusual combinations of intelligence and personality, and Gardner delineates the indispensable role of the circumstances in which an individual works and the crucial reactions of the surrounding group of informed peers.

He finds that an essential element of the creative process is the support of caring individuals who believe in the revolutionary ideas of the creators. And he documents the fact that extraordinary creativity almost always carries with it extraordinary costs in human terms.

What will you learn from this book

  1. Multiplicity of Intelligences: Gardner proposes that creativity is not limited to a single domain but can manifest across various intelligences, including linguistic, logical-mathematical, spatial, musical, bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and naturalistic.

  2. Biographical Approach: By examining the biographies of Sigmund Freud, Albert Einstein, Pablo Picasso, and Igor Stravinsky, Gardner illustrates how different individuals harness their unique intelligences to revolutionize their respective fields.

  3. Creative Process: Gardner explores the creative process as a combination of intellectual ability, personal motivation, social environment, and cultural context, highlighting the iterative nature of creative endeavors and the importance of perseverance.

  4. Domains of Creativity: Through the lives of the four individuals, Gardner showcases creativity across diverse domains, including psychoanalysis (Freud), theoretical physics (Einstein), visual arts (Picasso), and music composition (Stravinsky), demonstrating that creativity is not restricted to the arts but permeates all aspects of human endeavor.

  5. Intellectual Curiosity: One common trait among the creative minds studied is intellectual curiosity—a relentless pursuit of knowledge, a willingness to challenge conventional wisdom, and a desire to explore new ideas and possibilities.

  6. Originality and Innovation: Creativity involves originality and innovation, the ability to generate novel ideas, perspectives, and solutions that disrupt existing paradigms and push the boundaries of knowledge.

  7. Interdisciplinary Thinking: Gardner emphasizes the importance of interdisciplinary thinking in fostering creativity, as individuals draw inspiration from diverse fields and integrate ideas from seemingly unrelated domains to spark innovation.

  8. Emotional Intelligence: Beyond cognitive abilities, emotional intelligence plays a crucial role in creativity, enabling individuals to navigate complex social dynamics, manage setbacks and criticism, and maintain resilience in the face of adversity.

  9. Cultural Influence: Gardner examines how cultural factors shape creative expression, influencing the themes, styles, and techniques adopted by creative individuals and shaping their impact on society.

  10. Legacy and Impact: By studying the enduring legacies of Freud, Einstein, Picasso, and Stravinsky, Gardner underscores the profound influence of creative individuals on culture, science, art, and society, inspiring future generations to think boldly and creatively.

Language English
ISBN-10 0465014550
ISBN-13 9780465014552
No of pages 464
Font Size Medium
Book Publisher Basic book
Published Date 08 Jul 1993

About Author

Author : Howard Gardner

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