Creative Surroundings
Creativity is regarded as something that occurs within the human mind, and in many instances the environment is completely ignored - but it cannot be thus. All of the information contained within the mind comes to it from an external source, which is the sensory perception of the external world. The mind may process information from these sources, augment or distort it, but it depends entirely on the senses for original material.
Historically, it can be seen that the great commercial centers have always acted as magnets for ambitious individuals. Although those with intellectual and cultural aspirations often disdain financial matters, the pursuit of their goals requires financial support, and it is evident throughout history that intellectual and cultural progress has occurred almost exclusively in places and times of financial progress.
Being in the Right Place
There are three main reasons that location is important.
The first is access to the domain in which a person intends to work. Information has not been historically accessible from all locations, but has been clumped in specific geographic nodes. There are certain geographic centers where one may go to be exposed to information about a given field of study: artists and musicians seem to flourish in certain areas, as do businessmen, chemists, doctors, oceanographers, and so on.
In the academic world, students of a given subject seek out a school that is known for its faculty and program. But beyond academia, people go to certain places to progress in their careers. One goes to New York City to work in advertising, Los Angeles to work in film, Silicon Valley to work in software, Houston to work in the petroleum industry, and so on. The abundance of opportunity in these places enable a person to make a living, and because of the concentration and competition there is also an opportunity to experiment and do creative things that does not exist in other places.
A second reason is the diversity of interaction. An area may not be specialized in a given domain, but may be an area that has so much diversity of thought that various domains may inspire one another. For example, Paris has long been a city of the arts - but of no art in particular. Writers, painters, fashion designers, chefs, photographers, and others in "the arts" in general cluster in the community and inspire one another.
Finally, and most obviously, there is a concentration of financial support for creativity in specific locations, particularly those that have achieved financial success. Whether it is a civic organization, a business, a university, or even a few wealthy individuals, there is ample financial support for a given. Florence because the epicenter of the Renaissance because there was investment in the arts, Chicago became a major center because of its investment in industry. Boston and San Francisco became major areas of technology development because of investment in that domain.
While the three factors seem to coincide, it should be obvious that the third is likely the most significant in most domains. People in a given domain or in related domains flock to a location where there is opportunity to pursue their work, and this opportunity only exists because there are those who are willing to fund the work.
In rare cases, geography is important: one cannot become a mecca for oceanographic research without access to an ocean, or automotive manufacturing if there are no nearby sources of steel -but for the most part geography and climate seem to be entirely arbitrary. A city can become a mecca for creativity in almost any domain if it is willing to finance it to an extent that attracts members of the field.
Inspiring Environments
He goes on for a few pages about the environment in which he does his own writing: "a small stone cell, seven feet square" that was once used by hermit monks. The place is owned by a foundation that maintains it for scholars who need to seclude themselves from the outside world to do their work.
He cites several examples of historical figures who likewise withdrew, as well as examples of "retreats" that are maintained by other organizations that patronize writers, scholars, and artists. They are typically far removed, and the grounds and scenery can be quite breathtaking, but the quarters in which work is done are very austere.
However, he concedes that this is not sufficient evidence that such a setting induces creativity. That a creative person can be creative in a barren cell does not mean that an uncreative person would become creative in a similar environment. Nor does it mean that a creative person would be incapable of creativity elsewhere.
Sequestration does seem to be valuable (not strictly necessary) for a person who already has a creative idea to develop it. He can focus on his work and remove all distractions for an extended period of time, which is difficult to do in everyday environments. But again, while the element of seclusion is common to many acts of creation, it is not universal enough to suggest that it is necessary, as creative idea are discovered and explored in a myriad of environments.
Per his earlier point, the creative mind needs to be fed - during the "assimilation" phase of creativity, the mind must absorb a great deal of information, and during later states the thinking benefits from information from external sources. But while some parts of the creative process require interaction, other parts (mainly the incubation and development) require isolation.
He mentions that walking tends to be useful to creative. The Greeks referred to the act of walking and thinking as the "peripatetic method" and it is quite common throughout history to observe scholarly types taking long walks, even pacing in confined spaces, as their minds were at work.
This seems a leisure activity, but it is mentioned that ideas seem to "pop" into our minds when we are doing something other than sitting still and straining for an idea. We must let the unconscious mind catch up, and "devoting full attention to a problem is not the best recipe for having creative thoughts."
Creating Creative Environments
Reiterating his previous point: creativity cannot be inspired by a single kind of environment or activity, but requires there to be periods of intense concentration and other periods in which a person's mind is distracted by other things. So while a complex and stimulating environment may be useful for stimulating the mind, the much longer periods of thought require protection from outside distractions.
Here, the author distinguishes between the macro- and micro- environments of creativity. In terms of the broader environment, it is obvious that the historical periods of greatest creativity have always been centered in wealthy societies with vibrant and cosmopolitan cultures that provided the freedom and resources to pursue creative activities. Athens, Rome, Florence, Venice, Paris, London, Vienna, and New York each experienced a golden age of creativity. To a lesser degree, the same can be seen in certain university centers or commercial "think tanks" that have been sponsored.
But at the same time the creative individuals have also constantly been seen to seek out isolation from the external world to pursue their work. In general, they tailor their environment to their own temperament and style of work, creating a space in which they are comfortable, in control, and free of distractions. These spaces vary by the individual - some seek spacious quarters with a panoramic viewpoint, others wall themselves up in very austere and windowless cells.
He does concede that furnishings do not cause a person to be creative - and in fact it is likely because a person is already creative that he tailors his environment in an unusual manner. This unusualness is also part of the creative stereotype - as a person who favors following convention is unlikely to think unconventionally.
There are many who use the external trappings of creative persons - a certain unusual personal style in their living spaces, manner of dress, and other superficial matters - in order to fake being creative.
Patterning Activities
Another common behavior among creative individuals is that they tend to adopt certain patterns of activities, particularly during the incubation period, that are part of their creative processes.
Taking walks is a common activity among creative. Some engage in gardening or cooking, reading novels, playing billiards, or other activities that have nothing to do with their field of inert, but which enable them to "escape" from the work. It is often during these activities that the critical connections are made leading to the moment of inspiration.
There are also examples of creative persons who have very rigorous daily schedules, and who engage in ritual behaviors that seem obsessive. These various idiosyncratic behaviors are regarded as crucial to their creative process, and they will sometimes go to great effort to maintain their routines and activities.
Of course, this is not universal - as there are also examples of creative individuals who are much more casual and even resist the notion of restricting themselves to a specific schedule or routine. He speculates that it is likely not the specific routine that is important, but being in control of one's own time - to schedule it or allow it to remain unscheduled at will. "None of the persons we interviewed ever said that he did this or that because it was the socially expected thing to do at that particular time."
(EN: This is another way of discerning between the creative and the poseur. The creative is unconcerned with the impressions others may have of him, while the poseur is primarily concerned with making an impression on others.)
Fostering Creativity
To those who seek to leverage their environment and activities to foster creativity, the author has this advice: make sure that where you work and what you do reflects your own needs and tastes. Permit there to be both exposure to the outside world but also a retreat from it. In terms of activities, do what works for you.
While being "capital-C creative" is often a matter of luck that is beyond our control, leading a personally creative life is a matter of choice that most people can easily achieve - and he suggests that doing so is important to leading a fulfilling life.