Evolving concepts of creativity: A mirror, a tightrope and an inkblot

A few hours ago I spoke at the second University of Sussex creativity workshop, "Evolving Views of Creativity". Speaking near the end of the day, my role was to synthesize what had been said, in aid of developing a consensus on what we at Sussex mean by creativity. For these reasons, this lecture will be of most interest to people at Sussex, but others may get something out of it as well.

My main point is that creativity can be seen as the result of maintaining a fruitful tension between:

• Self and environment
  
• The intuitive and the conceptual
  
• "Blue-sky" and applied
  
• Novel and familiar
  
• Chaos and order
  
• Disconnection and engagement.
  

Media:

• PodSlides: iPod-ready video (.mp4; 16.8 MB; 15 min 10 sec)
  
• audio (.mp3; 7.1 MB; 15 min 12 sec)
  
• Powerpoint file (.ppt; 3.3 MB)