CREATIVITY
- Background
To all intents and purposes, celebration of creativity has become ineluctably an international pervasive reality, whether it is considered from the view point of its importance to society or as one of the expressions of the human spirits-creativity stands out as an activity to be studied, cherished and cultivated(Arieti 1976)because the importance of creativity is paramount.
It is not amazing if Rousseau (1962) had observed thus: "In every underdeveloped country, potential Einsteins and Fords are either herding cattle or breaking stones, to turn such men into competent and highly principled leaders of every kind is an urgent necessity." The development of potential intellectual talents to the full is rather differently motivated in such countries which are still largely peasant economies like India. Such underdeveloped countries have remained underdeveloped because they have not earlier cultivated human resources (Curle, 1961)
In order to survive, to complete and to maintain the uniqueness in the face of threats and pressures the developing nations not only require a chi d-oriented view of creativity, but creativity which is purposeful, relevant and driven to the masses, Such a creative enterprise is the only hope for the survival and progress of such countries(Maddi , 1975).
Torrance (1962), while warning in this regard has asignificant note. He writes, "It takes little imagination to recognise that the future of our civilization our very survival, depends upon the quality of the creative imagination of our next generation." Further, he adds thus: "Democracies collapse only when they fail to use intelligent and imaginative methods for solving their problems. Greece failed to heed such a warning by Socrates and so gradually collapsed”.
In the modern times when knowledge both in terms of construction and destruction is advancing by the most incredible leaps and bounds into a fantastic 21st century, genuinely creative adaptations seems to represent the only possibility that man can keep abreast of the kaleidoscopic changes in this world. With scientific discovery and inventions proceeding at a geometric rate of progression, generally passive and culture-bound people cannot cope with the multiplying issues and problems unless individuals, groups and nations can imagine creatively and devise new ways of relating to those complex changes, or the light will go out(Barron,1968).
The spirit of the present, the emergence of new responsibilities, new social and cultural necessities, deep and tumultuous changes in social morals and objectives have made creativity's significance as a rapidly expanding area of scientific interest. The current widespread ferment and concern for creativity exists due to forces which have resulted outside the scope of psychology (Barron, 1975).
Guilford's (1975) observation in this regard is not irrelevant either, when he ventured to say that 'nothing could contribute more to the general welfare of a nation and to the satisfaction and mental health of its people than a raising of the general level of creative performance. While, Kelman (1963) strikes a philosophically universal note when he asserts that creativity is identical with the expansion of the universe and the main task of man on this planet. Man's efforts at its best has revealed itself in this creative work and in his search for a type of cosmology which defines his destiny.
Thus, creativity is the most distinguished and active patent but a latent feature of human beings and is really the basis of the continuity of the progressive evolution of the world and is a very fascinating subject to study.
From time immemorial, ever since the dawn of human history the world has been a constant witness to epochs of great creative activity. The progress of civilization is marked by milestones of the great innumerable discoveries, inventions and innovations which are but a testimony to man's· perennial urge for creation. These are reflected from agriculture to astronomy ; from medicine to music the masterpieces in the art museums; the great plays and novels; the melodious music of the orchestra and the· opera; the solutions of the abstract mathematical and remote astronomical problems: the discovies, Physical Chemical and biological in the laboratories, The knowledge in all these domains is enriched by creative people, the scientists,the gifted, the genius as they are variously called (Ramachandra, 1986).
Creativity is the key to education and to the solutions bf mankind's endless problems. In one form or the other there are many countries world wide whose survival depends upon the creative vision and creative striving of their masses. It is an important factor in leadership in any field whether it is business, medicine, engineering, industry, technology, politics, agriculture, farming, education and or war. Thus, creativity may prove to be the key to success or failure in mankind's quest for knowledge in his journey beyond the bounds of the sure and the seen in his exploration of the unknown (Barron, 1968).
In fact it is the creative thinking which has made possible for man to formulate problems that here-to-fore were not even considered or imagined for exploration. It is more relevant in the modern electronic revolution, where computers have not only taken over the drudgery out of certain complicated and sophisticated solutions to problems but have forced man to take up simple tasks. For the impetus of such a technological change, society demands man's imagination and ideational energies far more than his physical and intellectual energies. Undoubtedly unique and novel use of ideas in solving problems is the grist of a innovating society and the sign of a progressive nation.
For the welfare and prosperity of a country, creative training of its new generation is the prerequisite. For, the prosperity depends apart from adults largely upon the student and adolescent force, the types colleges, and the kind of education system. Creative potentials of the youth are required in nation building we must focus our attention on the ways and means of fostering creativity. Education should encourage them to display their talents and this is possible only when education provides a favourable environment conducive to the development of their potentialities. The agents of this environment are not only the parents at home but also the teachers at school.
Everyone knows what joyful, lively, active, tender, busy and friendly little people, children are. But these very children who start life so full of creative energy, who are overflowing with activity and interest in everything, who have natural inclination to enquire, to discover and to be friendly with the whole world, very soon lose this spontaneity and interest. Their desire for experiment and the capacity to probe diminishes. With the chronological growth their ability to live naturally finally comes to an end. They lose their freshness and develop inhibitions, grow up all too often into apathetic, frightened, unhappy unstable & stereotype men and women.
Life becomes an irritating effort instead of an ever growing joy in discovering and creative action. As a res lt, they feel that the world is not a happy place to live, but is full of conflicts, painful uprisings, threats and wars ( Payne, 1957). The need for creative approach in education would answer as to why this vitality in children was lost after a very short span of time.
It is therefore doubtful that if the spontaneity in children can survive for more than a few years in the present type of environment meted out to them at home and school . We are living in an age of institutional value system where even creativity itself is in danger of being institutionalized (Wellings, 1980).
As a child grows, he ceases to be creative, for lack of stimulation and encouragement. Fated to live in a society that has lost the energy of life, destined to serve the industrial machine, his mind becomes trained to work with the same automatic mechanical precision. The spirit that shone through his eyes while he was a child shines no more. It is imprisoned, unable to move except in limited directions. The child himself is trapped and something strange, unreal and a far lower level of awareness takes its place. This unreal person is unhappy, unstable, violent, dull, bored, indifferent, irresponsible and sometimes inert.
Creativity is a problem, as such it is as human as other problems such· as, love, marriage etc., and all these three are a source of infinite blessings and infinite distresses the way they are handled.
In view of the above, it is pertinent to recognise the importance of creativity, having recognised the importance, it should be accepted as a way of life, having accepted, it should be provided with an environment conducive to its growth and to provide such an environment, one should not only make efforts to change the parental value systems and value patterns, but also make appropriate changes at all levels of the education system in terms of its policy, curriculum development, teaching styles and practices, use and improvisation of materials and objects and finally revise roles, attitudes and values of teachers which only would fulfil the commitment.
It becomes imperative therefore for parents and teachers alike to get a better unerstanding of the creative process, traits, its nature and the influence of home and school factors upon the personality of the individual for creative growth. They should find ways in all possible directions and in every sphere of life to liberate the creative potential, stimulate it and initiate him into a creative way of life, away from stereotypism. This is possible only when the individual is free from the shackles of prejudice, injustice, fear and insecurity . Thus, it behoves as a liability on the part of parents and teachers to apply themselves in their limited spheres of time, resources, motivation etc. to meet the challenge.
I will be presenting some theoritical perscpectives about Creativity in my next article and other things related to the topic in the following articles. My idea and objective is to let the younger scholars , researchers and interested Academicians know about Creativity in deapth and develop on this topic further. Thanks, Dr. Mohamed Iqbal Ahmed