August 2021
Igniting the creative spark
Everyone has a well of creativity buried somewhere within. But why do certain individuals have an easier time accessing it than others? Is it possible to create creativity? Is there a secret recipe? In this month's newsletter, we’re sharing insights that might help get your creative juices flowing.
MUST-READS
The fountain of youth
We were always told that if we finished our vegetables, we would grow up big and strong. But is it all downhill after we reach our peak? Apparently, the fountain of youth was just a marketing ploy. Staying in shape does wonders for the body, and new research suggests that if you keep working your creative mind and open yourself up to new ideas, age can truly be just a number.
Measuring creativity
Want to know your personality type? Measure your IQ? Discover which Harry Potter house you belong to? A few minutes online will give you the answers to all these questions and more. But how do you evaluate something like creativity? Researchers from McGill, Harvard and the University of Melbourne have used algorithms and a concept they call “semantic distances” to design a test that scores your creativity with just ten words.
The secret to creativity… don’t be yourself?
We’re not saying you shouldn’t be yourself, but research has shown stepping outside of your comfort zone might have some benefits. The answer is a bit more nuanced than simply finding new hobbies. Mind-body dissonance is a disconnect we can experience when our emotional state doesn’t quite match our facial expressions or body language. (People in the service industry will know all about that!) And researchers think this might be the key to creativity...
SEIZE THE DAY
Learning to be creative
We were recently back in the classroom on a shoot for Collège Beaubois high school in Montreal’s West Island to promote their upcoming open house. The classroom is where we all first learn to create, collaborate and express ourselves. And even without being taught how to be creative, we found a way to take our assignments and make them shine. At Camden, we still hold strong to those principles today.
BY THE NUMBERS
20,000
An estimated twenty thousand paintings, sculptures and drawings are attributed to Pablo Picasso. Here the age-old question of quality vs. quantity comes to mind. Our ability to produce and be creative may be dependent on our mood, our headspace or our environment. And research tells us there is no clear-cut answer. However, if we hope to catch Guernica in a bottle, we have to create as much and as often as possible.
Source
EARWORTHY
Podcast of the month
Host Steven D. Levitt is joined by U of Chicago economist Sendhil Mullainathan to discuss his latest book, Scarcity. The conversation flows from economics to algorithms, AI, and some valuable tips on producing ideas. Mullainathan talks about how listening to other people’s ideas and then sharing them can fuel your own creativity.
