Creativity & Invention

Col Mukteshwar Prasad(Retd)

Invention
An invention is a unique or novel device, method, composition or process. It may be an improvement upon a machine or product, or a new process for creating an object or a result. An invention that achieves a completely unique function or result may be a radical breakthrough.
Such works are
Novel and not obvious to others skilled in the same field

Some inventions can be patented. A Patent legally protects the intellectual property rights of the inventor and legally recognizes that a claimed invention is actually an invention. The rules and requirements for patenting an invention vary from country to country, and the process of obtaining a patent is often expensive. Another meaning of invention is cultural invention, which is an innovative set of useful social behaviors adopted by people and passed on to others. Invention is also an important component of artistic and design creativity. Inventions often extend the boundaries of human knowledge, experience or capability. Most effective Leaders are those who are self aware as well as sensitive to the expectations of others. They express Emotional Intelligence

Practical means of invention

The idea for an invention may be developed on paper or on a computer, by writing or drawing, by Trials and error making models experimenting testing and/or by making the invention in its whole form. Brainstorming also can spark new ideas for an invention. Collaborative creative processes are frequently used by designers, architects and scientists. Co-inventors are frequently named on patents. In addition, many inventors keep records of their working process notebooks, photos, etc., Example, include Leonardo Da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson and Albert Einstein.

Practical means of invention..

In the process of developing an invention, the initial idea may change. The invention may become simpler, more practical, it may expand, or it may even morph into something totally different. Working on one invention can lead to others too. History shows that turning the concept of an invention into a working device is not always swift or direct. Inventions may also become more useful after time passes and other changes occur. For example, the parachute became more useful once powered flight was a reality.

Conceptual means
Invention is often a creative process. An open and curious mind allows an inventor to see beyond what is known. Following can spark invention Seeing a new possibility, Connection or relationship can spark an invention. Inventive thinking involves combining concepts or elements from different realms that would not normally be put together. Sometimes inventors disregard the boundaries between distinctly separate territories or fields. Several concepts may be considered when thinking about invention. Creativity refers to the invention or origination of any new thing (a product, solution, artwork, literary work, joke, etc.) that has value. "New" may refer to the individual creator or the society or domain within which novelty occurs. "Valuable", similarly, may be defined in a variety of ways

Conceptual means
The range of scholarly interest in creativity includes a multitude of definitions and approaches involving several disciplines;
Psychology Cognitive science Education Philosophy(Particularly philosophy of science) Technology Theology Sociology Linguistics Business studies Economics,

May be taking in the relationship between

creativity and general intelligence, mental and neurological processes associated with creativity, personality type and creative ability and between creativity and mental health, the potential for fostering creativity through education and training, especially as augmented by technology, and the application of creative resources to improve the effectiveness of learning and teaching processes.

Conceptual means
"Over the course of the last decade, however, we seem to have reached a general agreement that creativity involves the production of novel, useful products" (Michael Mumford ) Creativity can also be defined "as the process of producing something that is both original and worthwhile. What is produced can come in many forms and is not specifically singled out in a subject or area. Authors have diverged dramatically in their precise definitions beyond these general commonalities Peter Meusburger reckons that over a hundred different analyses can be found in the literature.

Aspects of creativity
Theories of creativity (particularly investigation of why some people are more creative than others) have focused on a variety of aspects and dominant factors are usually identified as "the four Ps process,
A focus on process is shown in cognitive approaches that try to describe thought mechanisms and techniques for creative thinking. Theory of creative process may be Theories invoking divergent rather than convergent thinking or those describing the staging of the creative process

product,
A focus on creative product usually appears in attempts to measure creativity (psychometrics) and in creative ideas framed as successful memes. The psychometric approach to creativity reveals that it also involves the ability to produce more.

person
A focus on the nature of the creative person considers more general intellectual habits, such as openness, levels of ideation, autonomy, expertise, exploratory behavior and so on.

Place.
A focus on place considers the circumstances in which creativity flourishes, such as degrees of autonomy, access to resources and the nature of gatekeepers.

Creative lifestyles are characterized by nonconforming attitudes and behaviors as well as flexibility

Eight types of creative contribution

replication - confirming that the given field is in the correct place redefinition - the attempt to redefine where the field is and how it is viewed forward incrementation - a creative contribution that moves the field forward in the direction in which it is already moving advance forward movement - which advances the field past the point where others are ready for it to go redirection - which moves the field in a new, different direction redirection from a point in the past - which moves the field back to a previous point to advance in a different direction starting over/ re-initiation - moving the field to a different starting point - and integration combining two or more diverse ways of thinking about the field into a single way of thinking.

Creativity techniques
Creativity techniques are methods that encourage creative actions, whether in the arts or sciences. They focus on a variety of aspects of creativity, techniques for idea generation and divergent thinking, methods of re-framing problems, changes in the affective environment and so on. They can be used
as part of problem solving, artistic expression, or therapy.

Some techniques require groups of two or more people while other techniques can be accomplished alone. These methods include word games, written exercises and different types of improvisation, or algorithms for approaching problems. Aleatory techniques exploiting randomness are also common. In short, aleatoricism is a way to introduce new thoughts or ideas into a creative process.

Aleatoricism (Aleatory techniques)

Aleatoricism is the incorporation of chance (random elements) into the process of creation, especially the creation of art or media. Aleatoricism is commonly found in music, art, and literature, particularly in poetry. In film, Andy Voda made a movie in 1979 called "Chance Chants" which he produced by a flip of a coin, or roll of a dice. In music, John Cage, an avant-garde musician, composed music by superimposing star maps on blank sheet music, by rolling dice, and by preparing open ended scores that depended on the spontaneous decisions of the performers. Other ways of practicing randomness include coin tossing, picking something out of a hat, or selecting random words from a dictionary. In short, aleatoricism is a way to introduce new thoughts or ideas into a creative process.

Improvisation

Improvisation is a creative process which can be spoken, written, or composed without prior preparation. Improvisation, also called extemporization, can lead to the discovery of new ways to act, new patterns of thought and practices, or new structures. Improvisation is used in the creation of music, theater, and other various forms. Many artists also use improvisational techniques to help their creative flow. The following are two significant methods: Improvisational theater is a form of theater in which actors use improvisational acting techniques to perform spontaneously.
Many improvisational (improv) techniques are taught in standard drama classes. The basic skills of considered important skills for actors to develop listening, clarity, confidence, and performing instinctively and spontaneously

Improvisation.
Free improvisation is real-time composition. Musicians of all kinds improvise (improv) music; such improvised music is not limited to a particular genre. Two contemporary musicians that use free improvisation are Anthony Braxton and Cecil Taylor. Through free improvisation, musicians can develop increased spontaneity and fluency.[3] Each type of improvisation improves the thinking and acting skills of the actor, and this is done by using no practice. A similar set of techniques is called alienation since one of its many techniques uses actors that haven't rehearsed or even read the play. Improvisation is an acting technique during which actors make up a storyline, start and end on the spot, and try their best to keep in character.

Problem solving
The random-word creativity technique Perhaps the simplest method. A person confronted with a problem is presented with a randomly generated word, in the hopes of a solution arising from any associations between the word and the problem. A random image, sound, or article can be used instead of a random word as a kind of creativity goad or provocation

6-3-5 Brainwriting
Also known as the 6-3-5 Method, or Method 635 A group creativity technique used in marketing, advertising, design, writing and product development originally developed by Professor Bernd Rohrbach in 1968.

Based on the concept of Brainstorming, The aim of 6-3-5 Brainwriting is to generate 108 new ideas in half an hour. In a similar way to brainstorming, it is not the quality of ideas that matters but the quantity.

6-3-5 Brainwriting
The technique involves 6 participants who sit in a group Are supervised by a moderator. Each participant thinks up 3 ideas every 5 minutes. The ideas are written down on a worksheet and passed on to the next participant. The participant reads the ideas and uses them as inspiration for more ideas. Participants are encouraged to draw on others' ideas for inspiration, thus stimulating the creative process. After 6 rounds in 30 minutes the group has thought up a total of 108 ideas.