Tuesday, July 5, 2016

Wired to Create: Unraveling the Mysteries of the Creative Mind by Scott Barry Kaufman and Carolyn Gregoire

Reading about the scientific breakdown of the creative mind is weird.


Kaufman and Gregoire's Wired to Create highlights the Ten Things Highly Creative People Do Creatively and artfully weaves anecdotes of geniuses and prodigies alongside scientific studies and theories throughout the book. 

Examining complex persons such as Kerouac, Edison, Matisse and the like makes Wired to Create an interesting read in itself—combine that with studies analyzing the relationship between post-traumatic experiences and creativity or the ways in which highly creative people balance solitude and sociability, it's hard not to learn something new from this book. 

As a creative person, trying to understand and explain the illogical processes of creativity in the same way one examines the molecular structure of a scientific element does feel bizarre... 

Doesn't everyone have a messy mind? Have passion? Love new experiences? 


According to the ten characteristics listed in Wired to Create, isn't it natural for everyone to have a creative mind? If so, what factors impede on the development of the creative mind? In what ways can we accept and encourage creativity?

As insightful as Kaufman and Gregoire's research mash-up was, I don't know if this book answered any questions as much as it evoked more curiosities. Perhaps that was exactly the point. 

Even if you think you know everything there is to know about creativity—especially if you describe yourself as a creative—give this book a read and let the conversations ensue.

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