129: Creativity

Questions about the Video File:

1. Why areas do people think of when it comes to creativity?
2. Why is it important to cultivate creativity?
3. How does he define creativity?
4. What is the first tool he introduces to enhance creativity?
5. How can one use sleep to be more creative?
6. What is randomness technique?

General Questions:

1. What can you use a knife for? Think of as many possible ways?
2. Do you consider creativity a luxury or a must in your life?
3. What's creativity? Do you consider yourself creative?
4. What's the last creative thing you have done?
5. Does your job/major at University/school include creativity?
6. Do you believe that children are more creative than adults? If yes, why is it so?
7. Does the educational system in your country persuade creativity? How?
8. Do you think you can learn to be creative or is it something instinctive?
9. Are you attracted to creative people or creative works of art or do you prefer the classic art?
10. Have you ever invented a game?
11. Do you invent new recipes or you just stick to the cook book?

Related idioms or expressions:

To have mind of your own: to have your own opinion and not being influenced by others

• It’s better not to seek any advice, have mind of your own and come up with your own solution.

Think outside the box: be creative and try to think of new solutions rather than the standard ones

• Regarding the competitive market, you have to think out of the box to succeed.

Related Quotes:

• “ Creativity involves breaking out of established patterns in order to look at things in a different way.” Edward de Bono
• “Creativity itself doesn't care at all about results - the only thing it craves is the process. Learn to love the process and let whatever happens next happen, without fussing too much about it.” Elizabeth Gilbert
• “Creativity is not just for artists. It's for businesspeople looking for a new way to close a sale; it's for engineers trying to solve a problem; it's for parents who want their children to see the world in more than one way.” Twyla Tharp
   

Related Words and Phrases:

amplify (v) to give a fuller explanation of a point you have already mentioned in a discussion

• To amplify his point, he told us a true story about his own experiences.

reputation (n) the general opinion people have formed in their minds about a particular thing based on past experiences or information about it

• The manager had a reputation for being strict and aggressive.

Myth (n) an idea believed by many people which is likely not to be true

• People who are less exposed to information are more likely to accept myths.

Resilient (adj) have the ability to regain success and prosperity especially after a hard time

• Being resilient, she could get over her company’s bankruptcy and start from the scratch to build her new empire.

Fundamental (adj) basic; most important

• Honesty is a fundamental quality in a relationship.

Radically (adv): if something has radically changed, it has changed a lot.

• When I saw her only after a year, I didn’t recognize her, because her appearance had changed radically.

Concept (n) idea

• Only 50 years ago mobile phones were just a concept.

conceptual (adj): based on or related to an idea

• The most important step in an invention is the conceptual analysis.

Novel (adj) not similar to anything before

• He had the novel Idea of holding the fund raiser right on Thanks Giving day to tap on people’s emotions.

consensus (n) if something is consensus everybody agrees on that

• It is consensus that children are more creative than adults.

Learning curve (n) the pace at which someone learns a subject

• A closer look at her learning curve reflected her underdeveloped mental capacity.

Associative (adj) linking two mainly different things in your mind

• Associative learning focuses on linking what you already know to the things you want to learn.

Constraint (n) limitation

• Your own thoughts put constraint on your creativity.

Far-fetched (adj) not very possible to be true

• The idea of time traveling still sounds far-fetched.

Related Collocations:

Have a good/bad reputation: if you have a good/bad reputation you are known for that quality

• She had a bad reputation for being unpunctual.

A key to success: a very important factor in becoming successful

• It might sound cliché but hard work is definitely a key to success.

Well accepted: if something or someone is well accepted, the majority of people agree that it is true

• It is well accepted that artists need to be more creative.