innovation, polymaths and the universality of the creative process

Root-Bernstein, R. (2003) The Art of Innovation: Polymaths and Universality of the Creative Process

Many people view arts and sciences as being different because sciences yield objective answers to problems where arts produce subjective experiences. I argue that art and science are on a continuum in which artists work with possible worlds whereas scientists are constrained to working in this world, [and] in which artistic thinking produces possibilities that scientists can evaluate for efficacy here and now. (p.1)

If provable that artistic avocations can contribute to scientific innovations and vice versa, this can provide a meaningful model for improvement education and learning.

• Most definitions of scientific innovation center on the idea of effective problem solving (p.2). The solution should be logical, analytical, fact- and data-driven and, as key to the scientific method, reproducible.
• The arts are instead seen to be more subjective, sense- or emotion-driven. If a problem is being solved or goal is being met, is unclear and in some cases irrelevant to the cause.
• Studies show that “various artistic insights have actually preceded and made possible subsequent scientific discoveries and their practical applications.” (p.2)

Four ways that the arts contribute to innovation in the sciences (p.2-3)

1. Problem generation (Root-Bernstein, R., Problem Generation and Innovation) - when the arts invent or uncover phenomenon and observations for the sciences to inspect, a problem to solve
2. The arts provide non-traditional tools, analogies and models that are useful for scientific problem-solving
3. The arts provide tools for conveying the results: literature, imagery, narrative. “The aesthetic portrayal of results in the sciences is just as important as in the arts and relies upon the same tools.”
4. The arts contribute to the sciences through fantasy, “the generation of possible worlds that scientists can test according to the constraints of what is known about the real world.”

“No distinction exists between the arts and sciences at the level of the creative process itself.” (p.4)

“Creative people are generally creative, and their general creative ability comes from mastering a common set of thinking tools and a creative process that is similar across all disciplines.” (p.4)