In order to create a strong product, it is necessary to blend intellect and creativity simultaneously. Now what do these terms mean in the context of creating? Intellect is the information that has been taught to you by text books, teachers, the internet, instruction manuals, etc. that you store in your mind before you begin making something. Creativity is all on you. It is the spice that any successful product needs. It is the personal interpretation one puts in music, the emotion that an actor puts into a script, the colors a painter chooses to use in their painting. Remember that both creativity and intellect are equally important, even though artists will often time have more of one than the other.
I must say that the article "The Physical Genius" (http://www.gladwell.com/1999/1999_08_02_a_genius.htm)was an impressive read. The point of the article was to connect the similarities of inteligent and equally cordinated people such as hockey player Wayne Gretzky and a brain surgeon, Charlie Wilson. The opening paragraphs depict an absolutely amazing story of how Charlie Wilson managed to flawlessly remove a pituitary tumor. A man that can do such a thing is without a doubt highly educated. The article even says that Wilson has done nearly three thousand of this same procedure! This is the intellect part of Wilson's abilities. He knows his stuff. He has experience.
But what's really fascinating is how when Wislon performed his first transsphenoidal pituitary operation back in 1968. He had no idea how to do the operation since it was very uncommon at the time. However, Wilson was motivated to do whatever he could to save his patient. After researching the procedure, having a crash course session with an expert he knew in the San Francisco area, and even travel to Paris to observe one of the best surgeons in the world perform the operation and quickly returning home, Wilson was able to perform the operation successfully. Talk about being a quick learner!
This is Charlie Wilson's creativity. I know what most might be thinking: how do you get creative in surgery? Isn't that dangerous? Well here's the connection. Wilson has a "feel" for his craft. Indeed he is educated, however, his passion for his job distinguishes him from his contemporaries. With such passion comes a natural flow, a talent, if you will. This personal expression is really your creativity since it shows who you are. You can read about the transsphenoidal procedure all you want but if you can't envision it, can't simulate it, can't have a feel for it, then you won't be good at it. Morever, some of us are perfectionists like Charlie Wilson and some are not.
I have my own experience with intellect and creativity. It's very simple. I am a musician at University of North Carolina School of the Arts where I am focusing my studies in organ performance. Without my blend of intellect and creativity I doubt I would have made it to this school nor would I have continued studying music this long. The intellect comes with my knowledge of how to read sheet music, how to understand music theory and chord progressions, how to write music on a staff, etc. This is key to being a classical musician. With all the notes on the page, one must know how to understand what to play just like a writer knows how to read literature. A strong foundation in intellect allows for creativity to ease right on in.
I must stress creativity in music is that of interpretation. Organist Virgil Fox plays Bach like Virgil Fox, organist Cameron Carpenter plays Bach like Cameron Carpenter, and I play Bach like Chris Engel. There is no right or wrong way to do it (well I'm sure my music teachers would disagree!) but music needs a kick to it, a bite, if you will. Only when you are completely submerged into the sounds you are creating, can you express to your audience; if the audience sees you into what you're doing then they'll enjoy it just as if you are clearly not into it, your audience will really not care.
Learning pages of notes can take many hours, days, weeks, along with many headaches. But creativity is mostly all natural. Of course one can perfect their style, but creativity be prominent in the first place. One must have the intellect to know the notes but one also needs to have a vision for the piece of music that enables it to come alive. When the two are put together an impressive product is made.
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