Name five cultural barriers to creativity. What do you think these would keep a group from being creative? Have you experienced any of these personally? Explain.
The book describes the barriers of creativity as the lack of self confidence, fear of taking risks, the need to conform, environmental and they find themselves locked into our habitual ways of looking at the world. I think when it comes to groups there can be many of these can keep a group from being creative. The first is the need to conform and think and act like otehrs. In groups it is common for people to want to fully assimilate and develop groupthink but sometimes it is ok to be independent. Another barrier that affects groups is the environment that they are placed in. People can be so closed minded and many times they can deter people from being creative. Many times people will be creative and singled out for being different or looked at as if they are trouble for the group. I have been in many groups where several of these barriers have come up. The one that comes up most often is the environment because people will shoot down your ideas because it is different. I most recently was in a group where they all thought alike and I was the outsider for wanting to go against the grain.
This post made me think about common compliments people get. I can never remember a time when somebody said "I like you, you are just like everybody else" and yet we are still attached to schools of though and habits that make us more like the rest. I have heard many times, "You are different, it's refreshing, I like it" You would think that we would have learned by now that being different and going against popular choice is what draws us to one another and ultimately sparks our interest in things. It difference that we look for in jobs, cars, art, topics for our papers in school and Halloween costumes. We should do this when we look for ways of thinking in every choice we make. Embrace the not so normal.
ReplyDeleteHi Jayden,
ReplyDeleteGood post about what inhibits us from being creative. I completely agree. The barriers you listed make great sense. The need to conform is one that really inhibits creativity. When everyone is trying to be like a certain person or style, they will lack the ability to stand out as a individual, different from the others. Sometimes people lack the confidence to make it work when they go against the grain. This ties in to the fear of taking risks. If they try and be different, they could fail and may not be able to recover from it. The fear will captivate the individual and prevent them from making any of their own decisions. Instead, they will conform with their environment and stick to what they know works. Even if what works isn't the most efficient. Creativity can not be found in repetition or a stagnant environment.