Most important, he explains why creativity needs to be cultivated and is necessary for the future of our country, if not the world. He discusses such ideas as why creative individuals are often seen as selfish and arrogant, and why the 'tortured genius' is largely a myth. Drawing on nearly one hundred interviews with exceptional people, from biologists and physicists, to politicians and business leaders, to poets and artists, as well as his thirty years of research on the subject, Csikszentmihalyi uses his famous flow theory to explore the creative process. Legendary psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi ('The leading researcher into 'flow states.'' - Newsweek) reveals what leads to these moments-be it the excitement of the artist at the easel or the scientist in the lab-so that this knowledge can be used to enrich people's lives. You can benefit from interacting and brainstorming with others, but awesome creative work can be achieved by shutting out the outside world, whilst you insanely focus on your craft. The classic study of the creative process from the bestselling author of Flow.Ĭreativity is about capturing those moments that make life worth living. I highly recommend this book to those intrigued by human processes and who find themselves engaged in creative pastimes that lead to innovative developments.'Although the benefits of this study to scholars are obvious, this thought-provoking mixture of scholarly and colloquial will enlighten inquisitive general readers, too.' - Library Journal (starred review) Through the lens of his 30 years of studies, Csikszentmihalyi discusses ideas like why creative individuals are often seen as selfish and arrogant, why the “tortured genius” is largely a myth, and why creativity is necessary for the future of our communities and world. Similar to how this book draws on almost 100 interviews with biologists, physicists, politicians, poets, artists, and more, his research into flow theory analyzed writers, athletes, chess masters, surgeons, and any individuals who were involved in activities they preferred. He discovered that enjoyment did not result from relaxing or living stress-free but during intense activities where a person’s attention is fully absorbed – called a flow state. I recently read the book “ Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention” by iconic psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi which gave incredible insight into the moments that people feel make life worth living and what leads them to get there.Ĭsikszentmihalyi is the leading researcher into flow states and flow theory, which he introduced in the 1970s based on research examining people who did activities for pleasure even with no recognition.

As a woman of science, I am forever fascinated by the different developments and understandings we have come to recognize as truths about human nature and behavior.

Csikszentmihalyi creativity