• It would be wrong to confine creativity and the creative phenomenon to advanced, highly civilized, or industrial societies alone

By Souad Khalil | Libya

Creativity, as commonly defined, is the ability to produce and bring forth something new across all fields — whether scientific or everyday — and most importantly it is linked to the arts and to scientific innovations. In this article we will focus on creative states, whether they are practical, personal, or situational.

Scholars disagree about the meaning of creativity, and their lack of agreement on a clear, precise definition is itself an indicator of the complexity of the subject. It is enough to note that some of these scholars mean by “creativity” the (idea) — creating something entirely new and bringing it into existence — while others mean by the term the process or processes, especially the psychological ones, through which something new of high value is created. A third group looks at creativity in terms of the creative work itself — the product or outcome that results from the capacity to innovate — and at the creative process that ultimately leads to completing and realizing that creative product.

On this topic we take a small excerpt from a study and translation published in the book World of Thought (ʿĀlam al-Fikr). It notes that there are many definitions — or, more correctly, different positions and viewpoints — about the subject that reveal its branching complexity. This is what Donald MacKinnon, one of the most important writers on the psychological aspects of creativity, means when he says that the concept of creativity is not merely a theoretical construct but rather a general principle or rule under which many evaluative matters fall. He himself distinguishes four basic manifestations or aspects of creativity, and he believes that the subject cannot be properly studied unless we encompass all of them, because they overlap and integrate to form the creative phenomenon. These aspects are:

A — The creative work, or the creative product.

B — The creative process.

C — The creative person.

D — The creative situation.

Each of these four aspects, according to some writers, can provide us with answers to a number of problems related to the subject as a whole — such as the nature of the creative work and the characteristics and components by which creative works can be identified; the nature of the creative process and the types of psychological operations that can lead to genuine, authentic creativity; in addition to many questions regarding the distinguishing features of the creative person and the characteristics and prerequisites of the creative situation, and the social and cultural circumstances that help bring forth creative thinking and the creative mind, and so on.

Some studies conducted in the field of creativity have revealed that every person possesses to some degree that special capacity we call creativity, and that this capacity can be nurtured and developed through training and practice. In particular, creative output — to use the phrase employed by Evans and Smith — involves many elements of curiosity, the desire to discover and explore, the urge to ask questions and to provide atypical and unusual answers to them, and the emergence of signs of independence and differentiation in both thought and experience. Evans and Smith view creativity as the ability to deal comfortably with ambiguous or ill-defined problems, to find new and original approaches, and to experiment with and apply entirely novel things. Creative thinking is unconventional or unfamiliar because it does not follow the usual, fixed methods for defining or solving problems.

New creativity must be given the opportunity to prove its worth and demonstrate its importance and usefulness once the creative work has been accomplished and realized externally. This does not mean, however, that creative activity must always concern only useful or practical matters, because constraint and strict adherence ultimately destroy one of the general distinguishing traits of creators — a trait that often leads them to discover new fields. These are some extracts about the creative phenomenon from Donald MacKinnon and Evans Smith, who say that distinguishing between those four aspects that compose the creative phenomenon finds its counterpart in the way psychologists on the one hand, and anthropologists and sociologists on the other, approach the subject. Psychologists direct most of their attention to the individual characteristics that accompany the phenomenon — reflected especially in the creative process itself and in the traits of the creative person — whereas it is logical that sociologists and anthropologists prioritize studying the creative product and the creative situation, given that the social and cultural conditions prevailing in a society necessarily reflect themselves in whatever thought, action, or utterance an individual produces. This does not mean, however, that the other aspects are ignored entirely by psychologists or sociologists. Creativity is an integrated unit with its four limbs, and the study of it should be an integrative approach that surrounds the phenomenon from all sides — individual and collective, psychological and socio-cultural — even if scholars, according to their disciplines, emphasize some aspects more than others. This is another indicator of the phenomenon’s complexity and branching nature.

We must also avoid confusing creativity with certain powers and abilities that the creative individual enjoys. The first thing to note here is the necessity of distinguishing between creativity and intelligence, on the ground that there is not necessarily a one-to-one correspondence between the two. This question occupied many psychologists, especially American scholars who sought to show that conventional intelligence measures are not an accurate standard for measuring originality and creativity. It is true, as Professor MacKinnon says in his article in the International Encyclopedia of Social Sciences (page 438), that the creative person often enjoys a high degree of intelligence, but the relationship is not constant in all cases. All that can be said in this regard is that a certain level of intelligence must be present for a person to be creative. Moreover, the level of intelligence required for creativity differs from one field to another; sometimes it is so low as to be surprising. Perhaps more important than raw intelligence in creativity is the extent to which the creative person can use whatever intelligence they possess to produce creative works and how effectively and skillfully they direct it for that purpose.

The second point is that it would be wrong to confine creativity and the creative phenomenon to advanced, highly civilized, or industrial societies alone. Creativity is a universal phenomenon found in all human societies and at different stages of social and cultural development. Although anthropologists have not always given sufficient attention to intellectual and artistic creativity in so-called “primitive” societies, the few studies that did focus on primitive arts — particularly among some African tribes and Native American groups — reveal the existence of creative artists and even coherent intellectual horizons within the limits of those societies’ prevailing cultures. Among the important studies are the writings of the American anthropologist Paul Radin, especially his book on the “primitive man” as philosopher, which reveals the depth of intellectual creativity found in many of these peoples, and the British anthropologist Raymond Firth’s studies of certain manifestations of primitive art. But perhaps the most significant of these writings are those of the French anthropologist Claude Lévi-Strauss, particularly his great Mythologiques and some other books in which he presented striking examples of creativity in myth, visual arts, tattooing, ornamentation, and so forth.

There are many examples and images of these creative expressions in such societies, and also when supernatural visions in the world of spirits occur — naturally they are individual, personal visions reflected by the creative artist in their works, and they often reach a very high degree of aesthetic quality.

The third point is that, just as creativity is not limited to some societies and excluded from others, it is also not confined to certain ages at the expense of others; one can find high-level intellectual or artistic creativity in individuals of different age groups. Increasing age is not an obstacle to creativity. Many major achievements in science and the arts were made by creative individuals at late stages of life. Examples are numerous across fields such as biology, physics, mathematics, and many other creative works and innovations that were produced by those for whom age made no difference.

Creative work transcends ordinary human experience and introduces many elements of modification and alteration that may ultimately change experience radically and conflict with traditional conditions. Some creative works even change humanity’s perception of the universe as a whole. This is what some writers mean when they describe creative work as a form of transcendence and as the ability to create new conditions for human existence itself. There are many examples, most evident in scientific creativity: consider Copernicus’ theory of the centrality of the sun, Darwin’s theory of evolution, and Freud’s ideas in psychoanalysis. These are all original breakthroughs that overcame prevailing notions at their times and succeeded in fundamentally changing human perspectives. Perhaps this is what Otto Rank meant in his short phrase that the artist in all branches of creative art does not only create art, but also uses art in creation and innovation.

Studying and analyzing creative works can help us learn a great deal about the people who produced them and the circumstances in which they arose and surrounded them. This is clearer in the study of literary creativity than in other types of artistic, intellectual, or scientific creativity. Studying the lives of creators can help explain their works and products. However, some writers, particularly followers of the structuralist school in France, find it more appropriate and useful to study the creative work in itself, apart from its author — though this does not always imply ignoring the social and cultural circumstances prevailing in the society or the creative situation. According to terminology used in creativity studies, any creative work is ultimately part of that culture. Despite everything said about creativity as a faculty, gift, or talent, and about the creative work as a unique product of a particular person with its specific personal components, there is no doubt about the interaction between the creative person and society — even if that interaction sometimes takes a negative form, manifesting as revolt by creators against prevailing conditions and traditions. This is reflected in the distinctness of some of them in style and in an independent pattern of behavior and values that depart from the usual. What is said about the bohemian lives of some artists is, in reality, one form of that revolt, which is characterized by disdain for society and inherited values; it simultaneously expresses the sense of suffering these creative artists experience in life. In any case, tracing the life histories of creative individuals is among the most important sources for understanding the creative situation.

In these final lines we take a small portion of this reading about the creative phenomenon: namely, that the creative process is not meant to be simply the production or realization of a specific creative work — such as painting an oil canvas, composing a musical piece, or writing a poem — but rather the mental process by which the creative work can be envisaged as a whole unit before beginning its actual execution. This process helps, for example, a composer to conceive a symphony as an integrated whole made up of a set of melodies that revolve in his mind before he transcribes them onto the score; it helps the novelist to sense the entire novel or the whole story as a unit before he lays down a single word on paper; and it helps the painter to look at a landscape and see what he will paint. The execution and realization of the creative work itself then becomes a matter of shaping the raw materials and elements used by the creative person — which vary according to the field of their creativity (musical tones, words, colors and pigments, and so on) — so that in the end it approaches that mental vision that preceded the work itself. Thus the creative person forms a general idea or holistic conception of the subject he wishes to create before taking any practical step toward its realization.

Read: The Poetry and the Renewal

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Souad Khalil, hailing from Libya, is a writer, poet, and translator. She has been writing on culture, literature and other general topics.

The post Let’s Discuss What Is Creativity? first appeared on Sindh Courier.

Souad Khalil | Libya

The German philosopher “Hegel” believes that aesthetics is the philosophy of beautiful art, a philosophy of aesthetic conception and a philosophy of the ability to create more and more beautiful, a philosophy of the most absorbing taste.

Beauty is a prominent feature of this existence, if not the most prominent features, and the open visionary realizes beauty from the very beginning. The interconnectedness and manifestations of many graduates feel this consciousness, even if they are unable to express it with a statement.

Although the healthy sense and normal instinct of all mankind automatically feel with the manifestations of beauty, and is taken at first sight, with its influence and authority on the sense of human being, but as long as we find relative measures for each nation that strikes you to find it available from the characteristics of beauty in young people associated with calm and coherence, and are controlled by a concept of harmony and harmony as a higher example of beauty.

The first naturalists of the Greek philosophers used to explain all the appearance of natural elements and to explain all the activities with the secrets of number.

So, the work of art is not only a material, material and drawn fabric, which is the language of lines and colors that represent the form of works of art, but it is a language that refuses repetition even if its appearance is a common geometric, from questions, materials, techniques and for the common earth experiences that have been collected by humanity.

In his first interview (Ebias of the Great), Plato raised the problem of beauty, and Socrates concluded in his dialogue that the problem is difficult, and in order for Plato to solve the mystery of beauty, he remained engaged with him throughout his life almost hesitated in most things of the interlocutors, and concluded that the truth is the same beauty and the same beauty that gave this sharing and therefore his vision.

The truth was hidden and when the artist realized it, Al -jawhari appeared in his artistic work.

Plato believes that beauty is achieved with love.

Love and beauty move the human soul with success and harmony, as Plato says, rhythm and harmony, tapping the depths of the soul, hold it strongly on it, and makes Plato the way to perfect emotions, Plato managed to make the obsession with beauty an obsession with love, for beauty is not limited to art. What is the truth?

So, we find that beauty has been represented in the arts of photography and Umrah, and I have strived to achieve the characteristics of balance, symmetry, coalition and we find no, Plato and Arsti are influenced by these principles which the arts of their time adhered to, deciding that balance, measurement and proportion are the elements of beauty and perfection in all resources.

Aristotle states his famous phrase in his definition of beauty, but beauty is achieved in order and dimensions, and despite the great interest in beauty and immersion in its understanding and interpretation, many philosophers and thinkers have not been able to introduce and modern.

Many philosophers and thinkers throughout history have been associated with their definitions of beauty or its theory of what it is, including Freud, Sayyid Qutb, Kant, Abdel -Qaher al -jarjani and Shabnehur e Lesnj and many others.

If we ask about the source of the influence of beauty or why beauty affects the human soul, we are afraid that it can be explained by the attention of man, as well as that he can take it from himself, then it can be due to identification, as a person, of course, loves to specify and hates the lack of determination, Santiaa said: beauty requires determination.

Or it is considered on a regime that Aristotle said: Beauty is composed of system in many things, and Caser said: art is a system and means an indirect vision of beauty, and in beauty is an organization of the motives of the soul and its inner body.

And when the soul is torn and work is separated from pleasure and self from subject matter and unity and harmony disintegrate, there is a strong need for beauty, so Shiller sees in the modern era the task of beauty, and expands from the scope of aesthetic study and is not limited to studying art, but rather makes beauty a way to restore the lost unity.

If the natural world is governed by force, law, necessity and the world of the soul is governed by moral obligation, beauty is freedom without leaving the law, Schiller’s beauty is a means of rescue and therefore he says, the person must restore himself again at every moment through the life of miles and we must be aware of always and as one of the philosophers of art is the same Drag a moment of logic and inversion, as well as its gaps and meanings. As for beauty, its definition and its definition of its subjects, we will find different directions, which are determined according to the doctrine or direction.

1. A direction that makes aesthetics a study of beauty, whether beauty is in art or nature, and is the aesthetic component a subjective component in human being an objective element in the external world, and is characterized by the nature of stability or is changed by the change of society and civilization and a civilization and is considered the greatest representative of this trend, the world of Platonism, the ancient world and the contemporary of juddherferi and civilization.

2  A tendency that makes aesthetics only a study of aesthetic concepts and terminology, so there is an analysis of the meanings of form, content, model and taste. In this regard, the contemporary French beauty scientist states, in his book, a science for the beauty of contemporary French, aesthetics is a research on the aesthetic judgments of people and limited it to And land, in his philosophical dictionary on studying the subject of the domain of appreciation and taste.

3. A tendency that preaches aesthetics to a study of artistic images, and in this says a world of beauty of contemporary French, Surio, “the aim of aesthetics is to stay on the basic sayings or on the image of the image of the essence of the constant that is organized according to the various aesthetic aspects of this organized universe.
4. A direction that connects all these tendencies with man, where he sees art as a human production, the taste after humanitarianism and governance is a human domain and artistic images are human products, and this is particularly represented by Hegel.

Hegel absorbed every H 1 in his lecture that he gave at the German University, starting with the dowry of 1820, which was gathered after his death, entitled Lectures on the Philosophy of Beautiful Art, in which he said that a science for Jamal is the philosophy of beautiful art, and by this he made the tasks of science to the beauty of distinguishing between the arts of workmanship and the arts of beauty, and made a world of the beauty of the philosophy of any in which he entered the human perspective, and thus excluded the beauty Humanitarian, in this direction, the contemporary thinker “Ozornne” in his book theory of beauty, beauty and criticism, in which aesthetics was considered a branch of the philosophy of criticism.

In general, the love of researchers emphasizes that there are two main streams on the history of aesthetics: a stream that studies aesthetic problems isolated from man and a trend that studies it in its relation to man and the history of aesthetics is a struggle between these currents of arrival, which is impossible for a science for beauty in human science within the scope of what is aesthetic and artistic.

And we must realize together from the previous correlation between beauty and art, so do not visualize beauty without art, and do not imagine art without beauty, and art is a kind of translation of the cold beauty that satisfies nature and manifestation in the hearts of human beings, because beauty is art before being translated, or art with force and art is beauty after translation, and for beauty already as the regions say, and the artist is the mediator between the two, I mean beauty and art, and hence the word is the word art Interferes with the use of the word jamal very much for metaphor sometimes and transgressing the accuracy of Hanna, and if innovation is the science of beauty, it is a knowledge of knowledge, but they are not arguments.

Shaftsber (1671-1712) the presence of a sense of interior is the love of beauty, and this sense is intuitively aware of beauty as the sight realizes the colors in things. The aesthetic connection is a fact of human existence in general, which shows its leanness and its results on how to deal with humanity and their natural and social work.

Aesthetics expresses elements, characteristics and recipes in phenomena, neighborhoods and things, and the works of the technician in the circle of these elements, characteristics and attributes, but the history of art does not diagnose all these elements, characteristics and attributes and artistic works do not constitute all the elements, characteristics and attributes of the aesthetic in reality.

Aesthetics of how is a basic agreement with reality and art adopts in this way, but does not take it, aesthetics is the bond of one of the two parts of all human beings and art is a special activity that artists and public members increase. An indication of what can be in the reality of the public.

And we must realize that the world of innovation should not be considered in the methods of artistic production, but rather devotes its interests to research in artistic taste, and in this philosophy of beauty or innovation differs from the philosophy of art because it does not interfere with the details of the artist’s work, but rather seeks the artistic feeling or aesthetic feeling of the man and the artist’s club. Therefore, Dr. Mira Matar confirms the theory of art in relation to the imperfection of beauty is a scientific theory for the philosophy of science, as well as we can prepare the history of art as the history of aesthetic awareness of the human being.

Furthermore, beauty is a phenomenon that we are in real nature, but natural beauty acquires the value of embrace if not through the eye of the trained artist, for the beauty that we realize for nature is the beauty that the ordinary eye shows, just as the fact that this is that the holes deny the natural awareness of natural outlets,

However, presenting science has quickly changed from this perception and show us another fact based on scientific interpretation, and it is also clear that the use of art is the human way to express the state of beauty. Jamal’s appreciation is a return to the values and standards that it aims to define, and in the words of the graduate, research in art has become the essence of the problem in the philosophy of beauty. In addition to what creators who want to be aware of understanding and their destiny are no longer able to avoid the problem of artistic contribution to increase alienation from man, especially in the modern era.

Beauty and research have been associated with metaphysics in the past since Plato asked, saying: Is the cause of a rose sentence its shape and color? Or are things beautiful by the reasonable cause of ideal degree is an example of beauty?

This question was the starting point of metaphysics, which does not contain the interpretation of things by reference to causes and perceived vision, but rather explains things mentally to reach distant evils other than The direct, and according to the philosophers, in order to reach the reasonable evils with the constant thought that does not change in the days, because the reasonable in metaphysics is the constant and the interpretation of something does not depend on this metaphysical view and is not completed without reaching such a cause. From here, the idea of an absolute or ideal beauty that does not change with the change of circumstances and conditions emerged in philosophy that does not differ according to time and space and that is a cause for every beauty of the opinions on earth and is an absolute and previous beauty that is also on the presence of people and their minds.

And from it all beautiful things come by their beauty, but without its presence, a person cannot know what is beautiful, and cannot even judge the beauty of any of the things he describes in this guise.

It can be said by transgression that beauty appeared as a philosophy or a philosophical subject in Greece and did not turn into an independent science in itself except by the hand of “Bauer broke” in the 18th century, because Greece launched their aesthetic ideas by itself without studying by itself ology, logic, logic, logic and science Politics, linguistic science and philosophers are satisfied with the launch of their aesthetic theories in the framework of discussion or in the framework of general discourse in the chapters of different philosophy as a complete general form.

As for Baumatin, “he identified the fields of this support for science, he showed his arguments, he revealed his origins and his principles and the narration of his relaxation, and his name was set in the form of previous attempts, and his division is branches and doors, and it is the money that happened before because some of the previous ones were launched as a beauty as a scientific research and as a science known for this name Our entrusted to Boumgarn in the middle of the century.

And if we find a large number of philosophical theories that explain the beauty of each philosopher and find a difference between them and human civilizations and subsequent ages, this is a natural thing arising from the perspective adopted by each thinker and the primary philosophical face that represents the essence of each philosophy. It is with philosophies that multiply according to the different intellectual and civilizing factors that influence the formation of philosophical doctrines. This is what we find clear, for example, between the Platonic tendency, which confirms the psychological effect of beauty and depends on personal measure, and despite all that personal measure, and despite all that, the human being produces art for himself and others

So, the paradox of art is the paradox of cosmic uniqueness, and the artistic work is not insignificant except through its transmission through the process of communication, that is, within culture, just as the work of art is unreasonable outside the criteria and material and symbolic cultural values that can be put into effect in its good, but it can be possible the cultural values that can be put into effect.

The concept of beauty also differed from one civilization to another and the arts that flourished in these civilizations expressed similar models and models for beauty. The ancient Greeks, for example, represented beauty in the human image.

Art in Islamic civilization expressed aesthetic values derived from geometric shapes and colors, as it was an expression of a new spirit and philosophical mentality that has a character for what we see in various Islamic arts.

For example, we limit drawing as a global word, which differs in its implications across its historical time and social spaces, that the word art and artistic practice in its Western connotations and in its relative sequence and in its external and high forms, European Renaissance, al-Hijliya and modernity,

The same signs are not produced as in the case of the external aesthetic forms called primitive (such as the Shroud of the Negro: the art of the Ocean Islands and the art of the Eskimo) that if there is no proximity at the level of form, this means that the artists and the East, like the Egyptian artists, work in a concept and in a symbolic concept, which are in both the same problems and the same possibilities.

Therefore, the proof is that tribal artists have a solution to aesthetic problems that unite in the same things, and William Roban controls the question by saying: For all the ingenious solutions in the plastic arts, they always and above all return to instinct: in independence of the speeches of artists who can build, William Roban says: immediately addressing the completion or other artists or other artists or of artists of artists. Speeches.

While modern Western civilization, as in the case of a contemporary researcher in aesthetics, as Greek beauty is classical in the Renaissance and is still struck by me today, and not in the directions of contemporary art as an expression of aesthetic philosophy that has its own nature, and is almost unanimous in the owners of modern trends in art and who do not disagree with each other.

Perhaps the ideal that today’s arts are moving towards, as the English historian Herbert Reed says, is to reach the level of music, in the words of Schopenhauer, that is, to reach the music of the music of beauty that is emitted only by pure artistic values.

Modern arts are all types that are directed today to achieve artistic values by creating artistic images that organize sensory modalities from sounds, shapes and colors organized by the soul and are satisfied with human taste, which is his admiration for the effects of fine arts.

This recent vision of the arts of contemporary sculpture and photography, which in some directions has become a language of lines, shapes and colors that address human taste more than a transfer and representation of an external truth. After studying and contemplating, he joined the fact that this type of experience in modern Western arts is radically different from that abstraction, which we find in many Arab Islamic arts, which express authentic aesthetic and spiritual values, especially that abstraction represented in Arab and Islamic aspirations.

This is because the aesthetic analysis of the works left by Muslims and most of them in various fields of art is the condition that cannot be overcome for the historical progress in Arab and Islamic art globally and for the historical and social promotion of the Arab Muslim artist. In general, this modern aesthetic philosophy has extended to literary arts, so the intention of intention in poetry or history is no longer measured by an external scale and referring to the achievement of an ethical goal or aiming to deviate from the scope of art.

Read: Defining the Emotional Literature

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Souad Khalil, hailing from Libya, is a writer, poet, and translator. She has been writing on culture, literature and other general topics.

The post Eternal Bond of Beauty and Creativity first appeared on Sindh Courier.

By Dr. Mahmood Laghari

As we step further into the era of Artificial Intelligence (AI), the role of creativity in shaping the future becomes increasingly vital. Universities play a crucial role in nurturing creative minds that can drive innovation and progress. However, to truly harness the power of creativity, we must focus on fostering diversity and inclusion during student enrolment. Unfortunately, in Pakistan, financial aid mechanisms for the underprivileged community are lacking, limiting access to education for talented individuals from diverse backgrounds. Addressing these issues is essential to unlock the untapped potential and creativity that lies within our universities.

The Time of AI and the Importance of Creativity

With AI making significant strides across various industries, creativity emerges as a distinct human trait that machines cannot replicate. Creative thinking allows individuals to approach challenges from unique perspectives, envision unconventional solutions, and bring original ideas to life. In the context of rapidly evolving technology, fostering creativity in universities is not just a choice but a necessity.

The Power of Diversity in Unlocking Creativity

Diversity in all forms, be it gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic background, or educational history, brings a wealth of varied experiences and perspectives to the table. Universities can harness this power of diversity to create an inclusive learning environment that stimulates creativity. A diverse student body encourages cross-cultural collaboration, challenges preconceived notions, and fosters a deeper understanding of global challenges.

Financial Inclusion as the Gateway to Diversity

While recognizing the importance of diversity, it is crucial to address the lack of financial aid mechanisms that hinder students from underprivileged communities from pursuing higher education. In Pakistan, many brilliant minds with the potential to contribute creatively to academia and society are unable to access quality education due to financial constraints.

By establishing robust financial aid programs, universities can bridge the gap between talent and opportunity. Scholarships, grants, and tuition waivers can provide a lifeline to deserving students, enabling them to unleash their creative potential and contribute to the country’s growth.

Embracing Varied Minds and Capacities

It is essential to acknowledge that candidates from different backgrounds bring unique minds and capacities to the table. Each individual has their own set of experiences, skills, and talents that, when nurtured, can lead to groundbreaking discoveries and innovations.

By welcoming students from diverse backgrounds, universities create a dynamic ecosystem where ideas intersect, creativity flourishes, and new frontiers are explored. An inclusive academic environment sparks a synergy of ideas that can push the boundaries of knowledge and shape a better future.

Conclusion

In the age of AI, creativity remains the driving force behind progress and innovation. To cultivate creativity effectively, Pakistani universities must prioritize diversity and inclusion during student enrolment. By providing financial aid mechanisms to the underprivileged community, we can ensure that no talent goes waste due to financial constraints.

Let us recognize the untapped potential that lies within individuals from diverse backgrounds and strive to provide them with equal opportunities. Embracing varied minds and capacities will not only enrich our educational institutions but also pave the way for a brighter and more creative future for Pakistan. It is time to act collectively and unlock the true potential of our universities by fostering an inclusive and creative academic environment.

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Dr. Mahmood Laghari is Chairman, Department of Energy and Environment, Faculty of Agricultural Engineering, Sindh Agriculture University, Tandojam

The post Fostering Creativity in Pakistan’s Universities first appeared on Sindh Courier.

SHOUKAT LOHAR

Character, creativity, and confidence are three essential traits that play a crucial role in shaping an individual’s personality. These qualities are not only important for personal development but also for professional growth. Let’s understand the contribution of these qualities in reshaping one’s personality.

Character refers to the moral and ethical qualities that define an individual’s personality. It encompasses traits such as honesty, integrity, empathy, resilience, and self-discipline. Developing and maintaining a strong character is important for building healthy relationships, making responsible decisions, and achieving success in life. One way to develop character is by setting and following ethical principles that align with one’s values. It is also important to practice empathy and compassion towards others, as this helps in building healthy relationships and promoting a positive community.

Creativity refers to the ability to think and express oneself in original and innovative ways. It involves being able to generate new ideas, find solutions to problems, and approach situations from different perspectives. Creativity is a valuable trait in today’s fast-paced and constantly evolving world, as it helps individuals adapt to changing circumstances and find new opportunities. To enhance creativity, individuals can engage in activities that stimulate their imagination, such as reading, writing, painting, or listening to music. It is also important to approach problems with an open mind and be willing to take risks and experiment with new ideas.

Confidence refers to the belief in oneself and one’s abilities. It is the key to achieving success in both personal and professional life. Confidence helps individuals to overcome obstacles, take on challenges, and pursue their goals. It is a trait that can be developed through practice and experience. One way to boost confidence is by setting achievable goals and working towards them. It is also important to acknowledge one’s strengths and weaknesses and work on improving them. Surrounding oneself with supportive and encouraging individuals can also help build confidence.

Last words

Character, creativity, and confidence are three essential traits that contribute to an individual’s personal and professional growth. Developing and nurturing these traits requires consistent effort and practice. It is important to set goals, practice empathy, stay open-minded, and surround oneself with positive influences. By doing so, individuals can build a strong character, enhance their creativity, and boost their confidence, which will help them achieve success in all aspects of life.

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Shoukat Lohar is Assistant professor in English at Mehran University of Engineering and Technology Jamshoro. He can be reached at Shoukat.ali@faculty.muet.edu.pk

The post Character, Creativity and Confidence: Reshaping One’s Personality first appeared on Sindh Courier.

By Rubab Shaikh | Qudsia Mahesar | Dilawez Shaikh |Saifullah Solangi

Creativity can be a milestone rather than a milestone

The ability to invent or recognize concepts, options, or possibilities that might be useful in solving problems, interacting with others, or entertaining oneself and others is called creativity. Making new connections between existing ideas or recognizing connections between concepts is part of the creative process. Creative thinking involves taking what already exists and putting it together in a new way, rather than starting from scratch and creating something entirely new. Our ability to think creatively depends on our ability to connect seemingly unrelated ideas.

Creative thinking: fate or evolution

Is it a skill we are born with or a skill we develop with practice? The conclusion discussed by experts is that a lot of research has been done to find out whether creativity comes naturally or we have to work at it. The George Land Study: In the 1960s, a creative performance researcher named George Land conducted a study of 1,600 five-year-old children, and 98 percent of the children scored in the “highly creative” range. Dr. Land retested each subject at five-year increments. When the same children were 10 years old, only 30 percent scored in the highly creative range. That number dropped to 12 percent at age 15 and just 2 percent at age 25. As the children grew into adults, creativity was effectively trained in them. In the words of Dr. Landa, “Uncreative Behavior is learned”.

Barbara Kerr Study: According to psychology professor Barbara Kerr, “about 22% of the variance in creativity is due to genetics. This discovery was made by studying differences in creative thinking between sets of twins. All of this is to suggest that using the “I’m just not the creative type” rationale is a very poor way to avoid creative thinking. Some people are undoubtedly more creative than others. Most of our creative thinking skills can be learned and almost everyone is born with some level of creativity. How you internally rate your skills is one of the most important factors. More specifically, whether you approach the creative process with a fixed attitude or a growth mindset greatly affects your ability to be creative.

Creativity is not an event, but a process. You have to overcome emotional and mental obstacles. You have to make a conscious effort to practice your craft. And watching your creative brilliance blossom takes persistence—perhaps years or even decades, as Newton did. The story of the falling apple has become one of the enduring and iconic examples of a creative moment. It is a symbol of the inspired genius that fills your brain during those “eureka moments” when the creative conditions are just right.

Why is creativity a process, not an event?

Creativity is a process, not an event. It’s not just eureka moment. You have to work through mental barriers and internal blocks. You must commit to practicing your craft with intention. And you have to stick to the process for years; maybe even a decade like Newton to see your creative genius blossom.

Intelligence v/s creative thinking

Threshold theory: The top 1 percent of intelligence has no correlation with fantastic creativity. Instead, you just have to be smart (not a genius) and then work hard, practice intentionally, and put in the reps.

The differences between these two mindsets are detailed in Carol Dweck’s fantastic book, Mindset: “The New Psychology of Success”. Here’s a quick summary in Dweck’s words:

“The whole self-esteem movement has wrongly taught us that praising intelligence, talent, and ability will boost self-confidence, self-esteem, and all great things will follow. But we’ve found that it’s turning around. People who are praised for their talent are now afraid to do the next thing, to take on a difficult task and not appear talented, thus spoiling their reputation for brilliance. So instead, they will stick to their comfort zone and really fight back when they encounter setbacks.

So what should we praise? The effort, the strategy, the tenacity and perseverance, the bravery that people show, the resilience they show in the face of obstacles, that they bounce back when things go wrong and know what to try next. So it is thought as a big part of fostering a growth mindset in the workplace is conveying those values of the process, providing feedback, rewarding the people involved in the process, and not just the successful outcome.”

3 Ps of creativity

Person: Any creative endeavor centers on the individual. They rely on their knowledge, their surroundings (or press), their imagination and their drive to create a product. The creative qualities of a person are difficult to quantify. However, they can be measured.

Process: It is the way a person thinks when trying to come up with a new solution or solve a problem.

Product: A person creates a product that is the end result of a creative process. The new innovation is this. Product is probably the least researched aspect of creativity. Broadly speaking, they are seen as the result of a process and a person.

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The writers are students of BS-III, Anthropology, at Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology (SZABIST) Larkana Sindh.

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