He was not interested in what he calls the ‘small c’ creativity involved in the making of a nice cake or the choosing of curtains or the imaginative talk of a child - but that which changes a whole ‘domain’, or area of human endeavor. You might want to become a good dancer, but it is the learning and dancing itself that is the main reward.Ĭsikszentmihalyi took these ideas and applied them to the question of how some people become genuinely creative. You might want to win a game of chess, for instance, but you play it because it engages your mind totally. Flow activities we do for the sheer enjoyment or intellectual satisfaction, rather than some extrinsic reward to be gained. Rather, we should recognize when we are genuinely happy – what we are doing when we feel powerful and 'true', and do more of those things. The insight of Flow was that it is a mistake to pursue happiness itself. Most important, he explains why creativity needs to be cultivated and is necessary for the future of our country, if not the world.Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Inventionīefore turning his mind to creativity, psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi wrote the celebrated book Flow. 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. The classic study of the creative process from the bestselling author of Flow.Ĭreativity is about capturing those moments that make life worth living. “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) University of Toronto Schools Technology Supplies.University of Toronto Schools Stationery.Toronto Prep School Technology Supplies.Toronto Prep School Merch & Gym Uniforms.

Ontario Institute - Studies in Education.Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education.

Csikszentmihalyi creativity