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From: colonel@buffalo.CSNET.UUCP
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Subject: Re: Creativity and Analogy
Message-ID: <8606180836.AA08496@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU>
Date: Mon, 16-Jun-86 16:56:06 EDT
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Posted: Mon Jun 16 16:56:06 1986
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This is a brief reply to U. Mukhopadhyay's article.

>    At a recent talk in Ann Arbor, Roger Schank observed/implied that 
> a distinct characteristic of many creative people is the ability to 
> analogize. [...]
>    Is this model of creativity--making interesting analogies--valid 
> across the spectrum of creative actvities, from the hard sciences 
> (Physics, Chemistry, etc.) to the fine arts (painting, music)? 
> Is there more to creativity than making interesting analogies? I am 
> inclined to believe that making interesting analogies is at the heart 
> of all intelligent activity that is described as creative.

"Creativity" is often idealized as the missing ingredient in computer
consciousness, but what exactly does it mean?  In most of the examples
drawn from science, it means advantageously overriding the usual
categories and compartments, since categorizing and compartmentalizing
knowledge are characteristically scientific habits.  Of course, making
analogies is one way to achieve this.

In art, creativity is much more straightforward!  One creates a work
of art where there was none before.  The essence of this kind of
creativity is to be able to perceive what _is not._ This follows
in an essential way from the ability to perceive what one is taking
for granted, in order to stop taking it for granted.

A good reference is F. Perls et al., _Gestalt Therapy._