Okanagan – How Does The Creative Process Work?

How do we come up with new ideas? Dr Liane Gabora will introduce a theory of creativity which need not involve multiple distinct candidate ideas, or selection. According to the honing theory of creativity, (1) Creative individuals reshape issues or ideas that are ill-formed by considering them from different perspectives or contexts, (2) Intuition has a scientific explanation, and (3) Creative outputs result from a reorganization of an individual’s view of the world. There is an interplay of the elements of a body of knowledge to solve problems, to reduce dissonance, and/or to accommodate unexpected events. Occasionally, one thought triggers another, which triggers an avalanche of conceptual change resulting ininsight. She will present converging evidence for honing theory from neuroscience, studies of analogy formation and creative style, a mathematical theory of concepts, and a computer model of cultural evolution.

Liane Gabora is an Associate Professor of Psychology and creativity studies at the University of British Columbia. Her research, which employs both experimental studies with humans and computational models, focuses on creativity and how creative ideas evolve over time as different people adapt them to their own needs and tastes and put their own spin on them. She has over 150 scholarly publications, has obtained over one million dollars in research grants, and has given lectures worldwide. She is also a published fiction writer, co-owns a small mobile app company, and composes music for piano.

This free event is in collaboration with the Okanagan Jewish Community Centre.