What is creative to me is not creative to you (and vice versa).
Well, what exactly is “Creativity”? Is it the ability to “create” something? If I write a sentence, I am creating a fresh instance of that sentence (doesn’t matter if I copied it from Wikipedia – it still is a fresh instance.) So the sentence thus created is a fine example of “Creativity”? I have my own reservations about it. However I do realize that Relativity plays an important role here. It all depends on the reference frame (and the frame of mind of the observer.) It is just not Physics. It is Psychology too. It is not sufficient to pinpoint the coordinates of the observer in the universe. You should also describe the mental makeup of the observer because this mental make decides how he or she or it is going to perceive what he or she or it is observing.
Maybe you are lost there. Let me take an example. Rama, apart from being a good boy, is our observer. Bheem Bhai is our second observer.
Rama is standing inside the company campus near the Smoker’s Gazebo (or whatever it is called). Bheem Bhai is standing right next to Rama. While there sure is a couple of dozens of inches of space between the two observers, we can probably assume with our fingers crossed that it is a fair statement albeit an approximation that both these observers are on the same observation platform. Thus any physical phenomenon occurring in the space in front of them should look the same to both. Right?
WRONG.
Rama has just been given a nice dressing down by his boss. Reason? Rama doesn’t agree with the Creative Framework that his boss has prepared. Rama is sure that his appraisal is going to be worse than expected. He is hence angry with every damn thing under the sun – over the sun – by the side of the sun – Java – MySQL (because all these are Sun products – at least now.)
Bheem Bhai is a remarkable young man. He talks only when it is absolutely necessary for him to talk. Most of the times he doesn’t even listen to what people around him say. The age old adage inside the campus goes thus. “For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction assuming we are not talking about Bheem Bhai.”
Why he is standing near the Gazebo today – is hardly a matter of debate – not because everyone knows the reason… but because everyone knows Bheem Bhai doesn’t need a reason for doing anything. He is pretty random. He hates Reason. (That’s what others say. He doesn’t say anything anyway.)
Enough of character development. In fact I am getting increasingly tempted to feature Bheem Bhai in my next unfinished story but for the time being let us move on to the “incident” that these two caricatures are going to observe.
You should make a mental note that the incident I am going to describe is exactly what it is… a description of the incident from my point of view. It may not be the actual incident because it is only my perception. To understand this perception of mine better, you need to – you guessed it! You need to understand me! So for the next five hundred words I must talk about myself – my childhood, my interests, my blood pressure levels.
Or you can do yourself a favor and bestow that esteemed title of “Absolute Observer” on me. I understand it is an “assumption” but maybe we can live with one.
The incident – A guy from facilities is carrying two large suitcases all the way from God knows where to a Tata Indica waiting on the road while the owner of the suitcases is smoking a cigarette (the whole area is a smoking zone, you see. If you don’t see, go back to my talk on – Absolutism of Relativity, the podcast of which is available on my blog.)
Let’s get back to Rama:
Rama’s view of the incident: The guy is smoking while the poor facilities fellow is fretting. This is the gap between the rich and the poor; the haves and the have-nots; the PMs and the SEs; the Delivery folks and the Facilities team; the Onsite traveler and the Offshore Reveler. World is indeed not fair. I see a gross social, economic, philosophical, materialistic, monumental, civic, geographical, Florida-ic injustice happening right in front of my eyes.
Now, Bheem Bhai’s view: There are two guys. One is smoking. The other is carrying two suitcases.
Depending on who you ask – assuming you have the ability to extract information from Bheem Bhai – you get two different observation reports of the same event.
That’s where the mental makeup or the personality of the observer assumes importance. When you define an observation desk or a reference frame next – ensure that you take care of the mental makeup of the reference frame too. Believe me, what you had for breakfast in the morning – dictates whether you find a particular post in Creative – creative or not!
Thus, The Special Theory of Creativity. Or is it the General Theory of Creativity?
And yeah! in case you are still searching for that podcast, here's a tip: Go get a life.
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