For years,
some scientists have believed that creativity manifests itself when humans are confronted with
issues for which they do not have solutions. In other words, the technique by which we discover
answers is the actual creative process; in the words of the old adage: necessity is the mother
of invention. However, new research has some questioning that hypothesis.
Carel van Schaik, a primatologist who studies orangutans, has conducted studies showing
that orangutans in captivity tend to be highly innovative. Van Shaik posits that once the
orangutans have all their needs metfood, water, protection from predatorsthey lose their fear.
This ease of life and free time encourages the orangutans to explore new objects and situations
in ways they would never do in the wild. As van Schaik says: opportunity is the mother of
invention.
Research with humans reveals that this is a pattern with us, too;
if people are busy with the basic business of survival, they dont really have time to think
about much else. But if our elemental needs are met, we have the luxury of time to explore new
ideas. The ways in which individuals channel creativity varies tremendously from person to
person; some people prefer to work alone, while others delight in collaborating with
others.
In any case, Joe Henrich, an evolutionary biologist, suggests that
most innovations are usually not the product of just one person but rather are products of the
collective knowledge of a society. Ways in which we can help channel our creativity include
being in conscious control of our thought processes and striving to limit tension and
distraction in our lives.
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