I find that since I usually read philosophy, I came into this class with different expectations about our goals. After reading the sociology chapter, I now know why I have felt so unsatisfied with the seemingly fleeting, meager, ever-changing ideas we've been able to pin down.

Philosophy has a metaphysical spin to it almost always, and creativity class in philosophy would certainly be of a metaphysical nature. In other words, our daily work would be to do a reality check of what is really going on when we do things that we deem creative. What is the intrinsic nature of a creative act? What should be the hallmarks of creativity? These questions lead one down the path of the authentic, down a metaphysical path that may be equally obscure but that at least supposes that there is solidity.

What we've been doing thus far is looking at what society already deems creative and prodding at those masses of "creative" output and those enigmatic "creative" minds as if they are archeological relics. Based on the components of these artifacts, we then try to create a theory of creativity. We're looking at society and giving a report about the particulars of what we find instead of looking at society and digging deeper to find what we're missing.

I am not insinuating that one approach to the study of creativity is better than the other, though arguably sociology may have some directly and more easily definable applications. Creativity itself is a word that is already value-laden. To be creative is good; not only is it a coveted characteristic, but it is one that we have linked with the idea of productivity, another value of contemporary society. So in the context of the here and now, creative=productive=good. We want to know what creativity is so that we can be creative so that we can make more things. And this is important. I agree.

But what if we instead focused the conversation on what creativity ought to be? (For instance, maybe we shouldn't allow the gatekeepers of the domain dictate to us what is worthy. How undemocratic!) What if we focused on theorizing about what ought to happen in the truly and authentically creative moment? There's always going to be evaluative language and there will always be a recognition of historical content, but in this more metaphysical or philosophical conversation, there's at least a stab in the direction of the real, the intrinsic, the ideal.

All of the stuff I've been reading about creativity, and by creativity in this particular section of our reading that means the kind of force that drives massive discoveries and creations such as Einstein's relativity theory or a Beethoven sonata, takes both amazingly specialized knowledge of a certain subject and a really massive output of work. I want specialized knowledge and I want to be able to produce, but I just don't know in what field! Being a Millsapsian makes one so...interdisciplinary, so curious about multiple fields. And essentially, one can still retain curiosity and continue to experience other disciplines even if one focuses massive efforts elsewhere, but I am that kind of person that requires total knowledge for the endeavors I undertake.

Coffee, however small an example, is just one way to illustrate the way that I want total and complete knowledge in order to really enjoy something. When I found myself liking coffee, I immediately wanted to know more about it: wanted to know how to "do it right" so to speak. So I read online about the whole process and have since bought a bean grinder to make the coffee more fresh which then meant I needed an airtight container for the beans which then brought me around to experimenting with a French press as opposed to drip coffee.

The same goes for the literature I like to read. If I find an author that I like, I feel as if I must systematically go through all of their good works and really get a feel for what they're all about before I can talk about them. I don't hop around; I require vast knowledge before I'll even make the subtle leap to converse about a topic.

But with hobbies like coffee, wine, beer (oh God, all of my hobbies are beverage-related), and literature, I can spend the minimal time gathering relevant internet information and reading all of the works of the authors. But if I were set with the task of being a Big C creator, I feel as if I'd spend my whole life digging through the minutia of my subject, desperately grasping for complete knowledge, spinning my intellectual wheels, and never actually producing.

Ah well, such is my life. Doomed to enjoying the fruits of others' labors while sipping on an insanely perfect cup of coffee...which in itself is not so bad.

Testing 1, 2, 3

Hey hey hey.