Modern Art as Creative Expression Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Modern Art as Creative Expression - Essay Example The essay "Modern Art as Creative Expression" analyzes modern art. It is true that in some modern art, some non-representational designs found its way in museums and art exhibits to provide lessons on the aesthetic approach by seeing the surface of things, not their meanings, subjects, and all the connotations they may have for us. Personally, the issue should not really be whether one hates or loves modern art. Each and everyone is entitled to one’s personal opinion. However, one must closely evaluate what values have modern art provided today’s generation – what legacy would it give to the future generations. Modern art, as averred by Bishop through The Spirit of Modernism was shaped by turbulent events like war, fascism and the rise of the mass society. These factors have profoundly influenced the unconventional, non-representational designs expressed by contemporary artists. Jackson Pollock’s painting which removed all subject matter in consideration could either be treated as a subject of the I-thou (or intrinsic relation) leaving viewers to a feeling of resignation by leaving things as they are. It, however, provides the opportunity for practicing the aesthetic approach in humanities. Definitely, the artist has a reason for creating art in the way that was presented. The interesting part is to decipher diverse angles, dimensions, and perspectives accorded by non-representational art works. Modern art offered artists with opportunities to go beyond traditional rules in art and expression by a free flow.

Philosophy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 8

Philosophy - Assignment Example Therefore this distinct and clear perception of Descartes depends on assumption that the Almighty God exists, which also depends on the criteria of distinct and clear perception. It is therefore a common knowledge that what we clearly and distinctly perceive as true always exists like Descartes clearly and distinctly perceives that God exists and that He (God) cannot lie. Loeb contrasts Descartes current belief of clearly and distinct perception that something exists. Loeb compares a time when one is not able to currently perceive something a clear and distinct perception, but he/she can previously recollect a clear and distinct perception of something that existed in the past. He calls this a recollected distinct and clear perception unlike the current distinct and clear perception that has no basis at all. He therefore puts it that beliefs that are based on distinct and clear perception, as either recollected or current distinct and clear perceptions. He (Loeb) therefore, says that a current distinct and clear perception will include a current assumption and current theorems. But recollected distinct and clear perception will include recollected assumptions and theorems. This is unlike Descartes who had invoked the distinction between recollected and current theorems in his passages to the circle. It is therefore clear that any psychological doctri ne that can use recollected distinct and clear perceptions will be dislodged by the doubtful supposition, and that it will seem more acceptable because doubt is a state that can destabilize belief. (Loeb, pg 96) Again Loeb finds a problem in the Cartesian cycle that claims that the rule of knowledge of truth is a complete condition for stability of beliefs that are based on distinct and clear perceptions. This is by the supposition that claims the skeptical hypothesis as true.

The Effects Of Deforestation On The Atmosphere Environmental Sciences Essay

The Effects Of Deforestation On The Atmosphere Environmental Sciences Essay Deforestation had been a sounding issue since the past decade. Not because of its contribution to human and urban development but to it brings many effects to the earth as a whole. This article will be focusing on two main effects that is caused by deforestation, which is damage on the atmosphere and biodiversity. The effects of deforestation on the atmosphere is the increase of carbon dioxide gases, gradually leading to the greenhouse effect and the global warming. The carbon cycle is also disrupted due to the reduction of trees for carbon dioxide absorption. The effect of deforestation on the biodiversity that humans, plants and animals are all harm without us noticing. Endangered animals and plants are facing extinction everyday as we speak. Humans health are also affected by the increasing level of carbon dioxide gases in the atmosphere. Introduction Deforestation is simply defined as the removal of forest for land usage in a large scale, mainly conducted by humans. Deforestation had been very active in the past decades. As mentioned by Apan and Anderson (1998) Deforestation of tropical lands has become an issue of worldwide signi ¬Ã‚ cance. At the global level, the loss of biological diversity and the issue of arti ¬Ã‚ cial greenhouse effect are the major concerns, frequently the subject of international debates. (p. 137) Developers in the past decades had no conscious of the effects of uncontrolled deforestation, resulting in a serious lack of forest in this decade. There are many effects of deforestation which includes, drought, climate change, flora and fauna extinction, reduction of water yields, global warming, emission of greenhouse gases and many more. These effects of deforestation can bring severe harm in a local, regional and global scale. This article will be mainly focusing on the effects of deforestation on the atmosphere and biodiversity. The main question of the article is, whether deforestation will cause the climate to change and affects the biodiversity. There is a closely related link between deforestation, the earths atmosphere and biodiversity. The alteration of forest brings a huge impact on both the atmosphere and wildlife. Biodiversity is the to the term to describe all living things on this planet which involves faunas, floras, food chains and basically the whole ecosystem. The importance of biodiversity is far important than what we imagine. The reduction of biodiversities will surely disrupt the balance of this planet, as all these species are also part of the human food chain. The atmosphere refers to the layer of gas surrounding the earth. The atmosphere is very influential to the earths weather and consequently the temperature. As heat is transmitted from the sun, through the layers of atmosphere, then reaching to the earths surface, the atmosphere can be a shield or a magnifying glass depending on how we, humans manage our forest. Human development and increasing of population is a main contribution to deforestation. In order to save the world from deforestation, the root of the happening of deforestation must be discovered and solve. More land is required to support to growth of population, as a result, more deforestation will occur. However, if the rate of human development from an intellectual aspect increase, the actions that are brought out to handle population growth and deforestation will be handled in a more wise way. Effects on the atmosphere The carbon cycle is the transaction of oxygen and carbon dioxide between animals (humans) and plants. Humans produces carbon dioxide through respiration, while plants produces oxygen during photosynthesis. In the opposite, humans need oxygen to survive while plants need carbon dioxide to carry out photosynthesis for food. (Ragsdale, 2007) This is a perfect cycle which is able to maintain an equal volume of carbon dioxide and oxygen in the atmosphere. If deforestation occurs, the amount of trees will decrease. As a result, the rate of carbon dioxide absorption will gradually decrease as photosynthesis occurrence has decrease. This phenomenon will cause the volume of carbon dioxide to increase in the atmosphere. When the volume of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere increases, these excessive carbon dioxide will be considered as greenhouse gases. Greenhouse gases are entrapment agents that contribute to the rising of temperature in atmosphere. Greenhouse gases is a layer of gases between the surface of the earth and the earths atmosphere. When sunlight is directed to the surface of the earth, without the greenhouse gases, the sunlight will be reflected back to the sun without any obstacles. However, with the existence of the greenhouse gases in a layer form, when sunlight is directed onto the earths surface, the sunlight will be reflected back to the earths surface due to the entrapment by the greenhouse gases. As a result, when the energy from the sun has no place to escape, it will make the earths temperature increase. The volume of carbon dioxide is not only existed in a excessive manner, it is also emitted in an uncontrollable manner. When deforestation happens, trees falls and degrades for a period of time. The outcome of this degradation process is also known as forest biomass. As mentioned by Fearnside and Lawrence (2004) , forest biomass is the one of the main source of carbon dioxide emission when trees were burnt after they were chopped down. The forest also acts as a filter for carbon dioxide and air pollutants which in other words, the forest can provide us a cleaner and fresher air. However, inconsiderate farmers and agriculturalist would burn the whole deforested area for the sake of their own convenience. As mentioned that greenhouse gases will cause an increase in the atmospheres temperature, thus, global warming and deforestation is interrelated. When the volume of carbon dioxide increases, the temperature in the atmosphere increases as well, resulting in global warming. The main danger of global warming is that, when the earth heats up, glaciers in the north pole will melt and gradually more floods ad tsunamis will happen. Effects on the biodiversity Biodiversity is defined as all living things on earth which includes plants and animals, the entire ecosystem and basically the whole planet. Sofie (2007) said human dominance of the biosphere has signi ¬Ã‚ cantly changed ecosystems, thereby often impairing their capacity to provide ecosystem services crucial for our survival. (p. 2753) When deforestation occurs, animals will lose their habitat and plants will be removed for good. Many animals gain their food from their own habitat and their habitat would be the only place for them to find for their suitable food. When the animals habitat is destroyed, many animals would starve to death and gradually leads to extinction for some rare and endangered animals. The same thing that will occur to the floras, when deforestation occurs, tall trees with will be chopped off, while plants that grows on the ground would be also remove during the loading process of the tree trunks. Rare and endangered plants will be extinct during the process of deforestation. Forest canopy blocks the sunlight from entering the forest surface. Some plants that are sensitive to sunlight will wilt when the forest canopy is removed. Biodiversity is not only about plants and animals, it also involves humans. When the volume of carbon dioxide increases in the atmosphere due to deforestation, humans health will be affected. Carbon dioxide gas itself is an acidic gas, excessive inhalation will cause many side effects such as dizziness, headaches, drowsiness, increase in heartbeat rate and blood pressure, suffocation and unconsciousness if the concentration of carbon dioxide gas is high. Besides, the roots of the trees holds the ground of the forest together. If deforestation happens, the forest ground will be loose and eventually causes the happening of landslides and flash flood. Who will be the main victims of these following event? Humans. Solution to deforestation Many methods are used to solve deforestation all over the globe. Reforestation is the best method to solve deforestation. The concept of reforestation is saving what was damaged. Planting one tree after chopping one tree is not enough to reduce the rate of deforestation. At least three trees should be planted at the same time when one tree is chopped down in order to keep the number of trees increasing. (Galan, Matias, Rivas Bastante, 2009) In a local view, farmers and agriculturist should be considerate and aware of the importance of the forest and the serious emission of carbon dioxide gas into the atmosphere. The main reason why deforestation occurs is because of ignorance and lack of knowledge on environment issues. As mentioned by Koop and Tole (2001), when the rate of human development is high, the rate of deforestation will be low. The human development rate is obtained through a countrys education quality, intellectual level, income level and life quality. In other words, when the majority of a country hare a high intellectual level, they would be aware of the importance of the forest and try their best to preserve the remaining forest and conduct reforestation. Governments and education ministries should start to instill the importance of forest to the country to primary, secondary and tertiary students. For they are the future leaders, they would be aware of the serious deforestation occurring in their country if they have the acknowledgement of this issue. Besides, the government should also play their role to reinforce the laws and regulations on environmental issues. The government has the responsibility to preserve the remaining forest and conduct reforestation as the effects of deforestation is drastic especially to the people in the country. Penalties should be charged on deforestation offenders such as illegal lumberjacks, ruthless developers, ignorant agriculturist and so on. Discussion All in all, deforestations effect is devastating no matter in a local, regional or a global scale. The victims of deforestation are commonly animals, plants and we, humans. The atmosphere is already facing critical problems, especially the carbon dioxide issue. Excessive carbon dioxide is bad to both humans and the climate. Actions must be carried out by all human race to save the earths atmosphere. With the reduction of paper usage, the demand for trees will be decreased and this would surely paralyze the increasing rate of deforestation. Extinction is also a worrying issue nowadays and the main cause of this event is because of loss of habitat. Animals need their habitat in order to survive and reproduce. Food and water supply is easily obtained from their original habitat. Animals that lost their habitat will either starve to death or killed by humans for trespassing in to residential areas. We would not want our next generation to miss all these beautiful creation due to our irre sponsibility in preserving the environment. Conclusion The reason why I am interested in this topic is because, the forest is a wonderful creation of God, there are many fascinating creatures in the forest waiting to be discovered. Deforestation prevents scientists and zoologists from doing so. Besides, I am aware that the reduction of forests will not only affect our current generation, but also our following generation. I truly hope that governments can start to act before it is too late. Educate the people on environmental issues, reinforce laws and regulations regarding environmental issues and preserve the forest before deforestation outruns the efforts of reforestation.

Romanticism in Tim OBriens Going After Cacciato Essay -- Going After

Romanticism in Tim O'Brien's Going After Cacciato       Critics of Tim O'Brien's Going After Cacciato have examined its narrative technique (see Raymond) and its position in literature as metafiction (see Herzog).   Still other critics have commented on the motif of time (see McWilliams) and the theme and structure (see Vannatta).   On the last point, critics find the structure of the novel is fragmented to reveal the nature of the United States' involvement in Vietnam.   Unfortunately, this fragmentation makes the novel appear structurally weak.   Critics have found no unifying element to the parts to affirm the sense of wholeness readers feel after completing O'Brien's novel.   Nevertheless, the reader senses that the seemingly random construction of the novel serves to underscore the random nature of the Vietnam war.   However, to lightly dismiss O'Brien's organization as simply fragmentary does great disservice to this American author.   A critical examination of a traditional element found in American Literature since its inception--the symbolic use of Nature--unifies Going After Cacciato and places the work firmly in the Romantic tradition.   Just as Romanticists have always relied upon Nature to unify and add substantial depth to their novels so, too, has O'Brien.   Specifically, a different element of Nature appears in each of the sections of the novel.   The novel divides into three distinct parts: the observation post chapters, the recollected history chapters, and the chasing Cacciato chapters.   In the observation post chapters, Nature is represented by the sea.   In the recollected history chapters, Nature is represented by the land and the fresh water.   In the chasing Cacciato chapters, Nature becomes ... ....   Nevertheless, the defeat by the land provided O'Brien with a refreshingly new revitalization of the traditionally romantic motifs of water and land, while also exploiting the ambiguous nature of war.         Works Cited       Herzog, Tobey C.   "Going After Cacciato: The Soldier-Author-  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Character Seeking Control."   Critique 24 (Winter 1983): 88-  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   96.    McWilliams, Dean.   "Time in Tim O'Brien's Going After Cacciato." Critique 29 (Summer 1988): 245-255.    O'Brien, Tim.   Going After Cacciato.   New York: Delta/Seymour   Ã‚  Ã‚   Lawrence, 1978.    Raymond, Michael W.   "Imagined Responses to Vietnam: Tim   Ã‚   O'Brien's Going After Cacciato.   Critique 24 (Winter 1983).    Vannatta, Dennis.   "Theme and Structure in Tim O'Brien's Going   Ã‚   After Cacciato."   Modern Fiction Studies 28 (Summer 1982):   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   242-246.

Introduction to Modernism in an Architectural Context

Introduction to ModernismModernism Architecture is a manner of architecture that emerged around the clip of the Second World War in many western states. The roots of Modernists can be traced back to a Russian designer by the name of Berthold Lubetkind ( 1901-1990 ) and his architecture pattern TECTON. Specifying Modernism, nevertheless, may look as an unlikely undertaking. This is because as a manner, it lacks clear boundaries and is by and large less coherent. Besides that, it besides incorporates a big assortment of gustatory sensations, design manners and esthesias. Due to this fact, many critics would reason that modernism is non a remarkable manner and many interior decorators say that they follow no â€Å"style† . A clear illustration of this is Frank Lloyd Wright. The celebrated designer objected to be placed in the same group as modernist. However, without him, modernist architecture would ne'er hold been the same.Features of modernismThe first and most obvious of mode rnism architecture’s features is that the design of the edifice is inspired by map. â€Å"Form follows Function† was said by Frank Lloyd Wright’s wise man, Louis Sullivan. Sullivan expressed that in his sentiment, functionalism was the riddance of decorations so the edifice could show its functionality and this functionality would order the signifier of the edifice. Besides that, Modernism architecture promoted simpleness in design or as the expression goes, â€Å"Less is more† . This phrase was coined by the German-american designer Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. As we can infer from the stating, modern architecture typically enjoys clutter-free designs and is missing of unneeded elements. Parameters of the design are determined early in the design stage and merely needed characteristics are included into the edifice. This causes the focal point to switch from the decor or inside informations of the edifice to the infinite itself. Buildings, particularly places, will be clean, functional, and simple. The following feature we notice when analyzing modernism architecture that instead than hiding the nature of their edifices, modernists prefer to expose the interior workings and the true nature of their designs. Alternatively of painting or covering up, the stuffs of the edifice is exposed and bare. Nothing is hidden or modified. This includes structural elements like columns and beams are shown. This gives birth to the impression of â€Å"Truth† in a place where all stuffs and elements are exposed. On that topic, Modernists besides prefer adult male made stuffs. For illustration, concrete, steel, and glass. Another thing that can be said about modernism is that interior decorators that pattern modernism love lines. This can be seen rather obviously in modern designs where one can easy happen strong, bold, additive elements every bit good as perpendicular and horizontal characteristics. When planing as infinite, modern designers will to the full use the columns, beams, Windowss, floors and etc. to farther heighten the creative activity of a additive infinite. It is rare to see curving, organic lines in modernism though non impossible. . Besides, as a mark of rejection of historic precedency, it is highly rare to see a modern house with a triangular or pitched roof. Modern designers prefer to force the envelope with horizontal, bold, level roofs. For illustration, edifices can hold multiple roof degrees at different highs. This provides the edifice with a alone silhouette and adds complexity/sophistication to the design. An mixture of lines, domed ceilings, overhangs and unusual additive elements are all arms in a modern architect’s armory to make a more alone statement. This leads to the rule that the edifice is more than merely a construction but an artistic and sculptural statement. â€Å"Architecture is frozen music† –Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. In add-on to the points above, another characteristic that we have in modernism architecture is the presence of an copiousness of natural visible radiation from Windowss. Modern places frequently feature floor to ceiling Windowss, window walls and skiding doors. Occasionally, clearstory Windowss are besides seen in modernist design. These are Windowss that are located high in the walls to let visible radiation to come in while continuing privateness Next, attending should be paid to the agreement of the interior walls of modernism edifices. Modern designers are post-and-beam designers. They prefer utilizing indirect division of infinites like sunken or raised countries as opposed to walls. Even in the state of affairs where walls are built, they are likely to be non-loading walls and function to merely split the infinites. Either that or they will be â€Å"pony† walls. These are walls that don’t make the ceiling therefore leting the suites to portion airing and visible radiation. Because of this, modern edifices tend to hold more unfastened programs when compared to programs from other manners. The concluding features that we shall analyze is the revamping of out-of-door infinites by modernists. Modernism blurs the boundary between interior and exterior infinites with big Windowss. Besides that, multiple suites can open onto a terrace or an atrium to widen square footage. Besides, modernists attempt to integrate the topography of the land into their designs ( Internet Explorer. Fallingwater ) . This is similar to Frank Lloyd Wright’s belief that a edifice should be â€Å"one with the land† and non merely applied on top of it.Celebrated designers in modernismIn this portion, we shall present a few of the more celebrated designers of the modernism manner and some of their plants.Frank lloyd WrightName: Frank Lloyd Wright Born: 08-06-1867 Location: Wisconsin, USA Education: University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1886 Frank Lloyd Wright ( bornFrank Lincoln Wright, June 8, 1867 – April 9, 1959 ) was an American designer, interior interior decorator, author, and pedagogue, who designed more than 1,000 constructions and completed 532. Wright believed in planing constructions that were in harmoniousness with humanity and its environment, a doctrine he calledorganic architecture. This doctrine was best exemplified by Fallingwater ( 1935 ) , which has been called â€Å" the best all-time work of American architecture † Selected Plants: Fallingwater, Pennsylvania, 1935 FallingwaterorKaufmann Residenceis a house designed by architectFrank Lloyd Wrightin 1935 in ruralsouthwestern Pennsylvania, 43 stat mis ( 69km ) sou'-east ofPittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The place was built partially over a waterfall onBear Runin the Mill Run subdivision ofStewart Township, Fayette County, Pennsylvania, in theLaurel Highlandsof theAllegheny Mountains.paradoxical sleep koolhaasName: Remment Lucas â€Å"Rem† Koolhaas Born: 17-11-1944 Location: Rotterdam, Netherlands Education: Architecture Association London, 1972 Rem Koolhaas is a Dutch designer, architectural theoretician, urbanist and professor. Selected Plants: Netherlands Dance Theater, the Hague, 1988 The Netherlands dance Theater was completed in 1987 and was originally conceived in 1980. It is a Dutch Contemporary Dance Company. Nexus Housing, Fukuoka Japan, 1991 This undertaking is a sum of 24 houses in the kasha District of Fukuoka, each three narratives high. Each house has a private perpendicular courtyard that allow visible radiation and extra infinite.Im PeiName: Ieoh Ming Pei Born: 26-04-1917 Location: Canton, China Education: B. Arch. Massachusetts Institute of Technology ( MIT ) , 1940 M. Arch. Harvard Grad School of Design, 1946 I.M. Pei is known for utilizing big, abstract signifiers and crisp, geometric designs. His glass-clad constructions seem to spring from the high tech modernist motion. Pei is popularly known for planing theRock and Roll Hall of Famein Ohio. However, Pei is more concerned with map than theory. His plants frequently incorporate traditional Chinese symbols and edifice traditions. Selected Plants: The Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art, Ithaca, New York, 1973 TheHerbert F. Johnson Museum of Art ( â€Å" The Johnson Museum † ) is anart museumlocated on the northwest corner of theArts Quad on the chief campus ofCornell University. The Johnson Museum has one of the finest aggregations of art in New York State and is recognized as one of the most of import university museums in the state. Dallas City Hall, Texas, 1977 Dallas City Hallis the place of Dallas municipal authorities, located at 1500 Marilla in theGovernment Districtofdowntown Dallas, Texas ( USA ) . The current edifice, the metropolis ‘s 5th metropolis hall, was completed in 1978 and replaced theDallas Municipal Building.mies van der roheName: Ludwig Mies van der Rohe Born: 27-03-1886 Location: Aachen, Germany Education: Worked in the office of Bruno Paul ( Berlin ) Worked 4 old ages in the studio of Peter Behrens Believing thatless is more, Mies van der Rohe designed rational, minimalist skyscrapers that set the criterion for modernist design. Selected Plants: Farnsworth House, Plano, Illinois, 1950 It is a one-room weekend retreat in a once-rural scene, located 55 stat mis ( 89km ) sou'-west ofChicago ‘s business district on a 60-acre ( 24ha ) estate site, bordering the Fox River, South of the metropolis ofPlano, Illinois.decisionBased on the points, presented in the study above, we can pull our ain decisions on the pros and cons of Modernists architecture and how it has affected history. The Modernism Architecture manner has risen and fallen but hasn’t wholly left our society. Even till this twenty-four hours, we can still see the influence of the modernist design on our modern-day architecture. To wrap up this study, we leave you with a quotation mark from William Morris to sum up what we have learned from Modernism. â€Å"Have nil in your house that you know non to be utile or believe to be beautiful.† Thank you.

Fun Home

About the book: Alison Bechdel’s father Bruce was a high school English teacher, a funeral home operator, and a man who worked tirelessly to restore his Victorian-era home to its original glory. He was a husband and father of three children. On the outside, the Bechdels were a functional nuclear family. However, soon after Bechdel came out to her parents, she learned her father was also gay and that he had sexual relationships with his students. Months after her announcement, her mother filed for divorce – and two weeks after that, her father got run over by a truck. Was it an accident? Was it suicide?Bechdel thinks it was the latter, and in Fun Home, she analyzes her memories, books, and family letters in an attempt to understand who Bruce was and why he chose a life that dissatisfied him so deeply. What I liked: Bechdel’s analysis of her and her father’s lives, and her ability to wed it to distinct visuals, was inventive and involving. I remember one pag e in particular where she mapped out the places where her father was born, lived, and died, and circumscribed the area within one tidy circle to reveal that all of these important things happened within one mile’s distance of each other.The narrative loops back and forth upon itself, and parcels out new information at a measured pace, showing the readers new facets of the same story as it progresses. I appreciated Bechdel’s depth of focus in both her writing and her visuals – nearly everything is in its right place. I admire how much effort went into writing and drawing something so emotionally painful, and how much more effort went into making it all look seamless. Summary: Alison Bechdel grew up with a father who was alternatingly distant and angry, an English teacher and director of the local funeral home (or â€Å"Fun Home†, as Alison and her siblings called it).Their relationship grew more and more complex until Alison was in college. Shortly after A lison had come out to her parents, she learned that her father was also gay†¦ but before she had more than a brief chance to process that news, he was dead. Whether the accident that killed him had been truly an accident or a suicide, Alison would never know, just one of the many mysteries left by her father for Alison to slowly and painfully unravel here. Review:The â€Å"look at my terrible childhood† flavor of memoir is my least favorite flavor, and is responsible for me thinking I didn’t like memoirs in general until relatively recently. I’ll happily grant Fun Home an exception, however, even though it technically does fall into that category. There are several reasons that it sets itself apart from the rest of its peers, but I think the primary reason is that Bechdel is not using her the trauma of childhood for laughs (although there are some humorous touches throughout) or for dramatic potential (although there’s certainly plenty of that as wel l).Instead, there’s a very palpable sense that she’s writing this memoir because she’s really trying to figure out her relationship with her father, and what it meant, and that putting her memories down on paper is the best way she can hope to make sense of it all. The narrative flow does jump backwards and forwards through time, repeating some parts of the story from different angles as they come to bear on different topics, giving it a feeling of â€Å"thinking out loud,† but even so, it doesn’t come across as feeling scattered or unpolished.It also helps that her analysis, both of her father and of herself, is extremely penetrating, with enough emotion to make it powerful but enough age and maturity to make it thoughtful. Bechdel’s prose is similarly both elevated and immediate, verbose and vocabulary-ridden, but still clear and forceful. The book is rife with literary allusions and direct textual comparisons, some of which I got, some of which surely went over my head, but which certainly set the intellectual tone of the book.Bechdel’s art is also great, and I really liked the juxtaposition of her own detailed drawings with the drawn reproduction of photographs, printed text, and her own diary entries. Overall, this was a very thoughtful and penetrating book. I’m sure that there are layers of meaning about homosexuality and the process of coming out that I, as a straight person, didn’t latch on to. But I think there’s also a message that’s applicable to everyone, about the secrets that our parents keep, and about who they really are, and how we, as children of our parents, can manifest those secrets without ever truly understanding them. out of 5 stars.Summary The entire story is present from the first few pages, in the antique decadence that contrasts peculiarly against father Bruce’s strict, volatile perimeters; his cut-off jean shorts; his nose stuck in The Nude by Kenne th Clark; and in Alison’s tomboyish supplication as a child for his affection, channeled instead into the house’s restoration, a House of Usher in reverse. â€Å"It was his passion. And I do mean passion. Libidinal. Manic. Martyred,† writes Bechdel, showing Bruce carrying a porch column bent over his back, wearing only shorts that would make the Village People blush.After Alison types and mails a letter from college telling her parents she is gay, her mother informs her that Bruce, a high school English teacher and part-time funeral home director, had been with men throughout their marriage. The first had been a farmhand at 14; one was even her babysitter, Roy. â€Å"I had imagined my confession as an emancipation from my parents, but instead I was pulled back into their orbit†¦ Why had I told them? I hadn’t even had sex with anyone yet. Conversely, my father had been having sex with men for years and not telling anyone. Four months later, Bruce die d in puzzling (read: suicidal) conditions. Alison impulsively links his death to her sexual revelation — â€Å"the end of his life coincided with the beginning of my truth. † Bechdel traces the fear of this correlation back and forth in time through bizarre, coded interactions with her parents. Watching her narrate cyclonically around this traumatic core — â€Å"a sort of inverted Oedipal complex,† the assertion of her â€Å"erotic truth† destroying her repressed father’s life — is a devastating, bittersweet head-trip.It is the reading equivalent of a photo mosaic: hundreds of tiny images of Alison forming an inescapably dominating image of Bruce. Fun Home also pulls off a portrait of how the invisible histories and private lives of parents impress unwittingly upon children emotionally and psychologically. Plenty of books attempt that, but fewer pull it off without connect-the-dots associations or posturing, fewer still with Fun House ’s effortless juggling of past, present and future.

Madama Bovary & Anna Karenina Essays - Film, Fiction, Literature

Madama Bovary & Anna Karenina Essays - Film, Fiction, Literature Madama Bovary & Anna Karenina Reading provides an escape for people from the ordinariness of everyday life. Madame Bovary and Anna Karenina, dissatisfied with their lives pursued their dreams of ecstasy and love through reading. At the beginning of both novels Anna Karenina and Emma Bovary made active decisions about their future although these decisions were not always rational. As their lives started to disintegrate Emma and Anna sought to live out their dreams and fantasies through reading. Reading served as morphine allowing them to escape the pain of everyday life, but reading like morphine closed them off from the rest of the world preventing them from making rational decisions. It was Anna and Emma's loss of reasoning and isolation that propelled them toward their downfall. Emma at the beginning of the novel was someone who made active decisions about what she wanted. She saw herself as the master of her destiny. Her affair with Rudolphe was made after her decision to live out her fantasies and escape the ordinariness of her life and her marriage to Charles. Emma's active decisions though were based increasingly as the novel progresses on her fantasies. The lechery to which she falls victim is a product of the debilitating adventures her mind takes. These adventures are feed by the novels that she reads. They were filled with love affairs, lovers, mistresses, persecuted ladies fainting in lonely country houses, postriders killed at every relay, horses ridden to death on every page, dark forests, palpitating hearts, vows, sobs, tears and kisses, skiffs in the moonlight, nightingales in thickets, and gentlemen brave as lions gentle as lambs, virtuous as none really is, and always ready to shed floods of tears.(Flaubert 31.) Emma's already impaired reasoning and disappointing marriage to Charles caused Emma to withdraw into reading books, she fashioning herself a life based not in reality but in fantasy. Anna Karenina at the begging of Tolstoy's novel was a bright and energetic women. When Tolstoy first introduces us to Anna she appears as the paragon of virtue, a women in charge of her own destiny. He felt that he had to have another look at her- not because she was very beautiful not because of her elegance and unassuming grace which was evident in her whole figure but because their was something specially sweet and tender in the expression of her lovely face as she passed him. (Tolstoy 76.) In the next chapter Anna seems to fulfill expectations Tolstoy has aroused in the reader when she mends Dolly and Oblonskys marriage. But Anna like Emma has a defect in her reasoning, she has an inability to remain content with the ordinariness of her life: her marriage to Karenin, the social festivities, and housekeeping. Anna longs to live out the same kind of romantic vision of life that Emma also read and fantasized about. Anna read and understood everything, but she found no pleasure in reading, that is to say in following the reflection in other people's lives. She was to eager to live herself. When she read how a heroine of a novel nursed a sick man, she wanted to move about the sick room with noiseless steps herself. When she read how Lady Mary rode to hounds and teased her sister-in-law, astonishing everyone by her daring, she would have liked to do the same. (Tolstoy 114.) Anna Karenina was a romantic who tried to make her fantasies a reality. It was for this reason she had an affair with Vronsky. Like Emma her decisions were driven by impulsiveness and when the consequences caught up with her latter in the novel she secluded herself from her friends, Vronsky, and even her children. Anna and Emma both had character flaws that made them view the world as fantasy so that when their fantasy crumbled they resorted to creating a new fantasy by living their lives through the books they read. Books allowed Emma Bovary to withdraw from her deteriorating life. They allowed her to pursue her dreams of love, affairs, and knights; from the wreckage of her marriage with Charles. Emma's, experience at La Vaubyessard became a source of absurd fantasy for Emma, and ingrained in her mind that the world that the

Innovation Essay Example

Innovation Essay Example Innovation Essay Innovation Essay CREATIVITY REATIVITY Report produced for the EC funded project INNOREGIO: dissemination of innovation and knowledge management techniques by Dr Eleni Sefertzi J A N U A R Y 2 0 0 0 CREATIVITY 1 Contents 1 Description 1. 1 1. 2 1. 3 1. 4 1. 5 What is Creativity Objectives of Creativity Description /structure of the methodology /alternative solutions Expected results /benefits Characteristics of providers 2 Application 2. 1 2. 2 2. 3 2. 4 Where Creativity development has been applied Types of firms /organisations concerned Implementation cost Conditions for implementation Implementation Brainstorming Story boarding Lotus Blossom Checklists Morphological Analysis Mapping Process The Excursion Technique Computer-based creativity techniques Artificial Intelligence models of creativity Idea processors software Visualisation and graphical systems Spatial representation tools 4 Bibliographic references Annexes Table 1: Stimulus to extend perspective to approach a problem Table 2: Brainstormi ng Phases Table 3: Osborn’s Checklist Figure 1: Lotus Blossom sample INNOREGIO project Dr E. Sefertzi CREATIVITY 1 1. 1 DESCRIPTION What is Creativity There are many definitions of creativity. A number of them suggest that creativity is the generation of imaginative new ideas (Newell and Shaw 1972), involving a radical newness innovation or solution to a problem, and a radical reformulation of problems. Other definitions propose that a creative solution can simply integrate existing knowledge in a different way. A third set of definitions proposes that a creative solution, either new or recombined, must have value (Higgins 1999). A novel idea is not a creative idea unless it is valuable or it implies positive evaluation. Also, according to dt ogilvie (1998), imagination, which involves the generation of ideas not previously available as well as the generation of different ways of seeing events, is important to achieve creative actions. To combine this variety of definitions, we can say that creativity involves the generation of new ideas or the recombination of known elements into something new, providing valuable solutions to a problem. It also involves motivation and emotion. Creativity â€Å"is a fundamental feature of human intelligence in general. It is grounded in everyday capacities such as the association of ideas, reminding, perception, analogical thinking, searching a structured problem-space, and reflecting self-criticism. It involves not only a cognitive dimension (the generation of new ideas) but also motivation and emotion, and is closely linked to cultural context and personality factors. † (Boden 1998). According to Boden (1998), there are three main types of creativity, involving different ways of generating the novel ideas: a) The â€Å"combinational† creativity that involves new combinations of familiar ideas. b) The â€Å"exploratory† creativity that involves the generation of new ideas by the exploration of structured concepts. c) The â€Å"transformational† creativity that involves the transformation of some dimension of the structure, so that new structures can be generated. Creative thinking in a disciplined manner can play a real role in innovation. Creativity and innovation are normally complementary activities, since creativity generates the basis of innovation, which, in its development, raises difficulties that must be solved once again, with creativity†¦It is not possible to conceive innovation without creative ideas, as these are the starting point. † (European Commission 1998). Innovation results when creativity occurs within the right organisational culture. The right organisational culture is one that provides through creativity processes (creative techniques) the possibilities for the development of personal and group creativity skills. We can define creativity IMT as the establishment of skills by implementing creativity generation techniques. 1. 2 Objectives of Creativity Main objectives of a creative thinking process is to think beyond existing boundaries, to awake curiosity, to break away from rational, conventional ideas and formalised procedures, to rely on the imagination, the divergent, the random and to consider multiple solutions and alternatives (Candy 1997, Schlange and Juttner 1997). INNOREGIO project Dr E. Sefertzi CREATIVITY 3 The result of the creative thinking process is especially important for businesses. Managers and managerial decisions and actions, confronted with fast-changing and ambiguous environments in business, need to develop creative solutions and creative action-based strategies to solve problems, as they allow to increase understanding of problematic situations, to find multiple problems, to produce new combinations, to generate multiple solutions that are different from the past, to consider possible alternatives in various situations that could occur in the future and â€Å"to expand the opportunity horizon and competence base of firms† (dt ogilvie 1998). . 3 Description / structure of the methodology / alternative solutions Creativity is not an innate quality of only a few selected people. Creativity is present in everyone. It can be learned, practised and developed by the use of proven techniques which, enhancing and stimulating the creative abilities, ideas and creative results, help people to move out of their normal problem-solving mode, to enable them to co nsider a wide range of alternatives and to improve productivity and quality of work. Creativity is thus constructed as a learned ability that enables us to define new relationships between concepts or events, which seemed apparently unconnected before, and which results in a new entity of knowledge† (European Commission 1998). Knowledge and information are the basis for creativity. The scientific research is recently oriented towards the development of creativity as an educational process. Many studies show that creative abilities can be developed by the implementation of creativity techniques (see Mansfield, Busse and Krepelka 1978, Parnes and Brunelle 1967, Rose and Lin 1984, Taylor 1972). Concrete creativity supporting techniques, including also computer-based support tools (artificial intelligence models, computer software idea processors, information systems, etc. ), are developed to promote and generate creativity, to break fixed ideas, to stimulate imagination, as well as to define the conditions in which creativity takes place (the creative environment or climate). Using such techniques, a company aims to â€Å"incorporate the employees’ potential of creativity into the process of performance creation† (Bullinger 1999). There are numerous creative techniques, which are also classified in many ways (Higgins 1994). In general, a certain type of question or a certain area of application (such as marketing, product or service development, strategic and decision planning, design, quality management, etc. ) often calls for a certain type or a certain group of creativity techniques. The description of some well-known and basic techniques and their implementation procedure is presented in session 3. A classification for these techniques can be made between analytical techniques and intuitive techniques. Analytical techniques follow a linear pattern of thought or sequence of steps, such as the â€Å"5 Ws and H† technique (it asks the questions who, what, when, where, why, and how) and have better application for very specific, analytical questions (Higgins 1999). They stimulate different ways of organising known information and help approach problems from new angles (Miller 1987). Intuitive techniques are less structured techniques. They tend to skip steps in a sequence and tend to provide a whole answer all at once, such as the â€Å"wishful thinking† technique (based on ideal possibilities and solutions), and they are more appropriate for ill-defined questions (Higgins 1999). INNOREGIO project Dr E. Sefertzi CREATIVITY 4 Another classification can be made between techniques that are more appropriate to generate creativity in individuals, and techniques, which generate creativity in groups undertaken within work groups. Improving personal creativity for individuals involves enhancing the individual’s use of intuition and reducing mental blocks creativity, such as fear of failure. At the group level it requires team building and other efforts to enhance the use of group dynamics to achieve creativity and innovation† (Higgins 1996). However, this classification is not rigorous, since many group idea generation techniques can also be used by individuals. On the other hand, the individual and th e group are two main agents that always interact in the process of creativity in business and industrial innovation. Creativity is an attribute of the individual, though generally it can only be developed efficiently when it is tackled within a group of team. For this reason, most creative techniques are proposed and undertaken within the framework of specific work groups, within companies or other organisations† (European Commission 1998). A third classification might be between creative techniques that rely upon divergent thinking and techniques that rely upon convergent thinking. Divergent thinking is the generation and the free flow of ideas and it demands considerable discipline, which is aided by the introduction of rigorous techniques forcing divergence toward many alternatives. Convergent thinking, on the contrast, demands techniques of filtering and focus to identify the ideas that have a truly innovative value, to converge on an acceptable solution (Hall 1996). Divergent and convergent thinking are complementary phases of a procedure, since divergence helps forcing towards many alternatives and possible options before convergence on an appropriate solution. Fundamental concepts for all creative techniques are: The suspension of premature judgement and the lack of filtering of ideas. Use the intermediate impossible. Create analogies and metaphors, through symbols, etc. , by finding similarities between the situation, which we wish to understand and another situation, which we already understand. Build imaginative and ideal situations (invent the ideal vision). Find ways to make the ideal vision happen. Relate things or ideas which were previously unrelated. Generate multiple solutions to a problem. Main points to increase or encourage creativity in a company are: to be happy, to have fun keep channels of communication open trust, failure accepted contacts with external sources of information independence, initiatives taken support participatory decision-making and employees’ contribution experiment with new ideas 1. 4 Expected results / benefits Creativity, through the generation of ideas with value, is needed in order to solve concrete problems, ease the adaptation to change, optimise the performance of the organisation and best practice manufacturing, and change the attitude of the staff of the INNOREGIO project Dr E. Sefertzi CREATIVITY 5 organisation. Creative thought processes are also important at all stages in the RD process. Some expected results of the creativity process are: innovation through new product and process ideas continuous improvement of products or services productivity increase efficiency rapidity flexibility quality of products or services high performance 1. 5 Characteristics of providers The implementation of creative techniques within work groups, requires the assistance and advise of external consultants. One or two consultants, experts in creative techniques, is normally enough to undertake the implementation process in a company. His/hers job normally consists of presenting the different techniques and their application method, defining the problem to be studied for the participants, initiating and clarifying the rules of the technique, gathering the necessary data and information to approach the problem, stimulating the generation of ideas of participants, and evaluating the ideas before proceeding to put them in practice. Training of management staff by experts may also be very useful. Management staff must be trained to stimulate creativity in employees, to provide motivation, to facilitate a creative climate and to encourage the use of creative techniques. Managers can also be trained to implement creative techniques by themselves. 2 APPLICATION Creativity processes are used regularly by many private and public sector organisations of all sorts in manufacturing, services, banking, or construction companies. Big firms such as Xerox, ATT, Frito-Lay, as well as car manufacturing firms, software development firms, railroad pharmaceutical firms etc. , use creativity techniques to increase efficiency and quality, especially in their research, strategic planning and marketing departments. Small firms and innovative RD organisations, such as biotechnology companies (Arlington 1997), are also becoming to implement creative techniques in order to solve problems and to improve the use of skills, techniques and processes. Creativity techniques may be applied in almost any functional area of the company: strategic planning, corporate business strategy, product development, improvement of services, functional strategy, finance, human resources, marketing, management of collection of information, product design, software design, quality management, etc. 2. 1 Where Creativity development has been applied INNOREGIO project Dr E. Sefertzi CREATIVITY 6 Nearly all innovation management techniques that can be applied in companies (BPR, benchmarking, TQM, MRP II, employee involvement, marketing of innovation, etc. require also the implementation of creativity techniques. For example, in the Innovation Programme of DG XII of European Commission, besides other innovation management techniques, creativity techniques have been applied in the following IMT projects (see European Commission 1998): -INVENT (Pro. 006) Implementation of a Method for Targeted Economic-Oriented Research in SME Invention Management. IMPA CQT (Pro. 008) PARTNERS (Pro 010) Promotion of Innovation Management Techniques in the field of Sub-Contracting. IDEAS (PRO 017 Integrated Product Development Expertise Applied to SMEs. PRIISME (Pro 029) Promoting of IMTs in ISRAELI SMEs. Programme to Create New Activities in SMEs (Pro 045). MARKPRO (Pro 050) Implementation of Market Oriented Product Innovation in Danish SMEs 2. 2 Types of firms / organisations concerned Creativity techniques can be implemented by all firms and public organisations that confront with problem solving and focus on innovation in processes, products or services. In case where the implementation of creative techniques is focused on the support of personal creativity, such as to support individual designers work for new product development, or to support individual scientists work in the laboratory, very small firms or a person can implement creative techniques for individuals. In case where the company focus is to increase group creativity and to create environments where a collaborating team work creatively together, the firm must have at least 20 employees, including 3 members as management staff. 2. 3 Implementation cost The application of creativity techniques is a continuum process. Sessions of creativity within work groups normally take place at company facilities during normal hours and working conditions. The implementation of a creative technique includes the following costs: The fee of an external consultant for 4-7 days work for undertaking a session of creativity (preparation, application, evaluation). The cost of software packages developed for personal computers or workstations (if necessary). Hardware and equipment must permit to deal with network communications. Training cost (2-4 days) (if necessary). Cost: from 3000 to 7000 Euro. 2. 4 Conditions for implementation Concerning the implementation of creative techniques, some of them are easy to apply, while others need some infrastructure, experts, work teams, training, collection of INNOREGIO project Dr E. Sefertzi CREATIVITY 7 information, resources, etc. In this case, the assistance of an external consultant is required. Besides the support of external consultants, the company itself must encourage creative environment. This implies the participation of all workers in the concerns of the company, and an open and flexible attitude on the part of management. According to Higgins (1999) factors to encouraging the creative work climate are: A secure environment with minimal administrative interference. An organisational culture that makes it attractive and easy for people to discover and solve problems. Rewards for employee performance and enhancement of intrinsic motivation. Managerial willingness to take risks for creativity and innovation, as well as an open and flexible attitude on the part of management. Providing people with formal and informal training to enhance creativity. Important conditions for implementation of creative techniques within work groups in a company are also the existence of well-trained human resources, a clear strategic definition of the company and to focus on the core competencies of the company (European Commission 1998). For solving complex problems requiring input by many areas, i. e. marketing, engineering, design, the company would preferably be one employing multidisciplinary teams. 3 IMPLEMENTATION PROCEDURE As mentioned before, there is numerous creativity supporting techniques. The description, in an illustrative manner, of some well-known creative techniques for problem solving will be presented here. See also Annex, Table 1, the use of some stimulus that can extend perspectives to approach a problem. Brainstorming This is one of the best known and most used in the business world group based creativity process for problem solving. It is a method of getting a large number of ideas from a group of people in a short time. It can be used for generating a large number of ideas or solutions for well-defined strategic or operational problems, such as for engineering design processes. It forms also a basic framework or constitutes the initial phase for the implementation of many other groups based on creative techniques. Brainstorming sessions take place in a group of 6-10 people. The presence of a leader is necessary to stimulate the generation of ideas, as well as a preparation phase to gather the necessary data and information to approach the problem. A recorder writes the problem statement and the idea generated by the group on a white board. Several guidelines for brainstorming are available, such as suspend judgement, free wheel, quantity, and crossfertilise. The whole process takes normally one hour and can be conducted through several stages. The session begins with stating the problem and calling for solutions by the leader. The following stages can be: restate the problem in the form of â€Å"How to†¦Ã¢â‚¬ , select a basic restatement and write it down as â€Å"In how many ways can we†¦Ã¢â‚¬ , warm-up session, brainstorming, and identify wildest idea. An evaluation method is additionally used for to identify the ideas that have a value for implementation. The four basic rules of brainstorming are: a) no criticism and no prior judgement of any idea, b) all ideas, INNOREGIO project Dr E. Sefertzi CREATIVITY 8 even the absurd, are welcome, c) quantity has value, the more ideas the better, if a large quantity of ideas is generated, then the idea pool very likely would contain high-quality ideas, d) sharing and combining ideas, and constructing ideas based on those developed by other members of the group for producing new ideas. See: Osborne (1963), Rawlinson (1981), Chen (1998), Higgins (1996), European Commission (1998). See also Annex, Table 2: Brainstorming phases. A special type of brainstorming tool is PMI in which the participants are directed to brainstorm the Plus points, then the Minus points and finally the Interesting points (De Bono 1992, 1993). Related to brainstorming, which is characterised by verbal communication, is also the hand-written communication as a brain-writing technique. The process is that ideas generated by individuals are written down on a piece of paper, and then exchanged and combined with those of the other individuals in the group. Written ideas are circulated and read by the other participants in the group each of whom, in turn, write down new ideas. A variation of this hand-written communication is the 6-3-5 method in which each of the 6 participants in the group generates and writes 3 ideas related to the problem on a piece of paper in 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, each participant passes the piece of paper to the person on the right, who reads it and adds 3 new ideas in 5 minutes. The process continues until each participant gets the original piece of paper back (European Commission 1998). Electronic brainstorming is also a hand-written communication technique, which employ computerised programs to achieve brainstorming. Story boarding It is a creativity technique for strategic and scenario planning based on brainstorming and used mainly by groups. It requires a leader, a secretary and takes place in a group of 8-12 people. The leader arranges the ideas generated by brainstorming in a logical order on a white board creating a story. This technique allows identify the interconnections of ideas and how all the pieces fit together. It can be used to identify issues, problems, solve a complex problem and determine ways to implement solutions. The story boarding process includes four phases: a) planning, b) ideas, c) organisation and d) communication. Each phase includes a creative session (it takes 45 minutes) and a critical session, in which participants critique their story board. The planning phase begins with the problem definition or the issue being examined the topic header. Purpose header, a miscellaneous column and other, normally 1012, headers (column titles) are laced and brainstormed in order to give Ideas and then items, which are listed under the headers (the purpose header is listed first). The second phase the ideas board, is to take one column from the planning board, which becomes the topic header and the items of that column become headers of new ideas. In the third phase the organisation board, participants identify who is responsible for implementing chosen solutions, what has to happen, and when. In the last phase the communication board, participants identify who must communicate with for all of the events identified in the organisation board to take place. Through the process, visual graphics to summarise or present relevant points are presented by the leader. These might be strategic models, places or things (Higgins 1996). INNOREGIO project Dr E. Sefertzi CREATIVITY 9 Lotus Blossom This technique can also be used in scenario planning and is very useful for forecasting strategic scenarios. It is designed for groups and is used to provide a more in-depth look at various solutions to problems. It begins with a central core idea surrounded by eight empty boxes or circles. Using brainstorming, eight additional ideas (solutions or issues) are written in these boxes. In the next step, each of these eight ideas becomes the core of another set of eight surrounding empty boxes, which are filled in by new ideas using brainstorming. The process continues until a satisfactory solution or a sufficient number of ideas have emerged (Higgins 1996). See Annex, Figure 1: Lotus blossom sample. Checklists This creative technique is used mainly for product improvement or modification. It involves applying a series of words, verbs, adjectives or phrases contained in checklists or tables to an existing product or service or its attributes. Osborn’s Checklist is the best known and includes the verbs: put to other uses, adapt, modify, magnify, minify, substitute, rearrange, reverse and combine. Each verb contains also an expanded definition in the form of questions. For example, the description of the verb substitute is: Who else instead? What else instead? Other ingredient? Other material? Other process? Other power? Other place? Other approach? Other tone of voice? (Osborn 1963). The method is to apply each of the verbs and its expanded description to a product or service. See Annex:, Table 3: Osborn’s checklist). Another checklist technique is Van Gundy’s PICL (product improvement checklist). Used in the same way as Osborn’s list, gives many options containing 792 words, both standard and unique, that can be applied to existing products or services, and 102 stimulation questions (Van Gundy 1988, 1993). Morphological Analysis This method is another product improvement technique, permitting the in-depth analysis of products or processes. It involves applying a set of words to an item another set of words. Normally, one set of words is verbs and the other set are attributes of the product. Another way is that one set of words would be components of the product (breaking the product down into its parts) and the other set of words would be alternative solutions. The method is to combine each word of one set with each word of the other set. These two sets of words result in a two-dimensional matrix. A three dimensional matrix can be created by adding a third list of factors. The difficulty of this technique is the large number of ideas deriving of the multiple combinations that can be made (Higgins 1996, European Commission 1998). Mapping Process The use of maps is particularly useful in strategic management thinking in organisations, helping to organise discontinuities, contradictions or differences, and bring pattern, order and sense to a confusing situation, acting as a spatial representation of a perspective. There are many forms of mapping, including computer-based tools to support mapping: Mind Mapping It is an individual brainstorming mapping technique designed by Tony Buzan. It begins with a central focal point, a problem, an object, a name or issue, written in INNOREGIO project Dr E. Sefertzi CREATIVITY 10 the centre of a piece of paper with a circle around it. Each major facet of the problem or the solution to the problem originating from the central idea is then brainstorming in order to generate new ideas. Each of those ideas are then written on lines drowned outward from the circle. The next step is to brainstorm those ideas in order to identify issues related to the problem, or solutions that are written on smaller lines that are drowned on the prime lines forming a branch. Additional perspectives such as implementation factors or further definition of the solutions could go on those lines. One branch may also be chosen in order to develop a whole new mind map based on that branch. When a mind map is completed, its possible interrelations and possible multiple appearances of issues, and its overall meaning in the context of the problem must be examined (Buzan 1983). Mapping for generate collective creativity The use of maps to support collective creativity is a more complicate process. It is necessary to introduce appropriate maps into a suitable type of organisation that would preferably be one employing multidisciplinary teams. It is also important that the participants find the maps useful for organising and planning their work. The mapping process usually involves three phases: 1st phase starts with a brainstorming exercise in order to initiate a discussion around the problem or the product. Normally, the participants are asked to mention all aspects they regard as relevant to the problem to be dealt with. During this process a large number of visual references are used to elicit the perspectives of the members with regard to the potential new concept. It is emphasised to the participants that the maps are intended to enrich the conversation, and should not be perceived as representations of the concept itself, but more as the semantic terrain or space, which covers all potential strategies. The knowledge elicited is discussed, and in about 2 hours is organised and structured by the participants into a map that intuitively understand. This map is the initial cognitive map, which describes all the problematic areas in brief outlines. In the 2nd phase of the process, which serves to expose the individual participants’ perspective both to themselves and to the other members of the group, the participants discuss the values that they associate with a very large range of objects and images. A number of these images are then selected that are considered to metaphorically represent potential aspects of the product strategy. In the 3rd phase, these images and appropriate annotations are arranged in a twodimensional space, positioning the images depending upon how the values of these objects relate to one another. In doing this, the group is mapping out a terrain constituted by the differences between the images, expressing the range of different product strategies open to the group (Fentem, Dumas McDonnell 1998). For creating maps, many software applications are available (see further down in computer-based creativity techniques). The Excursion Technique Is a very useful technique for forcing a group to have new thought patterns to formulate strategies. The process involves five steps (see Higgins 1996): In the 1st step the excursion the consultant asks participants to take an imaginary excursion to a physical location (a museum, a jungle, a city, another planet, etc. ), which INNOREGIO project Dr E. Sefertzi CREATIVITY 11 has nothing to do with the real problem. After the excursion each participant writes down 8-10 images, which he/she saw during the journey (things, people, places or items) in the 1st of 3 columns. In the 2nd step, the consultant asks participants to draw analogies or express relationships between what they saw on the excursion and the problem as defined, and to write them in the column 2 next to each of the items identified in the first column. In the 3rd step, participants are asked to determine what solutions to their problems are suggested by the analogies or the relationships in column 2, and write them in column 3 beside the items and analogies identified in the other columns. In the 4th step, participants share their xperiences from the excursion: what they saw, their analogies and their solutions. In the 5th step, as with brainstorming, participants may discuss on each other’s ideas. Eventually the leader helps the group come to a common solution or a set of solutions to the problem. Computer-based creativity techniques Computer-based supporting techniques to stimulate the human creative process have an immediate and pragmatic aim, which is the implementation of computational models (computer software) for generate and organise ideas for creative work. They are used more frequently in research planning, product design, knowledge acquisition, decisionmaking, motivation, etc. We can distinguish groups of computerised creativity techniques, such as AI models, Idea Processors systems and visualisation and graphical systems. AI (artificial intelligence) models of creativity AI deals with solving non-quantified, unstructured problems. Its task is about knowledge representation and reasoning and to built intelligent, rational, and autonomous agents. Current AI models of creativity involve different types and appropriate techniques of supporting the generation of new ideas. According to Margaret Boden (1998), in respect to the three types of creativity, there are also three main types of computer models that involve: a) The stimulation of the combination of ideas, mainly by using analogies in the sense that associated ideas shares some inherent conceptual structure. b) The exploration of structured concepts, so that novel and unexpected ideas result. It requires considerable domain-expertise and analytical power to define the conceptual space and to specify procedures that enable its potential to be explored. ) The transformation of a problem, so that new structures can be generated which could not have arisen before. New solutions to a problem can be created with transforming a problem into a new problem, solve the new problem and then adapting the solution back to the original problem. AI employs symbolic approaches for creative problem solving and includes stimulus such as heuristics, search, weak methods, knowledge representation and reasoning to fa cilitate problem structuring and idea generation. The focus of AI creativity techniques in the form of computerised programs, is to help users to take a fresh look at roblems by guiding what may be a user’s otherwise undisciplined intuition through a series of INNOREGIO project Dr E. Sefertzi CREATIVITY 12 problem-solving exercises, and to think in non-linear et non-logical ways. The main advantage of computerised, guided problem solving is that the programs prompt a user for ideas in a thorough manner. Recent programs of AI include also knowledge-based approaches, using large-scale databases and narrative systems (Chen 1998). AI researches have also developed efficient search algorithms for problem solving. Some AI programs of creativity are: The Copycat program that looks for analogies between alphabetic letter-strings (Hofstadter, FARG 1995, Mitchell 1993). The EURISKO program a transformational system with also an exploratory process that can be applied to a wide range of domains. The AARON program for exploring line drawing in particular styles and colouring (McCorduck 1991). The BACON program of exploratory AI-creativity designed to model scientific discovery (Langley, Simon, Bradshaw and Zytkow 1987). Idea Processors software Idea processors have a close relationship with artificial intelligence and use many artificial intelligence techniques. Idea processors are normally software packages developed for personal computers or workstations. They are used for idea generation and organisation in some specific stages of problem solving acting as knowledge-support systems (Chen 1998). In order to assist the human thinking, idea processors usually perform extensive search in large databases, knowledge bases, or text bases. For many idea processors the electronic brainstorming is the most important technique to generate ideas. The use of computer programs helps to de-structure and then to restructure thinking in a different way. The Idea Generator Plus program provide seven components to the user, that permit to go through a step-by-step problem analysis and solution finding process: examine similar situations, examine metaphors, examine other perspectives, focus on goals, reverse the goals, focus on the people involved, and make the most of the ideas (Nirenberg 1985). In another program, the IdeaFisher, using hypertext databases from Fisher Idea Systems Inc. , all entries in the database are cross-referenced by concept and association. It uses a giant cross-referenced text base of words and phrases representing concepts and images enhanced by a series of questions (see also spatial hypertext systems). The program also allows to generate new ideas based on combination of words by creating a list of people, animals, verbs, adjectives and phrases that are associated with the combination of two words that a user choose. Some other programs related to an idea processor are: The Ideatree system with an exploratory focus, linking laterally or hierarchically concepts that exist into the idea-boxes of the program. The Emergent Media Environment (EME), an interactive computer system that integrates facilities for supporting the generation, collection, organisation and presentation of ideas and advises about the divergence and convergence of the ideas. The GENI (GENerating Ideas) experimental system incorporates a variety of techniques to assist in making different types of connections: internal connections (between elements of the focal problem itself) and external connections (between the focal problem and external factors). INNOREGIO project Dr E. Sefertzi CREATIVITY 13 There are also many idea processors programmes available on the Internet (most of them are commercial products) including the following: http:/ideaprocessor. citi. doc. ca http:/www. maxthink. com http:/www. ozemail. com. au http:/www. inspiration. com http:/www. signet. com. sg/axon2000 Visualisation and graphical systems Computer support methods, such as visualisation of data and graphical techniques for marking up visual phenomena and expressing knowledge about data in rule form, are also available. Visualisation of data and graphical techniques are very important to support creativity. They involve working with visual data such as images, drawings, sketches, diagrams, charts, graphs, graphical objects, that are specific to the domain, and they take the form of expressing ideas and concepts through sketching, annotation and examining multiple or alternative views of the same data, all of which varies according to the domain of interest. There are many such systems giving various opportunities to the users. A visualisation system, the Inspiration (from Inspiration Inc. ) provides a blank canvas in which the user can quickly record and arrange ideas as they occur and allows a visual approach to organising thoughts. The system can also change the relationship between ideas and connect related ideas by dragging kinks between them to create a graphical map of the users thinking. Another visualisation system is Axon 200 used for creating complex flowcharts or concept diagrams and describes how different factors or events influence each other. It uses checklists and visual attributes such as colour, shape, size, scale position, depth, link and icon. It also creates relationship diagrams, which allow the user to represent multiple relationships between various visual objects on the screen (Chen 1998). Visualisation systems are also very important in design such as the Speech Knowledge Interface (SKI) system that support rapid graphical interaction with visual images, the Vehicle Packager Knowledge Support System (VPKSS) that aids designers at the conceptual stage of the design process (Candy 1997). Spatial representation tools In relation with visualisation systems, there are also computer-based tools, such as computer-based information and communication systems, for supporting representations and creating cognitive maps in two-dimensional spaces. Some representations use a specific notation, others use spatial proximity to indicate the relationship between objects (usually words relating to concepts) in the spaces, and others, used in marketing and design departments called â€Å"mood boards†, use collections of images as metaphors that reflect the quality aspects of the product strategy (Fentem, Dumas and Mcdonnell 1998). Kelly Repertory Grid technique is a knowledge elicitation tool used in the marketing, management and expert systems development. It analyses data using principal components analysis (PCA) software and produces a map by plotting the INNOREGIO project Dr E. Sefertzi CREATIVITY 14 first two components. The map produces a spatial positioning of text with respect to dimensions that are significant or correspond to the personal constructs that the participant member uses to categorise and evaluate the world (Kelly 1955). An Internet version of this tool is Webgrid. Available at cpsc. ucalgary. ca/ Spatial Information Systems These systems have been designed to support creativity by mapping objects (concepts, text objects, design requirements and parameters) into two-dimensional spaces, using various combinations of ‘knowledge processing’ and multivariate statistical analysis techniques. Users can also select an area of this space and to create a new space by reprocessing using principal components analysis (PCA) only the data associated with the objects lying within this subspace (Fentem, Dumas and Mcdonnell 1998). For example, one of these systems searches research papers for the frequency of certain keywords and uses a type of PCA to analyse the results of this search and represent these keywords and the papers within a common twodimensional space (Sugimoto, Hori, Ohsuga 1996). Another system named En Passant 2 stores researcher’s notes and triggers to recall and to reconsider. The users can browse their notes and view relations among them interactively (Aihara, Hori 1998). Spatial hypertext systems These systems have been designed for the â€Å"exploration of alternative structures for content, and applications in which the domain structure is not well understood at the outset, or changes during the course of a task†. In spatial hypertext, the links between nodes are conveyed implicitly by arranging the nodes in the space. â€Å"Nodes appear in different contexts through multiple spatial references to the same underling content† (Marshall and Shipman 1995). The users are presented with a window that acts as a work- space in which they organise their material. The nodes arranged in the space represent links to familiar objects such as documents, images, comments, and links to WWW hypertext pages, plus more unique structures known as ‘composites’ and ‘collections’. Marshall and Shipman’s VIKI spatial hypertext system, for example, was designed to support new product development, helping teams to make sense of the many diverse kinds of business-related material relevant to the new product, by assisting them in arranging it spatially. 4 BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES (1) Aihara, K. , Hori, K. (1998), â€Å"Enhancing creativity through reorganising mental space concealed in a research notes stack†, Knowledge-Based Systems, No. 11, pp. 469-478. Arlington, S. (1997), â€Å"Accelerating drug discovery: creating the right environment†, Drug Discovery Today, Vol. 2, No. 12, pp. 547-553. Boden, M. A. (1998), â€Å"Creativity and artificial intelligence†, Artificial Intelligence, No. 103, pp. 347-356. Bullinger, H. J. (1999), â€Å"Turbulent times require creative thinking: new European concepts in production management†, Int. J. Production Economics, No. 0-81, pp. 9-27. Buzan, T. (1983) Use Both Sides of Your Brain, Dutton, New York. (2) (3) (4) (5) INNOREGIO project Dr E. Sefertzi CREATIVITY 15 (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) (11) (12) (13) (14) (15) Candy, L. (1997), â€Å"Computers and creativity support: knowledge, visualisation and collaboration†, Knowledge-Based Systems, No. 10, pp. 3-13. Chen, Z. ( 1998), â€Å"Toward a better understanding of idea processors†, Information and Software Technology, No. 40, pp. 541-553. De Bono, E. (1992), Serious Creativity, Harper Collins, London. De Bono, E. (1993), De Bono’s Thinking Course, Facts and on File, New York. t ogilvie (1998), â€Å"Creative action as a dynamic strategy: using imagination to improve strategic solutions in unstable environments†, Journal of Business Research, No. 41, pp. 49-56. European Commission (1998), Innovation Management Techniques in Operation, European Commission, Luxembourg. Fentem, A. C. , Dumas, A. , McDonnell, J. (1998), Knowledge-Based Systems, No. 11, pp. 417-428. Hall, D. J. (1996), â€Å"The role of creativity within best practice manufacturing†, Technovation, Vol. 16, No. 3, pp. 115-121. Higgins, J. M. (1996), â€Å"Innovate or evaporate: creative techniques for strategists†, Long Range Planning, Vol. 9, No. 3, pp. 370-380. Higgins, J. M. (1994), 101 Creative Prob lem Solving Techniques: the Handbook of New Ideas for Business, The New Management Publishing Company, Florida. (16) Higgins, L. F. (1999), â€Å"Applying principles of creativity management to marketing research efforts in high-technology markets†, Industrial Marketing Management, No. 28, pp. 305-317. (17) Hofstadter, D. R. , FARG (1995), Fluid Concepts and Creative Analogies: Computer Models of the Fundamental Mechanisms of Thought, Basic Books, New York. (18) Kelly, G. A. (1955), The Psychology of Personal Constructs, Norton. (19) Langley, P. , Simon, H. A. , Bradshaw, G. L. and Zytkow, J. M. (1987), Scientific Discovery: Computational Explorations of the Creative Process, MIT Press, Cambridge, MA. (20) McCorduck, P. (1991), Aaron’s Code, W. H. Freeman, San Francisco, CA. (21) Mansfield, R. S. , Busse, T. V. and Krepelka, E. G. (1978), â€Å"The effectiveness of creative training† Review of Educational Research, Vol. 48, No 4, pp. 517-536. (22) Marshall, C. C. , Shipman, F. M. (1995), â€Å"Spatial hypertext: designing for change†, Communication of the ACM, Vol. 38, No. 8, pp. 88-97. (23) Miller, W. (1986), The Creative Edge, Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA. (24) Mitchell, M. 1993), Analogy-Making as Perception, MIT Press, Cambridge, MA. (25) Newell, A. and Shaw, J. C. (1972), â€Å"The process of creative thinking†, in A. Newell and H. A. Simon (eds), Human Problem Solving, Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, pp. 144-174. (26) Nirenberg, G. (1985), The Idea Generator, Experience in Software, Berkeley, CA. (2 7) Osborne, A. F. (1963), Applied Imagination: Principles and Procedures of Creative Thinking, 3rd ed. , Scribner, New York. (28) Parnes, S. J. and Brunelle, E. A. (1967), â€Å"The literature of creativity†, Journal of Creative Behavior, Vol. 1, No 1, pp. 52-104. (29) Rose, L. H. and Lin, H. T. 1984), â€Å"A meta-analysis of long-term creativity training programs†, Journal of Creative Behavior, Vol. 18, No 1, pp. 11-22. (30) Rawlinson, J. G. (1981) Creative Thinking and Brainstorming, Gower, UK. (31) Schlange, L. E. , and Juttner, U. (1997), â€Å"Helping managers to identify the key strategic issues†, Long Range Planning, Vol. 30, No. 5, pp. 777-786. INNOREGIO project Dr E. Sefertzi CREATIVITY 16 (32) Sugimoto, M. , Hori, K. , Ohsuga, S. (1996) â€Å"A system to visualise different viewpoints for supporting researches’ creativity†, Knowledge-Based Systems, No. 9, pp. 369-376. (33) Taylor, C. W. (1972), â€Å"Can organisations be creative, too? , in C. W. Taylor (ed. ), Climates for Creativity, Pergamon Press, New York, pp. 1-15. (34) Van Gundy, Jr. A. B. (1988), â€Å"Product improvement check list†, New Product Development Newsletter, New Jersay. (35) Van Gundy, A. B. Jr. (1993), Techniques of Structured Problem Solving, Chapman Hall, London. INNOREGIO project Dr E. Sefertzi CREATIVITY 17 Annexes Table 1: Stimulus to extend perspectives to approach a problem List the elements that would bring on success. List the elements that we visualise as failure. Visualise success seen from the viewpoint of fifty years from now. Visualise success seen from the perspective of one hundred years ago. Look for impossible and desirable ideas. Create analogies with other things that have been successful. Imagine and write down ideas that are wild, illegal, crazy, etc. Insert the problem from its present scenario to a totally different scenario. Return from the fantasy scenario to the present scenario and try to associate the ideas generated in the fantasy scenario, with ideas that might apply to the real problem. Imagine what people we admire would say. Search for pairs of ideas that are apparently unconnected and that can be associated by a third. Imagine that everything exists and all we have to do is find it. Change the level on which the problem is approached. Source: European Commission, Innovation Management Techniques in Operation, European Commission, DG XIII, Luxembourg, 1998. Table 2: Brainstorming Phases Phase Orientation Preparation Warm-up Production of ideas Application Define the problem to be studied for the participants, clarify the rules of the game. Gather data and information necessary to approach the problem in an efficient manner. Carry -out the exercise: redefine a problem different from the one to be studied, experiment with it for a few minutes. Generate the maximum of ideas without prior judgement always ask â€Å"what else† quantity of ideas is quality no limits no criticise modify other’s ideas to produce new ones. Let the subconscious work. Gather the ideas generated analyse them work with logical thinking. Evaluate the ideas gathered and analysed develop and combine them before proceeding to put them in practice. Incubation Syntheses Evaluation Source: European Commission, Innovation Management Techniques in Operation, European Commission, DG XIII, Luxembourg, 1998. INNOREGIO project Dr E. Sefertzi CREATIVITY 18 Table 3: Osborn’s Checklist Question Put to other uses? Adapt? Description New ways to use as is? Other uses if modified? What else is like this? What other idea does this suggest? Does past offer parallel? What could I copy? Whom could I emulate? New twist? Change meaning, colour, motion, sound, odour, form, shape? Other changes? What to add? More time? Greater frequency? Stronger? Higher? Longer? Thicker? Extra value? Plus ingredient? Duplicate? Multiply? Exaggerate? What to subtract? Smaller? Condensed? Miniature? Lower? Shorter? Lighter? Omit? Streamline? Split up? Understate? Who else instead? What else instead? Other ingredient? Other Material? Other process? Other power? Other place? Other approach? Other tone of voice? Interchange components? Other pattern? Other layout? Other sequence? Transpose cause and effect? Change pace? Change schedule? Transpose positive and negative? How about opposites? Turn it backward? Turn it upside down? Reverse role? Change shoes? Turn tables? Turn other cheek? How about a blend, an alloy, an assortment, an ensemble? Combine units? Combine purposes? Combine appeals? Combine ideas? Modify? Magnify? Minify? Substitute? Rearrange? Reverse? Combine? Source: J. M. Higgins, â€Å"Innovate or evaporate: creative techniques for strategists†, Long Range Planning, Vol. 9, No 3, pp. 370-380, 1996 (reprinted from Alex Osborn, Applied Imagination, Charles Scribner’s Sons, Inc. , New York). Figure 1: Lotus blossom sample INNOREGIO project Dr E. Sefertzi CREATIVITY 19 1 by packaging 4 smaller / bigger 6 other material 2 by design A product differenti ation 7 change color 3 other uses 5 plus ingredient 8 change meaning A product differentiati on D lower cost F supply flexibility B product quality core idea: increase product consumption G product credibility C customer needs E service quality H competitors product strategies B C D E F G H INNOREGIO project Dr E. Sefertzi

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