Starting with a blank page
Creativity and the magic of "divergent thinking"
A blank page is both intimidating and exciting. It could have words written on it, and those words can be so many things. A poem. The start of a short story, or a new novel. Lyrics to a song. A legal memorandum (glad I don’t have to write those anymore!) A note in English and Portuguese for the workmen not to accidentally let the dog out. A shopping list. Even the draft of a Substack post.
Or take out markers and draw, doodle, or sketch. Fold it into a paper airplane and sail it across the room, or an origami crane to give it to a friend as a symbol of hope and love, or a square to fix a wobbly table leg. Cut it into a snowflake or pile of confetti. Roll it into beads for a paper necklace. Wad it up to start the charcoal grill. The possibilities are endless.
I’m fascinated by the relationship between creativity and “divergent thinking,” the ability to generate multiple, novel ideas or solutions by exploring possibilities in a spontaneous, free-flowing, non-linear way. One idea may lead to another, or ten. (Convergent thinking, on the other hand, is the process of logically narrowing down to a “best” option.) It’s fun (at least for me) to open my mind to generate ideas, untethered by practicality and self-editing. Magical, almost. (And, I’d posit, good for your mental well-being, too.)
On the Island, you see it in the creative output of the Vineyard’s artists, artisans, hobbyists, poets, writers, performers, and musicians. This is a place (like many islands) where uniqueness, originality, and creativity are warmly supported and embraced by the community (and its surfeit of wonderful galleries, bookstores, fairs, markets, and venues). And Island inspiration abounds in the not-to-be missed handicraft entries at the annual Ag Fair, from quilts to carvings and everything in between, evidence of the creative spirit on the Vineyard (and the length of a Massachusetts winter!)
Divergent thinking has its practical, everyday uses as well. MacGyvering a household repair with duct tape and string uses divergent thinking. So does upcycling an old door into a coffee table or pallets into a compost bin, making windproof lanterns out of candles in jelly jars, or cutting a milk jug into a bailer for a boat.
But back to that piece of paper. Where does that blank page take you?
I love this concept. And how our brains work or can work.
Brilliant! And a great connection to the creativity of Mardi Gras.