Creativity from Constraints

Book excerpt: In this exciting new contribution to the study of creativity, psychologist, artist, and writer Dr. Patricia Stokes delves into the minds of famous creative artists and discovers the surprising source leading to their creative breakthroughs. From Picasso to Stravinsky, Kundera and Chanel to Frank Lloyd Wright, it is not boundary-less creative freedom that inspires new ideas, but self-imposed, well-considered constraints. Monet forced himself to repeatedly paint the way light broke on, between, and around his subjects, contrasting color instead of light and dark, and softening edges in the process. His constraints catapulted the art world from representational to impressionist art. Whatever your creative field--be you an artist, educator, or psychologist who studies creativity and problem solving--Stokes shows you how to think clearly about your creative development and design the vital constraints that will take you to breakthrough.