Bloomsbury Academic The Spirit of Creativity: Basic Mechanisms of Creative Achievements

The Spirit of Creativity is a systemic study of human creativity. It offers a fascinating visual model of the creative process consisting of four major stages: stage I, the interplay of chaos and order; stage II, creative production; stage III, cultural selection; stage IV, morpho-evolution and morpho-elimination of created products and forms. The author analyzes the seven phases (germination, inspiration, preparation, incubation, illumination, elaboration and evaluation) of stage II, leading from a vague hunch to a product meeting the criteria of creativity. A vast number of examples, taken from all continents and various cultures as well as from art, technology and science and other fields of human endeavor, illustrate how cultural recognition and rejection influence the creative processes of individuals and teams. The author demonstrates the tremendous impact of the Mongol Empire, the Silk Road, and the medieval Muslim golden age on the origin of the European Renaissance. Review My experience at the 2002 CREANDO Zermatt Symposium was the most interesting I have ever had with regard to everything touching upon creativity. It allowed me to better understand the topic and to share it with the best specialists. Years later, I still have not found a better model, and there is no doubt I owe Gottlieb Guntern the opportunity to have been able to enjoy such an event.--Ferran Adrià, chef, elBulli Restaurant, Barcelona [Guntern's] skills include not only a thorough understanding of the speaker and the sophisticated audience but also an extensive knowledge of the most relevant international research on the topic. Over a period of three decades he has formulated a set of concepts and described a series of novel insights that led to his comprehensive theory on creativity and leadership. In a world in turmoil this book will be a much needed guide for the development of strategies and methods for sustainable problem solutions.--Günter Blobel, 1999 Nobel Laureate in Medicine Penetrating the mysteries of the creative process is a legitimate, poetic and at the same time ingenuous dream. Greta and Gottlieb Guntern have been pursuing it for decades - and done so for all of us.--Mario Botta, architect About the Author Gottlieb Guntern, systems scientist and psychiatrist, is an internationally acclaimed expert on creativity and leadership. His books on the topics mentioned above have been translated into several languages. He is the co-founder and president of the Board of Trustees of the International CREANDO Foundation on Creativity and Leadership.