179. What If Your Differences Are Exactly What Make You Creative?

From The Modern Creative Woman · 24:15

Show by Dr. Amy Backos

Ask me a question or let me know what you think!Does art imitate life, or does life imitate art?Amy explores this very old question through psychology, philosophy, anthropology, music, genetics, and the creative process. From Plato and Aristotle to Oscar Wilde, Susan Sontag, Virginia Woolf, and Toni Morrison, she looks at the many ways humans have tried to understand the relationship between what we experience and what we create.Along the way, Amy considers a fascinating psychological question: how much of who we become comes from our temperament, and how much comes from our environment? She also explores why two people can experience similar circumstances and respond in completely different ways.The conversation then moves into the ancient human history of creativity, from early musical instruments and cave art to the ways women are increasingly being recognized in archaeological interpretations of early human creativity.Amy also shares an experience from a recent lecture combining music, neuroscience, genetics, and memory. The parallels between genetic variation and musical improvisation become a fascinating way to think about creativity. In jazz, musicians work within a structure while responding to one another in real time, creating variation without losing the underlying pattern. Our differences can work in much the same way.This episode is ultimately an exploration of variation, mutation, improvisation, and possibility—and why the things that make us different can sometimes become the very things that allow us to create.In this episode, Amy explores:Whether art imitates life or life imitates artWhat Plato, Aristotle, Oscar Wilde, Susan Sontag, Virginia Woolf, and Toni Morrison have to say about art and experienceTemperament, environment, and personalityThe ancient history of human creativityWhat early musical instruments and visual art tell us about our creative natureThe relationship between genetic variation and musical variationWhy jazz improvisation requires extraordinary communicationHow context can change whether a difference becomes a difficulty or an advantageSynesthesia and the connections between sensory experiencesWhy science and art may be different expressions of the same human creative impulseWhat happens when we begin creating with our own natural rhythms and patternsA question to take with you:What will you create with the variations that make you uniquely you?If you enjoyed this episode, share it with a creative woman in your life and subscribe to The Modern Creative Woman Podcast.Support the showExplore the Modern Creative Woman Communityhttps://moderncreativewoman.comFree Goodies and Subscribe to the Monthly Newsletterhttps://moderncreativewoman.com/subscribe-to-the-creative-woman/Connect with Dr. Amy on Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/dramybackos/

More episodes of The Modern Creative Woman

More episodes

PodSearch is a free, independent podcast search engine. Read about PodSearch, the privacy policy or contact us.