Review - Creativity - Moore - "Creativity: In Defense of Sloppy Thinking and What ifs"

Review of Vince Moore “Creativity: In Defense of Sloppy Thinking and What ifs”

            “Creativity: In Defense of Sloppy Thinking and What Ifs” is Vincent Moore’s essay on thoughts, notions, and practical advice on creative thinking.  Moore starts the essay by writing creativity is more than just making mistakes (1).  He writes, “Children are the ultimate creative minds” as they are not bound to the ideals of rules and logic (1).  He uses children’s imaginations to illustrate the notion of “sloppy thinking” (1).   Sloppy thinking is not being concerned about right or wrong, but about exploring their world through “what if” questions.  It is the distinction between trial and error versus what works better.

            Moore notes the common thread of creativity is to express an idea, that is, to communicate “thoughts, feelings, beliefs, hopes, and fears through a variety of means” (2).  He uses an example noting that straightforward writing does not always convey meaningful messages (2).  In an example, it took Jonathan Swift, using a horrific metaphor to elevate an issue and capture attention.  As Moore writes, “ … because of how it deviates form the truth, it makes its point much more intensely” (2).  Moore successfully illustrates the power of the creative act.

            Moore states that sloppy thinking is the next step in creativity (3).  That is, once an artist wants to communicate an idea, how are they going to do it (3)?   It is the notion of creating that initial idea to reflect the artist’s communication.  Moore’s likes to ask What If questions (3).  He uses several nonsense examples that became stories from James Thurber and Shakespeare (3).  He notes, “In each case, we start with an irrational, illogical idea, and then, through long effort, we apply problem solving (logic) to create something that makes sense within the specific context” (4).  Moore suggests that creativity is the combination of sloppy thinking and rational thought (4).  It is “nonsense turned into sense” (4).

            Perhaps the most significant notion Moore has is that creativity is the tool that artists use to interpret their world (4).  This notion could be furthered that creativity is how people interpret their world.  He writes that the successful artist starts with a germ of an idea and works until the finished product (5).  In the end, Moore’s sloppy thinking becomes practical advice to find that elusive one percent of inspiration.

           

Works Cited

Moore, Vincent.  "Creativity: In Defense of Sloppy Thinking and What Ifs."  ART524, Creativity and Its Development. Tiffin University. Fall, 2007. 1-5. June 18, 2012.