Creativity-Can it be learned?

Many of us imagine the misanthropic genius from time to time, the guy that develops creative masterpieces in a social vacumme, his/her brain accompanined only by cigarette smoke and booze. But does creativity really thrive like this? I think not.

I believe creativity promotes more creativity. While we need our quiet time to reflect and draw conclusions, the collaboration part is actually the most important part. The social aspect is the seed and perhaps great ideas evolve more from interesting interactions rather than interesting individuals.

For me, situations/interactions/events seem to pile up in my head and compost there. Interesting people, conversations, fights, disagreements just ferment somewhere and what sprouts out of this mess is often nothing like how it started.

I think creativity can be learned in the sense that maybe people can learn to recognize viable ideas when they get them. That one can learn to put oneself in situations that promote those ideas. That there are ways to maximize ones creativity. But I don't think you can learn to care. An individual does need some natural tendency to entertain bizarre ideas. So tell me, do you think creativity can be learned?

How do you get unstuck?

I run. My brain seriously works so much better when I'm moving. If I could jog and type, I would double my work speed. Because that is when my WIP starts to move by itself without me manipulating it. And my WIP is so much better at it than me.

How do you work out the kinks? How do you get unstuck?

Plot (or the lack of it)

I love to plot. Really. I think many writers don't, but I do. I have read some authors say that if you have interesting enough characters the reader won't care if nothing is actually happening (Ann Lamont's Bird by Bird), but I disagree.

Yes there have been some plotless mushies published that were still rather enjoyable (who's read Glimmer Train?). But I believe that an actual storyline could have improved them.

A good plot to me should be like a woven leather belt. Strong character storylines tangeled together. Hints poke out for the reader to see. If you could only unravel it you would understand. Readers should be able to unravel the story as they read, but not necessarilly entirely, and leave the naked threads. Enough to understand the important part. Actually, a great plot should be a belt made of many woven belts, because the reader should not just unravel the story, but also the characters. The reader should come to understand them throughout the story.

For me, a great character won't make the story. They can make the storyline, but they cannot float and drift and bounce like so many bubbles. I like to read work with a sense of purpose. A great character should consume a storyline and run away with it. I love it when my characters run with a story, I love it when the result is nothing like the original conception. But it still needs the story part.