10/10/2014 Is curiosity a cousin of creativity?

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Goose bumps of success
Is curiosity a cousin of creativity?
(http://tickledbylife.com/site/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/curiosity-3-plane-window1.jpg) (http://tickledbylife.com/site/wp-
content/uploads/2008/08/curiosity-4-curry-puff.jpg) (http://tickledbylife.com/site/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/curiosity-and-
creativity.jpg) (http://tickledbylife.com/site/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/creativity-
curiosity-are-cousins.jpg)
Curiosity is made up of an open mind, acute sensing abilities and an urge to seek and
find. As a child, you had natural curiosity and a sense of wonder. Hungry for
novelty, you were always on your toes to welcome the next moment.
A curious mind enabled you to see what most people generally miss. No wonder you
frequently came up with new ideas. You were naturally creative.
As you grew up, acquired knowledge and gained experience, you developed a sense
of certainty just about everything. In the process, you lost your curiosity and consequently your creativity.
You can regain your curiosity and your creativity by just opening your eyes to the newness of every moment. It is said that the
beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. But if you keep your eyes closed, there is no beauty.
By keeping your curiosity and a sense of wonder alive, you spur your mind to create new channels of thought. You find new
connections and become more creative.
How curious are you?
Here is a test designed to determine how curious you are about the stuff that you see around you every day. There is nothing
sacrosanct about this test. Nor is it very precise. It is meant only to give you a general idea about your degree of curiosity.
Go through it and decide for yourself where you are on the curiosity index assuming that you were at 100 when you were five
years old.
(http://tickledbylife.com/site/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/curiosity-1-road.jpg)1. Ever wondered why the
white stripes painted on roads to delineate lanes are always clean and spotlessly white even when the
road is dirty?
(http://tickledbylife.com/site/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/curiosity-2-bike.jpg)2. Ever wondered why
bicycles/motorcycles are waiting to topple over when made to stand still but remain upright when
moving? Someone told me once that the rider does the balancing act with minor adjustments all the time.
However, I recently bought a scale model of a BMW motorbike for my son. This bike also does not topple
over when it is moving. And there is no rider to do the balancing act! (http://tickledbylife.com/site/wp-
content/uploads/2008/08/curiosity-3-plane-window1.jpg) (http://tickledbylife.com/site/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/curiosity-4-
curry-puff.jpg) (http://tickledbylife.com/site/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/curiosity-3-plane-window2.jpg)
ttp://tickledbylife.com/site/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/curiosity-3-plane-window.jpg)3. Remember the last
time you looked out an aircraft window, or rather, looked at the window? It appears to have three layered
panes. In the middle pane, near the bottom, there is a small hole. Why do they have this hole?
(http://tickledbylife.com/site/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/curiosity-4-curry-
puff1.jpg)4. We heated curry puffs in the microwave and they were nice and warm
to the touch. However, when I bit into one, the center was scalding hot. So I
warned my son to be careful with his. He asked me why the stuff heats up from the inside out in the
microwave while on the gas stove or regular oven it heats up from the outside in. Any clue?
5. Water entering your car engine would cause devastating damage. So how do airplanes manage to fly in
heavy rain with water entering the engine directly?
Do birds sleep? If yes, do they ever fall off their perch when they are sleeping? If they dont, why not?
(http://tickledbylife.com/site/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/curiosity-6bird-sleep.jpg)
I was at a park with my son last week and we noticed an aircraft in the sky.
It was a distant speck but it was trailing two long lines of white smoke. What causes those white lines
behind the aircraft and why are there always two even behind a four-engine aircraft?
(http://tickledbylife.com/site/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/curiosity-8-tape.jpg)9. When you pull scotch tape
10/10/2014 Is curiosity a cousin of creativity? | Tickled by Life
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(http://tickledbylife.com/site/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/curiosity-8-tape.jpg)9. When you pull scotch tape
off the reel quickly, it appears transparent. If you pull it off slowly, it appears opaque. Why?
10. Why do Caucasians have the highest diversity in bodily parameters color of hair, color of eyes, etc.?
Have you spent more than 1 minute ever in the last 5 years thinking about any of these or similar
questions? If yes, it shows that you are curious about what is happening around you. Most of us however,
have more pressing things to take care of!
(http://tickledbylife.com/site/wp-
content/uploads/2008/08/curiosity-and-creativity.jpg)
There is more to curiosity.
Now curiosity has other side benefits as well! The following come free when you embrace curiosity!
Truth
Appearances may be deceptive. The curious dont go by appearances alone. They dont just take someones word for something.
They dig deep into the details and discover the truth for themselves. When they finish their detective work, they not only come to
know what or when, they also know how and why.
Career as a full-time child
Children are naturally curious. Their minds are like an empty canvas, waiting to be filled with knowledge and experiences. They
dont have predetermined expectations fogging their judgment. Children absorb the world around them with an open mind
driven by sheer curiosity. Curiosity can help open your mind too, allowing you to live as a full-time child.
Discovery
New experiences are among the most exciting events of life. They stimulate your mind and free up your creative urges. They
liberate your thoughts from the tensions of everyday life. Be curious, be daring, be alive! Go discover something fresh.
Getting better at stuff
A curious mind dives beneath the surface of common acceptance to unravel the details driving a process. The better you
understand the process, the more productive you will be.
New peaks to climb
When your curiosity steers you into the unknown you will return with greater wealth of knowledge. You will stretch the
boundaries of your mind. The more you know, the more you will want to know. Your every new awareness will lead you to
another stimulating challenge.
Getting more done
Curious people look at a challenge from multiple angles. They discover alternative ways of accomplishing the same task. The
greater the pool of possible solutions, the more likely it is that they will find a better way to get things done.
Variety
Variety is the spice of life, at least for the curious folks. There is nothing more boring than repetition. When you allow your
curiosity to send you in new directions, you add variety into your life. This could be as simple as eating at a new restaurant or
taking a new route to work. Dont confine yourself. Go explore.
Clarity and positivity
It is much easier to be negative about something than it is to be positive. If you dont understand something or you find it
unusual, its easy to write it off as being useless or dumb. Only when you truly understand something will you be able to
appreciate it. Human beings tend to be more positive towards the things they understand. Curiosity naturally broadens a
persons horizons and thus their understanding of the things around them.
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One Response to Is curiosity a cousin of creativity?
Rahul Sinha Says:
September 10, 2008 at 3:28 pm | Reply
I am with Mr S Wasu, It ihas been curiosity which has led to most discoveries and invention. I have spent time with the
roadside cobbler to know how he fixes those chappals and shoes, the chef at the hotel or Dhaba, the the ease with which he
churns out the delicious spread, the fish monger and how the different types of fish are cut and cleaned, the carpet weavers
how they weave the carpet Well I get the kick in my life watching all this in awe!
Today is my first day of joining..
Thank you for including me in
Regards
Rahul Sinha
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