Betty Edwards: Brain hemispheres & creativity (October 12, 1988)

During the first hour of the lecture Edwards will explain the research gathered in her first book about brain hemisphere function. In her research she pays close attention to ways to improve creative problem solving. She explains the difference between L-mode and R-mode of the brain hemispheres; this is the fundamental basis of her theory. Edwards explains the psychiatrist’s Arieti theory about the negative aspect of creativity. Arieti believes that the individual being alone, letting the mind wonder, being gullible and child traumas help creativity.Betty Edwards performs the exercise of the face pattern with the audience, explaining the conflict that sometimes occurs between the L-mode, and the R-mode of the brain. Edwards discusses the work done with her students, and shows how students improve their drawing skills by improving their perception skills. She points out that they do not teach drawing skills; they teach “how to see”. Edwards describes in detail the skills they teach.During this part of the lecture Edwards explains the different strategies to set L-mode aside and see different problems, improving this way creative solving problem. She describes in detail some uses of heuristics of seeing in business problem solving.Edwards describes in detail the five stages of creativity: Questioning, Saturation, Incubation, “Ah-ha” and Verification. Edwards recalls that they discovered the Questioning stage, and that it is the stage they work with.

Edwards performs creativity exercises with the audience until the end of the lecture.