I really loved the classic book on happiness: Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi so decided to follow it up by reading two of his other works: Good Work by Howard Gardner, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi and William Damon and Creativity: The psychology of discovery and invention. The former focuses on what it means to do ‘good work’ in professional realms that are changing, whilst the latter examines what we really mean by creativity.

Good Work examines work within journalism and genetics. It’s really interesting seeing the theory of flow being applied in detailed examinations of fields going through big changes and to see how those working in them deal with ethical and moral dilemmas. As a researcher by trade, I really enjoyed the in-depth immersion you get from reading a book written about a major research project. It took me back to PhD days and slightly made me want to spend a year in academia doing something similar.

Creativity has a definition of creativity that’s pretty similar to the way innovation is defined – as any act, idea or product that changes an existing domain, or that transforms an existing domain into a new one. It had some great insights, reminding us of the peril of believing that things that can be measured are real, whilst those that we don’t know how to measure can be ignored.

I most enjoyed the section examining the creative personality and was fascinated by the 10 pairs of apparently antithetical traits:

1. Having a great deal of physical energy but quite often being quiet and at rest
2. Being smart and yet naive
3. Combining playfulness and discipline
4. Alternating between imagination and a rooted sense of reality
5. Being both extrovert and introvert
6. Being both humble and proud
7. Having both ‘masculine’ and ‘feminine’ traits
8. Being traditional (respectful of a domain) and rebellious
9. Being passionate and yet objective
10. Simultaneously suffering and experiencing enjoyment

I found chapters on the domains of creativity less interesting, and the chapter on how to enhance personal creativity was done better in Flow I felt. However, the section on how creativity differs in the different stages of life was great. The human stories told throughout also really brought the concepts to life. I was particularly struck by the fact that a lasting and secure relationship was found to be the best safeguard of the peace of mind that creative people need to focus on their creative pursuit.

If you’re interested in how to have a meaningful work life and how to bring the best out of creative people, I’d recommend these.