Where does innovation come from?

I have been thinking a lot about the creative process lately. About how important it is for me to not go through it alone, how I flourish in a team environment where like-minded people are pushing toward a common goal.  This is why I love directing a troupe--not just because I prefer dancing synchronously with others and the aesthetics of group performance, but because I prefer the process of creation more when I share it with others. Even now when I am not myself performing, directing my student troupe, sharing our ideas and combining all of our energies to create a performance is such a joy.

This attitude is what makes online discussions such a valuable part of my creative evolutionary process as an artist.  I feel that engaging in discussion/debate with others--comparing and contrasting my instincts and opinions with others of various backgrounds--strengthens my mental and emotional impulses.  I am better as an individual because I become a combination of ideas and considerations introduced by others. Being challenged by someone who doesn't share my vision is an opportunity to expand the scope of my understanding, and better hone in on the "how & why" of my own tendencies or opinions.

And it is also why I love to teach workshops and get to travel to bellydance events in other parts of the world.  Being able to teach, to share my ideas, and in return be exposed to so many other attitudes and ideas is so invigorating to me!  To sit over a meal and a glass of wine and geek out over dance stuff is my idea of a perfect evening.  Combine that with some performances, workshops, and lots of laughter, and I come away from it inspired and refreshed.

I recently watched a TEDTalk with Steven Johnson, exploring the idea of "Where good ideas come from."  What he talks about really reinforced my own experience with the creative process, and how important these words are in my life: connect, communicate, commiserate, community. Below are some quotes I felt particularly moved by, and the full TEDTalk is below that.

On the importance of communication

The last six months has really given me a lot of time to reflect on the importance of communication, and it has been reiterated in the last month with various important discussions I have been a part of.  What we say, how we say it, when we say it, why we say it, and even who we say it to...there is a delicate combination of each of these considerations that makes for successful communication.

My preferred mode of communication is the written word. It has always been the case for me that I feel I can best consider each of these variables when trying to express my thoughts and feelings to others through writing. Even before the internet and e-mail, I preferred writing notes and letters to friends and family to express important thoughts, because it was easier and more natural for me.  I find that when I talk on the phone or in person, any number of these variables cannot be fully honored--the way things are said and the "when" of what is said is dependent on the timing of the opportunity to connect in real-time with someone.  Some days I just don't feel that eloquent. Most days I feel like, when it comes to really important communications, I can't think it all the way through, and say everything I want to say, and I leave the conversation with words roiling in my mind for hours or even days following, dredging all the things I wish I had thought to say at the time.  With writing, I can pick the time and I can carefully pick my words. I have time to consider why I am saying what I am trying to say, and how I want to express it.