Mass Creativity: A Global Imperative©

Nov. 23, 2010 - PRLog -- Mass Creativity: A Global Imperative©
The Nobel Prize winner, T. A. M. Dirac, once expressed the hope that “sooner or later someone will find an idea that really fits and leads to a big development.” How prophetic!

A body of data nobody thought or knew existed -- a compendium of  (currently) 1,719 revealing insights into human nature, the first and only work of its kind -- yields two breakthrough discoveries in social, economic, and political thought. Their publication signals a Copernican revolution in the way we define ourselves and conduct human affairs, including, almost certainly, the rewriting of very many books.

Homo Creativus©, the term for the first discovery, is the quintessentially creative but historically overlooked human essence and, serendipitously, the logical and only solid foundation for the viable and sustainable global future that everybody wants to see. Homo Creativus© implies that the virtually taken-for-granted rational economic man (Homo Economicus) upon which most modern institutions have been built is, rather, a potential-actualizing being, driven primarily by the development and expression of one’s unique set of abilities (with economic consumption and material well-being as the means to that end).  

Global Creativity Crisis, the term for the second discovery, is the real but hitherto unnoticed and unsuspected predicament that is threatening our collective survival and the future of Planet Earth. “Global Creativity Crisis” implies that, contrary to the conventional wisdom, the modern crisis and the global predicament are not economic, social, or environmental crisis, per se. They are not separate crises, either. And they are not due to the so-called "human propensity to evil." The data that have prompted this project identifies the real crisis facing humanity as the inability of the vast majority of people to realize their creative potential (i.e., to develop and to beneficially engage their defining essence as humans) and, resultantly, the spreading “epidemic” of meaninglessness of which many psychological, social, economic, and political problems of our time are the symptoms, or facets.

Part of the “global creativity-consciousness” initiative that the author is spearheading, the six-volume Mass Creativity: A Global Imperative (in writing) is a call to action, inextricably joining all people in the single most urgent “salvage” operation humanity has ever faced: To reclaim our authentic essence as humans and our only hope of resolving the “evolution-or-extinction” predicament humanity is facing.

The following is a brief volume-by-volume synopsis of  Mass Creativity: A Global Imperative (in writing):

Volume One, "Creativity: The Essence of Human Nature," is the data that has prompted Mass Creativity. A rare global treasure and, by all indications, one of our finest and most enduring legacies to future generations of mankind, the data conclusively demonstrate: i) the inherence of creativity in human nature and, therefore, its universal distribution; ii) the centrality of creativity in human life – its primacy among the forces that drive our behavior and shape our lives; iii)  actualization of one’s creative potential as the primary goal of life and the best guarantee of meaningful existence and responsible social and ecological behavior; and iv) blockage of people’s potential as the root of the global epidemic of meaninglessness and the resultant social and psychological problems that are ruining the lives and destinies of countless millions of people around the world.

Volume Two, "The Creative Society," is a treasury of practical ideas, concepts, methods, and application tools for translating the new understanding of human nature into everyday actions. Topics in this volume include “Creative Parenting,” “Creative Aging,” “Creative Education,” “Creative Work,” “Creative Management,” “Creative Leadership,” “The Creative Individual,” and “The Creative Society.”

Volume Three, "Social Forces and Human Creativity," identifies major socio-cultural forces that, historically, have influenced the development and utilization of human potential. The focus is on those economic, social, political, and metaphysical patterns that largely determine the content and direction of the creative expressions of a people, society, or generation.

Volume Four, "Personality and Creativity," explores the social-psychological dimensions of creativity, including self-concept, attitudes, habits, values, beliefs, mental outlook, and experience. Drawing on scientific and anecdotal evidence, this volume demonstrates the tremendous but generally underestimated impact of socially acquired attributes on people’s creative functioning.  

Volume Five, "Mass Creativity and the Planetary Renaissance," is a framework for harnessing the creativity of all people to tackle the predicament the world is facing, and to build the viable and sustainable global future that everyone eagerly wants to see. “Global Creativity Marshall Plan,” the name for the advocated initiative, connotes the seriousness of the crisis as well as our survival imperative of providing and maintaining the conditions in which every person is able to develop and to beneficially engage his or her natural abilities.

Volume Six, "Anthology," is an encyclopedic compendium of over 5,000 astonishing creativity wisdom, arranged thematically.  The product of 23 years research and the only work of its kind in the world, the anthology has been compiled fresh from the writings of the world’s best known psychologists, educators, humanists, scientists, physicians, psychotherapists, metaphysicians, and some of the deepest thinkers of the ages. The vast array of illuminating insights into human nature makes the anthology an indispensable resource for successful parenting, education, leadership, management, public administration, and care-giving.

Several conditions establish the validity, or the veracity, of Homo Creativus© as the organizing principle of society and of global affairs: First, is the imperative of aligning human actions with our quintessentially creative nature, for genuine and lasting success. Second, is the authenticity and the emotional appeal of Homo Creativus© – speaking to people at the deepest level and giving voice to something that practically everybody deeply feels, deeply knows, and has always wanted to say. Third, is the resonance of Homo Creativus© with the mood of people and social movements everywhere. This is the spontaneous awakening of hundreds of millions of people around the world to their inherent worth as humans and, correspondingly, the increasing sensitivity to higher-order human needs, such as identity, authenticity, creativity, purpose, contribution to society, and personal fulfillment.  

For more information about this global initiative, please visit http://www.globalcreativitynetwork.net. To schedule an interview with Dr. Efiong Etuk,  please call 540-250-3995, or e-mail globalcreativity@verizon.net.

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Global Creativity Network is a world-wide community of concerned individuals and groups actively working to build potential-actualizing social institutions: families, classrooms, workplaces, organizations, communities, and national societies. Our three-part mission is to: i) awaken a global creativity-consciousness -- a planetary creativity ethic -- culminating in explicit recognition and affirmation of “The Right to ‘Be’ Creative” in existing and all new Charters of Humanity; ii) provide application tools for translating the new understanding of human nature into everyday parental, educational, business, political, and care-giving actions; and, iii) join all people in the most urgent task humanity has ever faced: Reclaim our lost, or dangerously atrophied, essence as humans – our creativity.