Informality and Creativity
Here at the Salon - we try not to take ourselves too seriously. We've found that informality and a relaxed setting gives Saloners a chance to be open and authentic, and produce stellar conversations. Like all great ideas, someone came up with this much before we did.
A letter from Isaac Asimov, called "How Do People Get New Ideas", describes the science fiction writer's thoughts on creating nourishing intellectual environments. Written in 1959, it seems to describe our favorite weekly session to the letter.
The importance of joviality, informality and levity:
For best purposes, there should be a feeling of informality. Joviality, the use of first names, joking, relaxed kidding are, I think, of the essence, not in themselves, but because they encourage a willingness to be involved in the folly of creativeness. For this purpose I think a meeting in someone’s home or over a dinner table at some restaurant is perhaps more useful than one in a conference room.
Asimov also discusses the tension between isolation and community. While creative, original thought might happen more when you are by yourself, the cross-pollination of cerebration events encourages new connections to be formed.
On ideation and cerebration:
No two people exactly duplicate each other’s mental stores of items. One person may know A and not B, another may know B and not A, and either knowing A and B, both may get the idea, though not necessarily at once or even soon.
It seems to me then that the purpose of cerebration sessions is not to think up new ideas but to educate the participants in facts and fact-combinations, in theories and vagrant thoughts.
When you enter the professional world, you are encouraged to smooth over your individuality with the veneer of professionalism. While this might make for blander and safer interactions with one's colleagues, it can slowly creep into the places where you think. The Salon is a place where we encourage you to rip that vanilla white off the walls, and show us your true self underneath.
To more theories and vagrant thoughts!
