Unleashing Creativity

Dr. Achuthshankar Nair
Hon. Director, Centre for Bioinformatics University of Kerala.
29-Jan-2009

Can creativity be taught? Can it even be defined? Well! Nobody seems to know. Dr. Nair gave the students of ASB an opportunity to feel and experience it instead of attempting to explain it.

To unleash the creativity of the class, he asked them to list three uses for a ‘pen’. The list was then increased to five, ten and so on. Nobody would have otherwise thought of any creative use to such a mundane thing as pen. But still the thinking was restricted to the shape of the pen and the ways it is used. All were satisfied with creativity centered on a single pen, when somebody thought differently and wanted to use two pens as chopsticks. A single idea broadened the horizon of potentials to unfathomable limits. Dr. Nair had unleashed creativity in the class.

Dr. Nair explained that many a time, individuals restrict their thinking to conventional and tried out methods and processes as they are safe havens. The other reason could be the fact that creativity has often been ridiculed. Creative people are thought to be crazy people and often the words ‘crazy’ and ‘creativity’ are inextricably linked.

Creativity is not just a domain of artists but a power of expression for anybody and everybody. Irrespective of age and position, one can be creative in whatever is done, exploring novel ways of doing things. It could be as simple a task as to using the space at home and office or a complete redesigning of the building. It is a remedy for boredom and monotony. But above all, it brings to light the hidden thoughts, a sense of accomplishment for the creator and joy to the beholder.

When asked about the most creative thing he had done so far, he replied,” teaching”.

Speaker: Dr.Achuthsankar S Nair is currently the Head of Bioinformatics, University of Kerala. He has taught in various engineering colleges in India and abroad. He was the chairman of centre for development and imaging technology(C-DIT). In 2006 he was a visiting Professor in theUniversity of Seoul, Korea. From 2007 onward he has been a member of Executive committee of higher education council, Government of Kerala and also a syndicate member of Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT). He has authored 10 popular books on IT in Malayalam including one on the internet in 1996 and one on free software in 2002. He has a modest number of research publications.