Creativity And Environment

The Sahitya Akademi, Government of India conducted a National Seminar on 26, 27 and 28 February 1985 in Delhi.

- N. Krishnamoorti

1. Introduction: The theme was “Creativity and Environment”. The proceedings were published in the form of a book edited by Shri Vidya Niwas Misra. It starts with the statement: “Creation is an act of intervention in the void and is impelled by a compulsion to come out of one’s shell at the risk of one’s partial or total annihilation”. The book is divided into three parts 1. Tradition Recalled 2. Environment bearing upon creative imagination and 3. Complexities of modern life - A challenge to the writer.

The present article tries to list the key concepts presented in the Seminar/ Book.

2. The Stand point of historian of culture :

Dr. Graciela de la Lama, the Mexican Ambassador to India talks about creativity and its relationship with natural, social, political and cultural environments. The way these environments allow, generate or preclude the creative capacity of human beings concerns all creative people. The ways in which the natural environment has been reflected in the literature, music, visual arts as well in the sciences and in philosophy have been well studied. The external environment of the creative genius has been studied well; the internal environment of creature person is more precious and complicated. The Indian seers and sages have sought refuge in this vast internal environment and were sometimes even deliberately oblivious of the external phenomena.

The most creative and valuable thoughts of Gandhiji emerged from the rural environment. That environment made him think in terms of the smallest man whose needs were to be satisfied by evolving new methods brought in from outside his sphere. The rural aspect of India fascinated Gandhiji. It was also a part of his basic creative approach towards India’s overall development without losing contact with its roots.