Creatively Aging

David Galenson writes that “many innovations spring not from their creators’ innate talent, but from their years of accumulated knowledge” (in “5 Myths about Art, Age and Genius”). That makes Galenson an advocate of creative aging in many ways since he contrasts, favorably I might add, the work of young geniuses and old masters. It seems he is thinking along the lines of Gene Cohen and his definition of creativity:

Creative Expression=(Mass of Knowledge)(Internal Life Experience*External Life Experience)

And for those of us who don’t remember algebra, Cohen explains:

When we look at all the elements and influences regarding creativity, what seems to matter most are sufficient knowledge or mastery of an area; motivation and perspiration or the willingness to do; some intangible that are part of the human condition, such as intuition and insight; and the capacity to be inspired (The Creative Age, page 38).

So Galenson’s comment “keep that in mind when you head to an art museum” may be true in even more ways than he knows.