Alan Lightman Case

When most people think of science, they may think of numbers, facts, and definitive answers and theories with very little to no place for abstraction. Alan Lightman, on the other hand, does not subscribe to the stereotype of science as an objective, narrow-minded form of study. In his essay, "The Art of Science," he claims that science is analogous to art, in that scientists carry the sense of freedom and expression that artists have. He describes his own experiences as a scientist and an artist to show the similarities in their creative processes. In both processes, he spends an extensive amount of time struggling with a problem, followed by a "luscious instant when an idea, or an insight, or an unorthodox understanding, suddenly gels" (452). He refers to this sudden realization, an instantaneous mind shift, as the "creative moment" (452). The creative moment provides Lightman with the solution to his problem, accelerating and easing the rest of his creative process. But where exactly does creativity derive from? Throughout the essay, Lightman describes his creative experiences in detail, in an effort to find the source of creativity. For him, creative moments arise suddenly after a plateau of struggle, and appear as a "stunning surprise" (451).

These creative moments are random and unexpected, making it difficult to point to their origin. Due to their lack of context, Lightman proposes that "being desperately stuck is apparently one of the best goads to creativity" (453), suggesting that a period of confusion and self-doubt synthesizes these random, unexpected, creative moments. But is struggle necessary for creativity? And what is it about struggle that produces creativity?

If science parallels art, as Lightman claims, perhaps we can gain insight to creativity by studying the role of an artist. In his essay "Steps Toward a Small Theory of the Visible," John Berger claims that