Neuroscience and Iconoclasts- Seeing and Altering Reality
As a glass collector and CEO of a neuroscience company, I was challenge by and enjoyed reading Iconoclast by Gregory Berns. He highlights how a combination of environmental factors changed the inputs to Dale Chihuly’s perception of the world around him, changing his approach to creating art. The book has a number of other examples of the positive power of neuroplasticity that changed the way many of the individuals used as examples in the book processed the information the received across business, academia, sports and the arts. Berns also points out that looking at a problem differently and acting on that different view set up conflicts with more conventional views and starts the book with a harrowing story of the rise and subsequent fall of Howard Armstrong.
The entire book sets up a tension between perception, its role in innovation, and the challenges (many of which are self-inflicted) any inventor must overcome to turn an invention (a new idea) into an innovation (making an impact on the world from an invention). I wrote about invention vs. innovation earlier this year but this book opened a new area for me about the ability to shape the brain’s approach to fear of failure.
I worked with an individual who was fond of saying, “Believe it and you will see it.” That approach to life does alter the perception of what is possible that can lead to invention. The next key is to frame that invention in a way that others can follow you and reshape their beliefs.
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Posted: Neuroscience, Odds and Ends
Posit Science's corporate blog is the place where our employees share their thoughts about Posit Science and its products, brain fitness, breakthroughs in neuroscience, and any other topic they find interesting and relevant. 
August 24th, 2010 at 11:08 am
Steve, Chihulyi is one of my fav artists — found the appreciation in my undergrad stain glass classes at UCLA — one of my starting points for thinking about the neuroscience of creativity!
If there is anyone who shows the daring of innovation and mastery of skill in the arts, Chihulyi is right up there with the best of them!
Thanks for the book suggestion!
Doc Gee!