Notions about creativity: one must take time to explore beneath the surface of people and situations, to not settle for obvious conclusions, to be willing to go against the grain, to proceed inductively, to let the mind wander and engage in free association, and finally, to take creative work seriously, regardless of whether it is valued by many others, or monetarily compensated.

It is important to go with the creative flow, because movement forward comes in fits and starts. It is a process not completely within our conscious control.

Yes, of course, pure cognition plays a central role, but so does intuition.

Yesterday a Native American friend found a Blue Jay feather in our driveway and gave it to us. In Native American thought, the Blue Jay symbolizes many qualities and characteristics, but one of them, "double insight," is of particular interest to me. "Double insight" suggests to me taking a second look, combined with looking deeper into a person or situation. I think that the concept of "double insight" is related to key aspects of the creative process.

The finding of the feather serves, too, as a reminder that for the creative process to be advanced, one must be open to the phenomenon of "serendipidity," or discovery by chance.

What I want to call "opportunity for cultural interface" also plays a key role as a generator of the creative process. Our developing bond with Krista, our Native American friend, motivated me to research the significance of the feather of the Blue Jay," and suggested new avenues of exploration, including my motivation to extend this piece of writing.