Here’s a lovely little talk by John Cleese on the subject of creativity. While watching it I was struck that many of Cleese’s points applied equally well to the sort of problem solving we think of as central to critical thinking. Readers of RAIL may recall earlier discussions of this topic that can be found here and here about the (supposed) distinction between the two. This video extends those discussions nicely.
No matter where one comes down on the question of the relationship between critical and creative thinking, there are some interesting suggestions here. Of particular interest should be his remarks on space, time, quiet, and humor–all of which (though I think the last especially) are in increasingly short supply. Some of the psychology is a little dated (the video was shot in the 1980’s, I think), but the advice is still interesting and worthy of consideration.
Enjoy!
The end is worth hanging on for, as it affords a political edge to the talk.
RAIL 
It makes me think of my students—and us. The last several generations of Americans have been taught that running around like a headless chicken every minute of the day is “productive”. When I first entered grad school, I couldn’t understand why no one would give me any time to THINK. I’ve long wondered how it is people don’t notice that the hectic demands on academics dramatically reduce the creativity (and quality) of their research.
Outstanding video. Thanks for posting!
Glad you enjoyed it! The video struck a chord with me for many of the same reasons. Cheers!