I wrote a new song. Is it creative? Is it good? I do not know. I hope so. I have been reading and watching stuff about creativity. Usually, I am reading about the subject. I think it is the central feature of humanity. We are creative by nature – funny, cool, boring, irreverent, antiquate. We are a collection of every small invention made in a daily basis.

NPR produced a nice series about the creative process. Alicia Keys spoke some words in this video. She looks pretty and very light in the interview. She talks about her creative process - she and her collection of hits. Everything seems to be very intuitive for her. But she had a strong background to develop her intuition. Alicia started playing piano as a child and soon became passionate about music. The songs seem to flow through her hands and voice, almost naturally – but of course she knows how to make a commercial, hit song. I enjoyed her answers. She looks fresh, true to herself, as she says along the words. But the creativity, the central question, the process, is still a bit cloudy. Through technique, the music is channeling messages and emotions. Flowing. But how? Where does this intuition come from?

A small report on the origins of creativity was written in Scientific American. Studies with humans and orangutans appear to indicate that innovation does not come from need. Instead, it might be more encouraged with opportunity. The argument to explain such result is that when there is an extreme need, the individual may opt for safe choices, trying something already familiar, decreasing the risk and avoid innovation. On the other hand, when the individual has some kind of security, and has the opportunity to try something new, he may, and then, creativity might arise. It is not completely conclusive, but it is still interesting. (I think need might lead to innovation too, in some cases, but the rationality of safety increasing creativity is very consistent in my view [with data support]).

Nature news and comments published last week an article entitled: is science only for the rich? The answer seems to be an echoing yes – not only, but it certainly helps a lot. Science is a creative endeavor in the forefront of innovation in our society. To be in a safe and stable environment aids the development of new ideas and concepts, and, especially, of trying to pursue such a career.

By digging deeper, such rationality - safety linked to creativity - might lead us to think about a social security society. Where the citizens can explore freely their potentials and gifts, being creators and innovators. By diminishing the anxieties and fears, and helping them to develop this key human trait: creativity. I do not really know how we became such an inventive species, but perhaps a combination of need and opportunity might have helped us to develop such amazing ability. Perhaps the social groups were more stable, the habitat and caves, giving opportunity to generate safe creations and strategies – like fire for example. [-- Anyway, this is pure speculation].

Still, I may say with certain confidence that Alicia’s hits started to be written in the cave walls a long time ago - the truly background for her intuition to come out.