Two-Factor Imagination Scale

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16 Jul 2012, 7:17 am

Tuttle wrote:

People can argue about imagination all they want, some of us aren't imaginative.

22. Except that feels too high. Despite it being the minimum score.

It also needs to be noted that if I try to imagine something I'll usually fail, and that I can only remember doing the not by my own initiation, more fantasizing type once in my memory.

I got a 26, and I actually worked in a creative field. I appreciate the distinction in the test between directed and spontaneous as opposed to the presence and absence, but I don't know if I actually have a good imagination or if I just think I do because it's one of those things I was frequently told while growing up. My creative process tends to be fairly logical and methodical without much "inspiration" to drive it.

Tuttle
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16 Jul 2012, 11:09 am

Verdandi wrote:

Tuttle wrote:

Yeah, I appreciate the difference too. I think its a really important distinction to make. I'm in a really weird spot with a lot of these because I am weak at being creative, but not nearly as weak as imaginative. And I don't know how to explain the difference in my mind :-/, but its more than directed/spontaneous.

faerie_queene87
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16 Jul 2012, 12:12 pm

Verdandi wrote:

faerie_queene87 wrote:

I honestly don't understand the meaning of the questions.

How do I distinguish between "spontaneous" and "directed" imagination?

Spontaneous is when it happens on its own. Directed is when you are deliberately trying to imagine something.

Can you (or anyone) provide an example of imagination happening on its own vs. directing it? Eg. a scene of people doing things, or picturing a landscape in the mind.

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RazorEddie
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16 Jul 2012, 2:20 pm

faerie_queene87 wrote:

Can you (or anyone) provide an example of imagination happening on its own vs. directing it? Eg. a scene of people doing things, or picturing a landscape in the mind.

If you are daydreaming and you just let your mind wander, that is spontaneous imagination. Another example would be if you meet someone with a squeaky voice and you suddenly have a vision of Mickey Mouse talking to you.

Directed imagination is more controlled. For example if you plan to do something difficult and run through it first in your mind you are using directed imagination. Coming up with the mickey mouse example was also directed imagination. I had a specific goal in mind.

I used to know an artist and he used both in different situations. Sometimes he would have an idea planned out in his head and create it. That was using mainly directed imagination. Sometimes he would pick up a piece of wood and carve it into some fantastic creature. When I asked him how he got the idea for the creature he would say it was in there all the time, he just let it out. The flow of the grain and particular characteristics of the wood triggered his spontaneous imagination.

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faerie_queene87
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16 Jul 2012, 4:58 pm

RazorEddie wrote:

faerie_queene87 wrote:

Can you (or anyone) provide an example of imagination happening on its own vs. directing it? Eg. a scene of people doing things, or picturing a landscape in the mind.

Thank you! You made it clear enough for me to allow me to take the test.

I got 28...

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16 Jul 2012, 9:48 pm

Verdandi
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16 Jul 2012, 10:03 pm

Tuttle wrote:

Your explanation makes sense although I am unclear on the distinction you're making between creative and imaginative - but you already said it's hard to explain.

RazorEddie wrote:

I used to know an artist and he used both in different situations. Sometimes he would have an idea planned out in his head and create it. That was using mainly directed imagination. Sometimes he would pick up a piece of wood and carve it into some fantastic creature. When I asked him how he got the idea for the creature he would say it was in there all the time, he just let it out. The flow of the grain and particular characteristics of the wood triggered his spontaneous imagination.

So wait, when people make comments like that (I think Michelangelo made a similar comment about David*), they actually literally mean it? I always thought they were just being clever about their own talent.

* Michelangelo said something like this: "I just chipped away the parts that weren't David."

Googling for that actual quote actually brought this up:

Quote:

The trippy thing is that when I let go and started painting, at some point it's as if the painting became alive and beckoned me to paint it a certain way. I know it sounds crazy, but it's as if the painting already exists and I just need to keep applying paint onto it to bring the painting out. I remember reading a quote from Michelangelo about how he created David. He said something like, I just chipped away the parts that weren't David. And that's how it felt for me, but instead of chipping away parts I was painting on parts. It's a different kind of creation and it was fascinating stumbling onto it.

My mind is blown.

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16 Jul 2012, 10:40 pm

Tracker wrote:

That is the same 2 questions repeated over and over with just different words..

Do you imagine often, and are your imaginings expected or unexpected.

Why in the world did the guy make 22 questions out of that?

I was thinking that too. I got the lowest possible score, because I answered them all the same way, because they were essentially the same two questions.

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17 Jul 2012, 3:03 am

Verdandi wrote:

Yes. They just seem to let go and just let their minds drift. I'm afraid I am very poor at spontaneous imagination. To be honest I am not very good at directed imagination either. If I remember correctly I scored 24 on the TFIS.

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17 Jul 2012, 3:27 am

RazorEddie wrote:

Okay, I admit, I am kind of jealous of that ability. But I'm accustomed to my own creative process, so it's not actually that bad for me, I think.

I kind of wonder if I am actually not as creative as I think I am, as I feel like the past few years I've been mostly recycling ideas I am already familiar with. Not that I'm doing any work for pay, either. But again, I'm used to it, and I do seem to have some good ideas.

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17 Jul 2012, 3:41 am

50. Proportionate.
I'm sure I would have scored higher on spontaneous imagination 10 years ago. Since undertaking tertiary and postgraduate training in music composition, I've been trained/had a lot of practice in the controlled use of creativity.

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17 Jul 2012, 4:19 am

Verdandi wrote:

I kind of wonder if I am actually not as creative as I think I am, as I feel like the past few years I've been mostly recycling ideas I am already familiar with. Not that I'm doing any work for pay, either. But again, I'm used to it, and I do seem to have some good ideas.

Creativity is not totally dependent on imagination. I consider myself to be quite creative though my creativity tends to be more a step by step process rather than intuitive leaps. In my case it is also in software and engineering rather than art.

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17 Jul 2012, 4:27 am

RazorEddie wrote:

Verdandi wrote:

Please define difference between creativity and imagination?

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17 Jul 2012, 12:19 pm

Verdandi wrote:

Please define difference between creativity and imagination?

Wikipedia wrote:

Creativity refers to the invention or origination of any new thing (a product, solution, artwork, literary work, joke, etc.) that has value. "New" may refer to the individual creator or the society or domain within which novelty occurs. "Valuable", similarly, may be defined in a variety of ways.

Creativity is the ability to create, not the method you use to do so. The Wikipedia article goes into considerable detail but basically you use a mix of directed imagination and spontaneous imagination to come up with possibilities. You then find the best results and repeat as needed. Some people will rely more on spontaneous imagination to come up with intuitive leaps while others will use a more directed approach, making small steps until they reach a solution.

Hmm, having thought about that a bit perhaps you do need some imagination to be creative. However if you don't have a lot of imagination you can still create something novel or unusual simply by working in small steps.

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17 Jul 2012, 3:57 pm

There's something I'm missing here.

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17 Jul 2012, 5:49 pm

RazorEddie wrote:

Verdandi wrote:

Please define difference between creativity and imagination?

Wikipedia wrote:

You know, it's just as wrong if not more wrong to say someone is unimaginative due to less spontaneous imagination as to say someone is uncreative because they are less imaginative.

I'm definately have a spontaneous imagination, but I'm not sure how strong it is. I haven't taken the test as it appears it doesn't automatically calculate the score, and I have a strong dislike of subjective tests, this one is even more subjective than most. All I know is that I'm a lot more imaginative than I am creative.

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