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Foreword: Fruits of originality
Foreword Fruits of originality When we asked The Lancet team to suggest their ideas for the topic of this year’s special issue, we were surprised by the variety and imagination in the range of suggestions. How could we make a decision with so many good options? However, the answer suddenly became clear; the very diversity simply displayed the creativity that surrounds medicine. So, the title Medicine and Creativity suggested itself. Albert Einstein stated his belief that “All religions, arts, and sciences are branches of the same tree. All these aspirations are directed toward ennobling man’s life, lifting it from the sphere of mere physical existence, and leading the individual towards freedom.” Creativity could be thought of as the root of such a tree; and it has many branches. The creativity of some scientists and clinicians leads to astonishing research breakthroughs.
www.thelancet.com Medicine and Creativity Vol 368 December 2006
Another branch is the ingenuity needed to achieve good medical outcomes in conditions of adversity or lack of resources. Many physicians and others in health care are creative in other fields—philosophy, poetry, art, music, literature, comedy. How many times has science fiction become fact in due course? And then there is the creativity of patients; and also the use of the arts—theatre, drawing, music—in health promotion, education, and even therapy. We think this collection of essays, features, profiles, and even a scene from a play reflect creativity in all its senses. We thank all the authors; without their contributions this special issue would not have been possible. The philosopher John Stuart Mill said that “All good things which exist are the fruits of originality.” We believe the contents of this supplement are too. We hope you agree. ■ The Lancet
Lancet 2006; 368: S1–S2
S1
By permission of the Syndics of Cambridge University Library
The printed journal includes an image merely for illustration
Diagram of the brain c 1300 Illumination on parchment. University Library, Cambridge. The system of five cells, or ventricles, drawn in a Cambridge diagram of the early fourteenth century presents the scheme of brain by the influential Arab philosopher Avicenna. The five cells are the common sense, the imagination, the judging, the second imagination (composing and combining images), and the memory.
S2
www.thelancet.com Medicine and Creativity Vol 368 December 2006
www.thelancet.com Medicine and Creativity Vol 368 December 2006
Another branch is the ingenuity needed to achieve good medical outcomes in conditions of adversity or lack of resources. Many physicians and others in health care are creative in other fields—philosophy, poetry, art, music, literature, comedy. How many times has science fiction become fact in due course? And then there is the creativity of patients; and also the use of the arts—theatre, drawing, music—in health promotion, education, and even therapy. We think this collection of essays, features, profiles, and even a scene from a play reflect creativity in all its senses. We thank all the authors; without their contributions this special issue would not have been possible. The philosopher John Stuart Mill said that “All good things which exist are the fruits of originality.” We believe the contents of this supplement are too. We hope you agree. ■ The Lancet
Lancet 2006; 368: S1–S2
S1
By permission of the Syndics of Cambridge University Library
The printed journal includes an image merely for illustration
Diagram of the brain c 1300 Illumination on parchment. University Library, Cambridge. The system of five cells, or ventricles, drawn in a Cambridge diagram of the early fourteenth century presents the scheme of brain by the influential Arab philosopher Avicenna. The five cells are the common sense, the imagination, the judging, the second imagination (composing and combining images), and the memory.
S2
www.thelancet.com Medicine and Creativity Vol 368 December 2006