In August 2007, an interdisciplinary group of scholars and practitioners met at the Lemelson Archives on the shore of Lake Tahoe to examine the relationship between physical spaces and creativity. What is it about a particular place that excites a creative mind and makes it a “place of invention?” How do creative people shape the spaces in which they work? What combinations of elements make one place a hotbed of innovation while a similar place may founder? These questions and many more were discussed at the first Lemelson Institute through case studies of creative people, new and existing spaces, and innovative regions.
The Goals of the Institute:
- Engage scholars and practitioners in an interdisciplinary examination of the relationship among inventive spaces, inventors, and creative activity
- Offer participants new perspectives on the subject, based on their interaction with those from other disciplines
- Produce a written report of the Institute’s findings and seek to publish the findings in an influential journal or magazine
- Inform the Lemelson Center’s exhibition and documentation efforts on the topic of “Places of Invention”
The findings of the Institute offer insight into the qualities of physical space that are conducive to innovation; the ways that creative people shape the spaces in which they work; and common creative features among places ranging from the garages and basements of independent inventors to academic or government laboratories to regions and cyberspace.
Summary of Findings:
- Places of invention that “work” share some common features, including flexibility, understated leadership, good communication, and a balance between individual and collaborative work.
- Similarly, individuals working in creative spaces exhibit some common desires and tensions. Freedom in work style and the personal control of space, including how it is arranged and how it is planned and unplanned, are important to creative people. An element of chaos is a good thing.
- Communities, whether large or small, play an important role in shaping places of invention. Even the quintessential “lone inventor” is part of one or more groups and communities. Conversely, most creative groups have a leader, that charismatic person around whom teams form. Inventors and the many communities of which they are a part are affected by their social and intellectual networks, by changing forms of communication, and by the patent system. But trying to create a new community of invention by replicating a successful model seldom succeeds.
- The idea of “flow” or continuity is an actor throughout the history of invention. One of the most striking examples of this is the fact that places of invention, whether they are institutions or regions, have a documented lifespan. The prevalent use of analogy by inventors to link ideas across disciplines also highlights the importance of flow to an inventor’s work.
Circular image above: Exploring the Lake Tahoe landscape during the Lemelson Institute. © Smithsonian Institution