Is creativity the sole invention or product of one individual or does collaboration pay an pivotal part in the process?

The original Pontchartrain Hotel bar

Recently on a local Detroit radio station, reporter John McElroy reminisced about the old Pontchartrain Hotel’s bar located in downtown Detroit. He remarked how the automotive innovators of the time like Henry Ford would frequent the famous “Pontch” bar, not to drink – but to create. Ideas were exchanged.

In 1970, the Detroit News reported “the Pontch was the meeting place for the men who made motors hum—magnates and financiers, crackpots and geniuses, salesmen and go-getters.”

At the end of this news story, McElroy wished there were these same venues today for the great inventors to come together, network, do businesses dealing and most of all – become creative. He said that only true collaboration will spark creativity. It was this last comment that made we think about this blog entry and opened the door to some questions.

Do you agree with McElroy? Can we create better “something” as a team as supposed to on our own? Can an argument could be made for either side? Solo artists such as  Van Gogh, and Picasso, Henry Ford and Thomas Edison worked alone – right? When you delve deeper into an artists life, you will always find that somewhere along the way – they had help.

Dr. Ernesto Siroli

A friend of mine, Dr. Ernesto Sirolli  has often said that entrepreneurs that were successful never accomplished their goals alone. The example he used – Henry Ford. If it were up to Henry Ford, we may never have seen the Model T vehicle because as an inventor, Ford spent too much time trying to perfect the car. If not for someone on his team telling him to stop and release the vehicle, who knows how history would have been written. Dr. Sirolli makes a great argument for a team effort in creativity and accomplishing great collaborations.

How do you create? What methods work best for you when you are developing a project?