Collaboration is a facet of civilized society.

We build a big lake in the city. And there’s a hill in the middle of the lake, about 80 feet up out of the water. On top of the hill is a craft shop where children can build anything they want to build. But, in order to get there, you have to get in the boat and row.

Instead of lining them up and saying, “Come on. Everybody together. Forward. Backward.”, arrange the environment so you have to row in order to get to the hill. You have to climb the hill to get to the craft shop.

An automobile, or anything you build, will not go together unless four children pick up the car and the others put the wheels on. Instead of saying, “I want you people to work together. Cooperate and stop fighting!”, arrange things so that it naturally works that way.

That’s what nature does. When a baby fox sees a porcupine, it says, “What have we here? I don’t know.” It gets closer to the porcupine. Finally, it gets a quill and it stays away from the porcupine. When you raise your children, if you try to shield them from experiences which had hurt you as a child, and you buy them every toy they want, you will produce a blob of jello.

Some degree of challenge, some degree of stress, is necessary. So, we build an environment (to try to answer your question) where the elements, so arranged, have to produce what you call creativity.

