Apr 24, 2001

We should not box in creativity

I READ with interest about the latest drive to make Singapore an innovative nation.

I always wonder why my country seems to view innovation and creativity in purely economic terms.

It can be argued that one cannot seek to encourage creativity and then compartmentalise it.

Creativity is something which permeates every aspect of an individual's world view.

Thus, a person who is encouraged to think out of the box may well find rigid structures, whether political or social,too much of a confine-ment.

My point is that in this drive towards innovation, we should recognise that creativity must be viewed as more than just economic creativity.

It would be foolish to think there was a way to restrict Singaporeans' creativity to the purely economic sphere.

While I applaud the recent government drive, I would also like to see it address the other aspects of creativity, including those that relate to the political arena.

KELVIN TAN TUAN WEI

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