CARDS - Comments

Serendipity is how I landed up in one of the completely different courses of EPGP! Being a placement committee member, I was in a meeting with CDS and when the meeting finished, I realized that I had kept my bag in the classroom. I came back only to find that the CARDS class had started. I wanted to quietly sneak-in, pick my bag up and sneak back out. With this intention, I sneaked in. But guess what, I could not find my bag where I left it, someone had shifted it. It looked odd to come in the middle of a class, rummage for the bag (and disturb the class in the process) and then leave. So, I decided to wait it out. For the first few minutes I started thinking about other things that had to be done. Then the professor’s enthusiasm and passion for what he was teaching got my attention. I was surprised when I realized that he was teaching how multiple dimensions are used in art, in images, in videos and how dimensions add complexity to what is being conveyed and in the process, reveal more information and inhibit the brain’s creativity and imagination! This was a completely new way to look at things! I was hooked – and I sat through the class, attended the next class as well and ended up taking the course.

Partha Sarathi Mukhopadhyay

EPGP 2013-14, IIMB

 

 

I always wanted to thank you once for such as wonderful journey through the CARDS course and wanted to jot down a few words regarding my experience in the CARDS classroom sessions and how I felt lot more enriched after this course.

 Creativity has always been an interesting component which excited me and this course made me feel immensely contended that I had made the right decision in choosing this course. It was amazing to see the meticulous planning from your side in identifying the right content for each classroom session based on your extensive research and expertise of more than 40 years. 

It has been a very refreshing journey for ALL of us in the class and it not only helped us understand the varied aspects of creativity across visual and aural domains but also helped appreciate the aspects such as how temporal contrast can be applied effectively to improve the impact of a situation or music, how sylvette can be leveraged to improve the contrast of a situation, how creativity can be embedded into humor in an unconventional manner, the bi-associations etc. In addition, I would not have, otherwise, realized the importance and impact that silence could have in various situations. The sessions around leveraging Escher’s art forms to draw metaphorical connections between music and drawings have been phenomenal.

I personally believe that but for your strong passion and eagerness to share your understanding with the class, this course could not have been so impressive and beneficial. Last but not the least, the Bose audio system you brought in for each class was simply superb and was a great complementary tool in the process.

With this enhanced understanding, we are now able to correlate many creative aspects around us be it in advertisements, music, songs, documentaries or movies.

There were multiple instances in which we (including other classmates) would make an observation or two on how you would have highlighted the nuances of silence, temporal contrast, silhouette, etc. on our observations !!!

Thank you Sir, once again. You definitely made a HUGE difference in the way we observe things around us.

Ramkumar JHS

EPGP 2013-14, IIMB

 

I was going through some of our class notes recently and could appreciate many good things we learned during the course of sessions.

 

I really liked the way you taught us to appreciate meanings and beauty in artistic creations by some great artists. Further, CARDS was not limited to only one or two streams of arts, but covers wide range of subjects from music to mathematics. Some of the songs you showed us during the classes must have been seen by me may be hundreds of times. But the way you identified the finer elements of lights, camera movements matching with music and rhythms, editing, etc.  showed the same songs in new light. My ability to enjoy such elements of arts has really gone up post your classes.

 

I could never imagine mathematics could be so interesting while going through routine boring algebraic equations and trigonometry. Your method of teaching coupled with personal passion, which reflects in the way you communicate, made us really look at creative elements in simple mathematical things like formula for calculating area of circle and sphere etc.

 

Finally, the learning didn’t stop at classes but continued through the exams as well. The piece of story you gave us in the exam, a masterpiece in itself, made me really enjoy my exam and also appreciate fineries in literature.

 

To put it in the least, I have developed a new way and paradigm of looking at music, films, paintings, etc. and thereby enhancing my pleasure quotient in enjoying these art forms multiple times.

 

So thank you once again sir.

Vishal Waikar

EPGP 1013-14

 

 

The course challenged me to inculcate an inclination to look beyond what is readily obvious, and out there to be seen and heard. It tested my conventional way of performing simple tasks e.g. listening to music, watching movies, reading literature, using products, and much more. In fact, it proved to be a test for almost all my senses!

There are many unique attributes to this course. The contents are beyond science and regular paradigms of management, so I felt that I was in for a treat to get this unique perspective from the professor.

It is more of a lifestyle change. The essence behind the course, if understood properly, can help create a lens in front of one’s eyes, which will give one a unique perspective into creativity and sensitize one to appreciate the good versus the bad, better versus the good, and the best versus the better of almost any and everything in life.

Puneet Arora

EPGP 2013-14

Most unique of all the courses I have studied and will probably study at IIMB - These are what my first words will be about CARDS. I will say I was blessed to study under Prof. Shekar. His excellent knowledge in the realms of music, filmography, photography, literature and other arts made the diffusion of knowledge from him to the class very easy. I can bet, no examination in the world test the real skills of your brain. Prof. Shekar's examination did. It took a lot of mind work to solve just half of the question paper.

I would recommend this course to all the students who are interested in learning something new in life that is exclusive to Prof. Shekar rather than learning things that can be easily taught through books. I wish I had more sessions to attend to.

Himanshu Joshi

EPGP 2011-12

The elective course CARDS offered by you to the EPGP 2010-11 batch has been a great learning experience. Even for someone with no background in music and other arts, this course was very relevant.

We got to learn important aspects of creativity in audio, video and literature.

As rightly said in one of the sessions...

"it's a very serious course and happens to be enjoyable as well"

I highly recommend this course to future batches as it is a unique course, not to be missed!

Priti Raj

EPGP 2010-11, IIMB

 

 

I really enjoyed the CARDS course. The concepts you taught were a real eye opener for me. It really helped me appreciate and enjoy the finer nuances in creativity. Now, I no longer listen to music or watch movies without looking for the creative aspects that you opened our eyes to. Whenever I hear a piece of music, I tend to look for those creative aspects and it is always a great experience discovering them. The course also made me think laterally, especially the design sessions. I strongly recommend the CARDS course for every student.
Vishnuprasad Gopinath Balu
EPGP-2011, IIMB

 

CARTS 2013 - Comments

Somewhere in the mad rush, I realized that I had stopped observing keenly and so wanted to take up a subject that provides me the opportunity to reflect.  It was a pleasure exploring CARTS as a subject and I loved attending the classes.

I would have never noticed the technical intricacies that go behind an work of art, in spite of being an artist myself. The way you explained the thought process behind each artwork, with utmost patience, guided the mind to pay attention in that direction.  

CARTS helped me particularly in being more conscious of my surrounding and being mindful.

Amrapali Bhowmik
PGP 2012-14, IIMB 

I am glad that I got a chance to be part of CARTS, a well designed course that will stimulate you to think beyond what you see. It makes you more conscious of our surroundings and explore the plethora of different variables related to creativity in both arts and science. There are moments when you'll be awestruck and there will be moments when you'll suddenly feel a sense of joy and excitement as there is  sense of accomplishment in being able to appreciate creativity and beauty like never before. It's like a journey where you develop deeper intimacy and connection with the beauty around you. An experience that will make you believe there is more life than what you are currently experiencing. The course is a compilation of fascinating literature, music and videos that will help you to release your creative power, which was blocked consciously or unconsciously as we grew up and let it flow naturally once again.

Harshita Mehton
PGP 2012-14, IIMB 

CARTS is that one subject in which I was on a roller coaster learning ride in each of the class. I went to every class with an enthusiasm that I now rarely associate with classes. It opened a world of interpretation and understanding of things which till now I had taken for granted. Yes, I watch movies and listen to songs. I enjoy books and laugh at jokes but then it was all very superficial. I did learn appreciating text and poems as a part of literature courses in school but never thought that the application of those ideas extend far beyond the boundaries of literary material. The unifying themes of beauty and art and how these themes transcend all boundaries is something that made the CARTS subject a wonder to behold for me. It is very interesting to note how the same themes, either as it is or with small modifications, are present across variety of artistic material and how despite these similarities the effect conjured by these art forms is so different. No one really does compare a piece of music to a joke or a beautiful picture to a cartoon. Some would even consider it a sacrilege to do so. But then is that really the case? This is what I learned to question and the answers provided by CARTS are mesmerizing. The thread of commonality that runs through these seemingly disconnected topics is that human mind responds to certain features and aspects in a positive way irrespective of how they are camouflaged & this opens up a world of opportunities for anyone looking to interact or affect another person.

Time and again, friends around me questioned the importance of such a subject in a management course. And to be frank, so did I. How is it that a music appreciation lecture will ever help me in solving a management crisis? After attending the sessions, I know that this perhaps was one of the most insightful lectures that I will ever attend. If I map each lecture to learning, most of the lecture was all about how human’s respond to different stimuli and how most of these responses or stimuli are actually well designed forms of the same underlying brain wiring that we all have. The implications can be mapped to how a product will be perceived, how an ad campaign will be received and what the consumer actually appreciates and needs.

Things like introduction of percussion in a music piece or the importance of snatches of flute in a piece teaches me that how every little part is what makes the whole so great. It taught me how little things around me are so full of beauty and it taught me the power of appreciation. In addition, the idea that with minute changes a day to day object can become a rare artifice is worth pursuing and gives us the incentive to work a little extra in making the things what they have potential to be.Most importantly I believe it has helped me in viewing surroundings and art form in my day to day life with much more respect and credence than I ever associated with these. On a philosophical level, the exercises on imagining the contents of a blurred image helped me understand that this is how life too unfolds. Things in future remain hazy but it is our present view of these blurred images that will shape them in reality.

Things that I enjoyed the most:

1. The professor’s enthusiasm was the highlight of the entire course for me because had it not been for that, I would have gone through it without being inspired myself.

2. I really enjoyed the classes on humor, because to understand how humor also has underlying science was something very new to me.

3. The essays by Tolstoy were also a great read.

Thank You Sir for a great experience!! J

Vidhi Agarwal
PGP 2012-14, IIMB

I have truly enjoyed the CARTS course as it is very different from the regular MBA curriculum. It provides you a break from the monotonous schedule and gives you a platform to appreciate the depth and creativity in different art forms. You get to know the kind of hard work an artist puts in while making a song, movie, cartoon or even a sketch. At the back end, this course might help you in subtle ways if you are interested in marketing. For example, in designing marketing campaigns, advertisements, etc. On the whole, I would say that it adds a new flavor/dimension to life, especially for someone like me, belonging to a typical engineering background. 
Samita Bansal
PGP 2012-14, IIMB 



I was one of your students in the CARTS course last term and I found the experience very good. I learned a lot about the nuances of understanding the finer details behind music, movies and literature. I was already a fan of old Hindi music, and now I feel listening to them an even more enriching experience. Never before have exams been more fun- especially the screening of the scene from Psycho, which enabled me to view it in a whole new light with the understanding of the course. I also found all the literature based classes very interesting, as well as the readings associated with them- especially the one on comedy and the excerpts from Les Miserables. I really appreciate the effort you put into the course, and count myself lucky that I got to be a part of it.
Smita Singh
PGP 2012-14, IIMB 



I would like to share my comments on the CARTS course that I had taken during my term 4.  Initially, before taking the course I had my apprehensions regarding the course since I was not well versed with any form of music but only very interested in music and other art forms. However, you made sure within 2 or 3 classes that my apprehensions were removed from the picture. 

According to me, CARTS is an excellent platform for honing one's observation skills. Before that, I never would have paid attention to the nuances that exist. All the more surprising and interesting was the theory behind those nuances which proved the enormous amount of efforts that go into making a piece right. CARTS has made me appreciate art much more than before. Without attributing a success to serendipity, I now try to understand the process behind it and how creatively a creator has used the different elements in different styles consciously. The classroom sessions were very interesting and the readings in the course were also very intriguing and different, and helped us think about art and the relationship it holds with science from different perspectives. I loved the piece by Tolstoy in particular.

 At the end of the term, the course gave me closure of having done something good for myself and was a sure shot relief from the other usual courses  :)
Abhinaya Sivanandham
PGP 2012-14, IIMB 
  

In an environment where everybody is trying to equip themselves with the knowledge and skills to create a niche for themselves in the industry, an opportunity to enroll oneself in a course like CARTS in itself is a wonder. For a someone who appreciates art like I do, it adds multiple dimensions to view, understand and recreate the art. For the aficionados of creativity, it helps in understanding the nuances of the various creations that we have grown up appreciating. Finally, the followers of science would uncover that there is a method to the madness.

Binoy Subba
PGP 2012-14, IIMB 
  

 

Comments on Keynote address "Sounds of Silence" at Mount Carmel College Psychology Festival (December 2011)

I’ve watched the film Guide countless times before and each time, while the experience may vary slightly, the overall feel that I get is the same. I’m engrossed from the beginning right through the end. I laugh, I sing along with the actors and I cry when they cry. But now, I believe that the next time I watch the movie this experience is going to change drastically thanks to Dr. Shekar, the key note speaker at our Psychology Fest.

By talking to us about the pauses and silence inherent in sound and music as well as telling us about their significance he has enabled us to use our imagination to see more than just the visual or aural stimulus that is presented to us. Even the concept of shadows inherent in sound blew my mind as it was one I had never heard of or encountered earlier, but now I find myself actively trying to discern these various qualities inherent in music that we never really think about.

His speech was an eye opener for me. It has enabled me and I’m sure each and every student and teacher present that day to imagine as well as look at the world differently and for that we are all grateful.

Rith- Psychology student at MCC

Your keynote address at our Psychology Fest on 1^st December was a new experience. When we say new, we not only mean different but something which was engaging and enriching.
The beautiful video by Yahana as she metamorphosed the sand into beautiful designs, the paintings by JMW Turner with progressing amount of decreased lighting, which came so naturally to you enraptured us all.

What was probably the best received were the audio and video clips from Guide, as the students hummed the tunes and were familiar with the film.

The multiplicity of ideas, the diverse way of looking at one singular piece of art or literature or the world in general was awesome and tremendously fascinating.  For people like me and Jayshree, respect for Sir increased even more after interacting with him, who is one of the most down to earth people we have met.

Your presentation was spot on Sir. Thank you.
Collection of comments by 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd year Psychology students

 

Comments on "Creativity - Patterns in Thinking" held at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Bangalore

It was a unique intellectual journey that I had with Prof. Shekar, when I had an opportunity to attend his sessions on “Creativity-Patterns in Thinking” conducted for research scholars at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan during August, September and October 2010. I will cherish this for a long time and hope to internalize it.

It all started with simple naive questions and reached the crescendo with demonstration of different dimensions of creativity deriving illustrations from cinema, music and painting, nicely dovetailed into one another. Professor Shekar was a performer in the class keeping us engrossed by showing the subtle aspects of creative thinking in innumerable ways, taking examples from the works of great artists - cinematographers, musicians and the like. The effects of utilizing " contrast' as a tool to stir up the imagination was the highlight.

In a nutshell, the whole course elevated our thinking, understanding and appreciation of various techniques of “Active Imagination” and this will help us in our research. Prof. Shekar’s deep understanding of various media and his keen insight into appreciation of art spanning three decades was a recipe we enjoyed throughout the course. The practical utility of such a course is immense for a researcher working in the domain of Innovation. Prof. Shekar has developed a cookbook style of presentation and has provided a tool kit for researchers.  This course in my opinion is like a fresh breath of air carrying aroma of aesthetics and is in contrast to the usually experienced dull and routine management programs taught to us hither to.
G N Viswanath

Faculty, M P Birla Institute of Management
Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Bangalore

CARTS 2012 - Comments

 

 

Thank you for offering the delightful course!

I was initially intrigued that such a different course was being offered at a B-school and opted for it, to see what was in store. The course outline looked interesting and I felt that I would be entering territories that I, deep down, had always wanted to explore but never did manage to - on account of various reasons ranging from tough luck to pure laziness. However, CARTS showed me a way to explore arts - the field of literature in which I had been interested since my childhood days (spent in the magical worlds created by the likes of Enid Blyton and J.K. Rowling) as well as the fields of music and films of which I had very little knowledge. 

I have never for a moment regretted my choice of having taken CARTS. It's literally been a joyful musical ride for me as I learnt to appreciate nuances I had never been aware of in music and I developed a strong liking towards some classic old songs which most of today's so-called numbers cannot dream of matching. Watching movies, well personally for me (except the horror movie session in which I was too scared to open my eyes), was not just a pastime as we learnt the various techniques behind their making and learnt to appreciate the creative genius of some of the best directors and cameramen. Equally wonderful and insightful were the sessions on understanding humor and identifying that it is, indeed, one of the toughest forms of art to master as well as the sessions on appreciating literature. Analyzing a cartoon film bit by bit showed us how much effort goes in, as planning as well as execution, to make people laugh and enjoy for even a few seconds. Mathematics when seen through a different lens was exciting, more so to the engineers among us who had been used to proving theorems using traditional means only.

Overall, the course has been a thoroughly enjoyable one- one that involved a lot of open-minded thinking and insightful discussions that made us take a step towards understanding the gargantuan field of arts. And, yes, who would ever say no to a course where studying for quizzes would entail watching songs on YouTube, downloading movies and reading storybooks? :)

Shilpa Suresh
PGP 2011-13, IIMB

 

CARTS, when I look back after finishing all the courses at IIMB, is one of the best courses that is being offered at IIMB. I recommend the course for two reasons a) for the unique course content and b) for the professor B. Shekar. The Course is definitely one of its kind which looks at creativity in different spheres of life.

The course begins with an Introduction to the genesis of creativity.  The recommended reading for this course is a book on creativity by David Bohm which has in-depth and very profound perspectives on creativity; it got us started with the course. I vividly remember the first question that the professor asked, “Why TV is called an Idiot Box?” and the course unfolded with a lot of questions and answers on creativity. After the introduction the professor spent few weeks on looking at creativity in Aural and Visual Media. To me, this part was the most enjoyable. Every lecture would have video clips and audio clips, and the professor would critically analyse minute details of the clips explaining the intra and inter domain metaphors and creative ingenuity of the creators and composers. After attending these lectures, watching a movie or listening to an opera was a new experience. I could appreciate the nuances of the creations much better than I could before I attended the lectures. We got introduced to the beautiful classics from Bollywood which we would not have gotten introduced to otherwise. Many clips from old Hollywood classics and animation movies are also part of the lecture. This made missing a class impossible. After studying creativity in Audio and video forms, focus shifted to drawings and paintings. Escher art was analysed from various perspectives and so were other sketches and paintings. Next in line was creativity in the realm of literature. Absorbing prose of Hugo, the eloquent writing style of Tolstoy and Chekov, and different aspects of humor were discussed in the class.

The topics handled in this course are so diverse that the final part of the course was dedicated to recognizing and appreciating creativity in Mathematics and Natural Science.

 

The big take away from this course - it broadens your perspective and makes you appreciate even the minute elements born out of a creative mind. The course introduces you to a plethora of subjects and analyses the creativity element in each of them. I found the analysis by the professor never to be superficial; it had always been in-depth and a little subjective.

 

About the professor, he is one of the friendliest professors on campus. He encourages discussion even outside classroom. His viewpoints on the various topics of creativity are unique and makes one think deeper.

Why I liked the course:

1. Entertainment + Learning 

2. Exposure to old classics in Bollywood and Hollywood

3. Introduction to creativity in numerous domains (Literature, Humour, Math, Science)

4. Exams that had audio and video clips with questions based on them.

5. The unique contents of the course

6. Professor’s Dynamism

 

Overall the course is unique and enjoyable.

Kalai Selvam KM
PGP 2011-13, IIMB

 

Truly speaking CARTS was one of the two subjects that I really enjoyed thoroughly, right from the beginning till the end of the course. The four broad areas that were touched upon were movies, music, paintings and literature; and all four had influenced me at some point in my life. Hence the course proved very interesting and on a different plane provided me with certain tools and techniques to appreciate their beauty.

The collection of music used to exemplify each aspect of the creativity was simply superb, especially the Hindi and Malayalam numbers. Though I knew a bit about painting before attending the lectures, the classes proved interesting because of the discussions with regard to the Impressionist paintings and Escher’s works. Inspired by this, I later went on to explore Impressionists’ work in depth, at Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam. Though familiar with Indian movies, I hadn't seen many English movies. The classes introduced me to the world of English movies, especially many of the classics by Hitchcock and his likes. 

To list down a  few value-adds: 1) the course provided me with a clearer picture of things that attract me - when listening to a song or watching a video. By spotting some of these elements while experiencing a creative work helps you enjoy it better. 2) An exercise which I really enjoyed was "imagining the flow of the story of a movie" by trying to predict the next scene. Listing the possibilities often helped me to think beyond the set flow of things. 3)Trying to fill a song's music (at a blank portion) was a very challenging as well as interesting exercise. 4) Learning about film editing -  linear and non-linear was a great experience. Later, this helped me enjoy a movie better.

Abraham Praveen
PGP 2011-13, IIMB

In his first lecture Prof. Shekar urged us to come to the class with an open mind devoid of any skepticism. A reflective mind is indeed a critical requirement to learn the finer aspects of this course aptly titled as Creativity in Arts and Science. Many students believe that this course is different from the regular MBA courses and focuses on creativity in Music, literature and science, which is correct but only partially. The course is certainly unique because Professor Shekar has chosen a creative way to teach us about the finer aspects of creativity but it’s no different from any other MBA courses. There is tremendous amount of learning in this course which could be applied in fields like marketing, design and communication. The only requirement is as professor suggests; keep your minds open and learn to look beyond the obvious and if you do follow this advice you will find that CARTS is actually a multi-disciplinary course which covers, though subtly, areas of Marketing, design, and communication.

 

I liked the examination pattern and it was totally in line with what the course stands for. As rightly said at the begining, this course is not for cynics. Which is quite right because cynicism blocks your mind and it does not allow you to appreciate the subtleness and intricacies of creative people’s work.  Before joining this course I was very much interested in looking at the art work of people like Eduard Manet, Salvadore Dali but could never decipher the meaning behind their work and certainly I never thought that one could also draw a metaphorical correspondence between music and Image- the two seemingly different things. The exam helped me realize that there is one harmony which is binding every creative work, ever done in any field. I am really thankful for bringing a paradigm shift in my perspective on creativity.

I would strongly recommend this course to those who find it difficult to appreciate the underlying beauty in music, films and paintings and to those who wish to learn non-traditional business concepts free of 2x2 matrices and questionnaires and to those who want to gain the super human capability of watching and enjoying any film on the planet because watching anything the ‘CARTS Way’ can make it an ultimate experience in itself.

Rahul KM
PGP 2011-13, IIMB

 

It is the only course which does not fall in line with the usual management subjects like marketing or finance. The content of the course allowed me to reflect on creativity, especially in Indian cinema, where with limited resources, the movie makers of a bygone era made maximum use of these resources to instil life in a movie.

Even the pedagogy, where half – completed paintings were shown to bring our imagination to life is worth mention here because usually most courses have a certain structure and direction where one’s application of imagination is limited. From Escher’s woodwork to JMW Turner paintings – the course has covered many aspects on creativity.

Even though I do listen to music, it is the course that has enabled me to discern the minute tones that are incorporated in a piece of music – the effects of shadowing of musical instruments is entirely new for me.

I could go on and on, but I consider the above mentioned points as being most important takeaways from the course. I sincerely request to keep the course in the curriculum for many years to come so that more students can be benefited from the course.

Larry Cooper Banks 

PGP 2011-13, IIMB

 

Creativity in arts and science course which was offered to us in Term – 4 was a unique and enriching elective for students.

Coming from primarily engineering background, we tend to have a very analytical mindset. Although it is good, but not enough to be successful in corporate world. Increasingly there is growing demand to have a creative approach in whatever we do. In such a scenario, CARTS plays a key role in broadening our perspective and introducing the concepts and application of creativity in various fields. Apart from stimulating the right half of the brain, the course also helped us to absorb the concepts and think through where and how they can be potentially leveraged in real life situation.

 

Eternal classic songs, memorable videos, rich literature and knowledgeable-cum-helpful professor, made the course a complete enriching and lively experience.

P Supreet Kumar

PGP 2011-13, IIMB

To be frank when I bid for CARTS, I bid for a subject which would be very minimal in terms of workload. Also I did not expect to learn anything out of it. But I was amazed at the amount of knowledge I gained by just sitting in the class with an open mind. Getting an opportunity to analyze the patterns, the effects and various other techniques which were used in various art forms which helped them make the masterpiece that they have become today was truly an unforgettable experience. Getting a chance to learn this course from Prof.Shekar, whose enthusiasm and energy levels still boggles me, is an added bonus . Nobody could have done justice for this course apart from Prof.Shekar whose never ending thirst for knowledge just adds life to this course and has helped CARTS grow by leaps and bounds over the past few years. I can confidently say that among the several courses which I have taken over the past 2 years in IIMB, CARTS is among the select few which will forever remain in my mind.

Sashank Naik

PGP 2011-13, IIMB

Creativity in Arts and Sciences in my opinion, is probably the most unique course that one can expect to study as part of formal MBA education. Keeping in mind that most students come from technical backgrounds, the course offers an opportunity to look at things with a very different and novel lens. It exposes the students to various nuances of creativity and associated techniques, ranging from aural to visual, and is a fascinating experience. Every student’s take away from the elective is very personal and inimitable but everyone is bound to learn and appreciate some of the more simple yet subtle aspects around us.

Shobhit Agrawal
PGP 2011-13, IIMB

As soon as we entered in B-School, creativity became a buzz word. Creativity in management, decision making, problem solving were the typical words I heard but never got an opportunity to experience creativity in reality. But then I came across CARTS course in Term 4. For the first time in my management studies, I came across a subject that gave me  great insights about creative elements in music, cinematography and mathematics, which I had never acknowledged before. It provided new perspective to experience the subtlety hidden in every form and the big difference it creates in transforming a piece of object into a creative master piece. My biggest take away from this course for my management career is ‘Creativity is not a rocket science. It’s an approach to mould the situation to explore new meaningful outcomes.’

Shirish Ashok Gaikwad
PGP 2011-13, IIMB

Though the course is titled Creativity in Arts and Science, this is not a course that teaches you creativity. One would not be wise to think that creativity can be taught in a classroom. This is a course that teaches you how to appreciate creativity. This course teaches you about finer nuances of art in its various forms - painting, sculpture, music, theater, dance - that many a time goes under-appreciated. This course gives you an insight into the thought process that goes through the creator's mind while coming up with something new. Such a perspective is essential to understand the wider purpose of art - as a means of expression. The course then further, albeit superficially touches upon the relevance of creativity in the world of science and how important it is to be creative and appreciative of creativity to enhance and enjoy human knowledge.
Noufal Mohamed Basheer

PGP 2011-13, IIMB
 

I loved the concept and the idea behind the course. I strongly believe the need for management executives to be creative and this course does very well to stimulate and encourage creativity in students. I loved the classes and thought you did an excellent job describing the creative aspects of some great masterpieces. I believe the course does very well in helping us see aspects in art works which otherwise just skipped our eyes and ears (the concepts of shadows/silhouettes for instance). So overall, I felt very positive about the course content and pedagogy.

Saurabh Bansal
PGP 2011-13, IIMB
 

I think it is a welcome difference to the usual courses offered and offers something to test and tap the creativity in us. Though I am not a connoisseur of music or art, I was able to appreciate the subtleties in art forms and thoroughly enjoyed the course. The course material has good content which provides scope for us to explore creativity in different forms of arts and science. There are seldom exams that students enjoy taking and CARTS assessment tests were very different and creative and well received by the students.

Karthik Manivannan

PGP 2011-13, IIMB

Attending CARTs sessions were a joy as we not only got an opportunity to listen to some of the most beautiful songs and art of yesteryears but we also got expert commentary through our professor post the viewing. It increased our sensitivity to creative elements in the fields covered as part of the course. I also started noticing and appreciating creativity in everyday life.

Before the course, I thought creativity was the encumbrance of certain domains like arts, music, and design; but the presentations which the groups made throughout the course highlighted my ignorance and made me realize how less attractive and interesting life would be without the pervasiveness of creativity. We keep hearing about critically-acclaimed movies, documentaries, etc.; but I feel creativity would've been central for anything to obtain acclaim. In summary, I feel the course provided the much needed intellectual boosters for my education to take off.

Prakash P

PGP 2011-13, IIMB

 

A comment on CARTS from a Musician student.

First I want to start by thanking you. I had been to Chennai on a short music assignment.

The insights from the CARTS (Creativity in Arts and Science) course at IIM Bangalore was really helpful and I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart.

First, while taking this course; let me be very frank, I was not that convinced except for the fact that I need not spend hours preparing for this.

I don’t know how others have benefited from this but I have gained a lot; especially the discussions on films thru contrast have helped me while re-recording stuff thru better anticipation.

T.Srirathivarman

PGP 2009-11, IIMB

CARTS 2011 - Comments

The first song I heard at CARTS was ‘Dil Khush Hai Aaj Unse-Ghazal’ and it has left an ever lasting imprint on my life. CARTS was beauty all over. It was by far, the only course where I attended 21 sessions out of a requisite 20 (one session attended with the other batch!). I blended with the music, art, drama, literature discussed in class and almost mouthed what the Professor was going to say, 2 seconds before he did!

There was a great connect established between the Master and each Pupil! We were led on a purposeful exploration of the creative balance that existed in nature. That which never disturbed but only accentuated happiness. We were urged to identify the simple yet profound aspects of the same. Be it the musical brilliance created by stalwarts such as SD Burman, RD Burman, the richness of instruments from peppy pipe to violin shadows, the enchanting voices of Lata, Asha, Kishore Kumar, etc, the confounding charms of Maurice Escher, the feathered horrors of Hitchcocks’s ‘The Birds’, the helplessness in Satyajit Ray’s ‘Sadgati’, the sand art, the yodelling, the comic fantasies and so on, CARTS called out the most basic of beauty and I was completely enamoured.  

How powerful can silence be, how fearful can darkness get, how lonely can a shadow be, how haunting can an echo get? CARTS helps you realise all these and much more. It is a compelling subject, a culmination of deep study, one that triggers an intense thought process, but allows you to spot the answer only if you’re relaxed, calm and patient.

Personally, CARTS was a timely baton that helped me transition from the humdrum of first year to a much sweeter, lively and memorable second year. It added a spring in my step and outlook. Never did I think I would be sitting in such a unique course that too in MBA curriculum but it was worth every moment.

About the Professor, here was an accomplished Mathematician teaching Creativity. He would put all his energy into endless research and has hence mastered the art of identifying a masterpiece. He took us back in time when life was much simpler and left us there. A person who has taken time off to appreciate the finer aspects of life, I’m glad he did and much more glad that I did too!
Aarthi Priyadharshini T
PGP 2010-12, IIMB

I do not want to let go the opportunity to tell you that CARTS (in term IV) was one of the best courses I have done at IIMB. Few inventions of mankind match up to the pleasure (and learning) provided by books, music and motion pictures. And this course has honestly made all these media much more enjoyable for me.

Deepak Maloo
PGP 2010 - 12, IIMB

My main motivation in joining this course was your teaching methodology itself. Sir, you had mentioned that you would be using songs both audio/video and paintings as a medium to discuss various aspects of creativity. I thoroughly enjoyed them because, it rekindled the liking towards old melodies. There were other aspects such as reflection and voids in music, which I knew existed, before this course, but I could never appreciate the significance of it. The class was always glued to your teaching because there was something new that would come up in a song that was being played. For me it was one of the best courses that I had in IIM Bangalore.

Subin Balasubramaniam K

PGP 2010 - 12, IIMB

A course that is interesting and more importantly ,refreshing.

In this course, I learnt to appreciating finer aspects of everyday visual and aural phenomena. While many art enthusiasts have taken this course, this actually caters to a wider target segment. For anyone who has not been gifted with the ability to enjoy art from childhood (Yes, one needs ability not just to create art but even to enjoy art), this is like a crash course from a layman’s perspective. Above all, this is one class where one can truly have fun instead of using management jargon and cooking up meaningless 4x4 diagrams!

R. Shankar
PGP 2010-12, IIMB



I found the CARTS course refreshingly different from the regular MBA courses that I have undergone during the PGSEM program. The course is focused on the creativity part in music, movies, literature and even some of the elegant mathematical proofs! I used to look forward to attending the CARTS classes, since they used to show some of the poignant scenes from some of the best classical movies of the world, or play some of the best music the world has produced. The analysis that CARTS Professor did in the class also opened up for me a new way of looking at and appreciating films, music, literature, humor, etc - something I sorely lacked being trained and worked in Engineering and IT and always looking at things from an analytical and quantitative angle rather than the creative way. I think this course had a beneficial impact in opening up my mind on areas which I used to view as nebulous and lacking structure - which I now understand that there indeed is an underlying structure to creativity in music, arts & literature.

Each CARTS class was well-conducted with lot of thought going into conducting them. The high degree of preparation by the Professor clearly showed, and the time was well managed. The Professor was also open to feedback from the students, without losing control of the discussion in the class. I thank the Professor for this course and help broadening my mind.
Ritabrata Bhaumik,
PGSEM - 2012, IIMB


Creativity in Arts and Science is one of those few courses that I strongly recommended to my friends. CARTS is such a unique course the sorts of which I had never seen before or after. I never had the heart to miss a single lecture and I knew that all my friends shared the same feeling towards this course. If you are looking for a course which does not rely on literature that already exits, and rather deals with more of observation and learning this one is for you. There will be a lot of moments in future after this course when you will recollect some concepts and cherish !

There is a lot of fun in this learning process as you get an exposure to some of the World's best compositions in all forms of art. Even taking up exams was more fun than you can possible imagine. This course will bring to light the amount of creativity and thinking that goes into constructing a single piece of art be it music, painting, a piece of prose or even a video. This journey in art will be a totally different approach altogether from your other usual management courses and will certainly improve your observations and creativity that you will need in everyday life.
Priyadharsini. B
PGP 2009 - 11, IIMB



By far, this has been one of the best courses offered to us. I learnt quite a bit and I thoroughly enjoyed doing so. You gave us an opportunity to experience some of most brilliant creative pieces to have ever been created. But for you, I would have never gotten to know about many of these classics. I can say with confidence that it has left a deep impact on many of us. It is not uncommon to hear “La Noyee” or Hum Dono songs playing in many of our hostel blocks even today.

Be it RD’s musical masterpieces, Hitchcock’s brilliant movies or Tolstoy’s literary works, every one of the creative works presented in class coupled with your insights and asides made every class a truly enriching and enjoyable experience. Personally I have experienced many “Aha” moments when you explained the rich creative elements present in many of the pieces. This has been a truly wonderful journey!
Aishwarya A
PGP 2010 - 12, IIMB

Creativity in Arts and Sciences is a unique course in IIMB. The only prerequisite for this course is an open mind and in return the students are rewarded with a wealth of rich experiences. There is exposure to arguably the best music chosen diligently from Hindi and Tamil movies and western classical music as well. Interesting topics such as geometry and literature are also covered. This course provides a glimpse into the work of maestros like Escher, S.D. Burman, Euclid, Alfred Hitchcock, Victor Hugo and stress is laid on the various creative elements used by them. Concepts such as contrast, symmetry and reflection are covered in great detail and attention is drawn towards their effective usage in different domains of art. All in all this course is a melting pot of all good things.
Shruti Johari
PGP 2009 - 11, IIMB

CARTS – A Note from the Heart

“Creativity in Arts and Science? You must be kidding me! I belong to the crème de la crème in the country, a bona fide student of Management, pursuing a degree from an institute whose repute makes people turn green with envy. I don’t need a course in the Arts”.

You could be forgiven for reacting thus at the very mention of such a course. Prima Facie, this course might indeed seem out of place in an institute like ours, but is not necessarily out of scope. If there’s one thing Management gurus the world over agree upon, it’s got to be the importance of innovation in an organization. And innovation is but an expression of creativity. In order to be able to innovate consistently, it is essential to learn how to appreciate creativity; which is what this course is all about. That should put to rest any qualms about, “what is my take-away from this course?” or rather, “is there any take-away at all?” This course might not be many things, but it certainly is a welcome change from the spate of projects and assignments, not to talk of typical B-school classroom sessions – hegemonies of 2X2 matrices and entry and exit strategies, which we are only too used to.

The course starts off with a peek into the world of music composers of yore, a generation that had to live in a world devoid of software; a time when real instruments had to be used to compose music. As the course wound its way down labyrinths of shadows and reflections, of whose existence I was oblivious to till then, it slowly dawned on me why composers like SD Burman or singers like Kishore Kumar deserve their places in the pantheon of all time great musical maestros. They had pioneered musical traditions, set new standards, and in all, had left a legacy behind, which their successors had built on. Just when you begin to think it can’t get any better, enter movies – a culmination of creativity on probably every front known to man. I’ve forever been unable to explain why I love certain movie sequences, while I don’t think much of certain others. I’d dismissed this to be just a bias owing to my particular tastes and opinions; but this still doesn’t explain why some movies are loved by all and a precious few are even accorded global recognition. We get to know why. The professor sheds light on the copious amount of work that goes behind perfecting every frame, the importance of timing, how seamless transitions need to be, how even a seemingly harmless shadow across a person’s face can be a subliminal message and the traits of a movie worth repeat viewings – or to put it succinctly, the makings of a classic.

Loyalists of Keats’ School of Art, who advocate that “heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard are sweeter still”, might not favour the idea of breaking art down to this extent and even argue that subtleties are better appreciated if left alone and not analysed critically thus. And as further propounded by Vairamuthu, “Kavidhai variyin suvai... artham puriyum varai...”*, a critical, analytical and scientific view of art might not be everyone’s supper; but this glorious revelation of creativity and its sublime beauty set in the context of our PGP course, if anything, will only serve to manifold the respect and appreciation scientific morons like we, have towards the arts. And hence, the course is justified. The best part is that we begin to see even our favourite movies, the ones we’ve watched over and over again, in a whole new light.

And the professor has accorded art, science and literature their fair share of time too, for good measure. It would surprise us to know that even Mathematics, conceived to be the purest of all sciences, would be bereft of the meteoric growth it had witnessed over the ages, had art not played its part. People like Maurice Escher, who would’ve been complete strangers to many prior to the course, would be revered by the time the course is over and done with. My biggest regret is that dance, the only art form which exists in both time and space, has been left, out in the cold. This angst of mine is further fuelled by the fact that I’ve been in love with Dance since as far back as I can remember and that I believe I can be counted amongst its scores of proud, passionate exponents.

If art is at the heart of the course, then at its soul is Professor Shekar, whose genial and inimitable style makes it so hard not to enjoy the course. His enthusiasm and ebullience are truly infectious and verily, I’ll be grateful if I am half as energetic as the man is when I’m his age – superior stuff.

A note of caution: do not expect the course to hit the ground running. Because, the course bears an uncanny resemblance to our Indian Cricket Team, which, in any series, similarly, first strolls, then jogs and canters before it cruises.

If you happen to be a connoisseur of books, movies and music, then you’ll lap this course up the way I did. If you’re not, then this is your chance to become one. As they say, there’s always a first time.

Balasubramanian A

PGP 2009-11, IIMB

* From the song “Netru Illadha Matram”; movie: “Pudhiya Mugam”