HCM CITY (VNS)— British trade envoy and successful film producer Lord David Puttnam spoke about creativity to a gathering of local artists in HCM City yesterday.

Puttnam discussed the concept that creativity is a "muscle" that people should work on to develop.

The five basic components of creativity were focus, imagination, collaboration, tenacity, and resilience, he said, explaining the importance of each.

The prerequisite component was imagination, a unique ability that made us think beyond the things present in front of one's eyes and that was hard to teach.

People had to find a way to foster and improve that ability because it was the source of creativity.

Collaboration was the ability to work in a team, since the abilities of many people could lead to a better result than that of a single person.

"Tenacity is the ability to try and try and try again."

He himself had to spend twice the time as others to edit a film to achieve perfection.

Resilience was the ability to deal with and overcome disappointment.

He advised people working in creative industries to control the environment since it could affect the process of creativity.

Puttnam has taught creativity at five universities in Australia, Singapore, New Zealand, and the UK.

In a release, the British Council and Viet Nam Creative Entrepreneurs' Club said creative industries have become an important and growing part of the global economy.

"Nowadays, it contributes 7 per cent of the global GDP. The world trade in creative goods and services has reached nearly US$600 billion, with an annual growth rate of 8.7 per cent a year."

The UK Prime Minister's Trade Envoy to Viet Nam, Cambodia, Laos, and Burma has produced films that have won 10 Oscars, 25 Baftas, and the Palme D'Or at Cannes. — VNS