# Ep. 66: Creative Historical Thinking, with Michael Douma, Part One **URL:** **By** Anthony Comegna **Published:** August 14, 2018 --- Michael Douma joins us for the first part of a two-part series to discuss how we should see the past as as an interpretative history. Michael Douma joins us for the first part of a two-part series to discuss how we see the past as as an interpretative history. He argues that history is a creative discipline because we choose to arrange facts in a certain way. Douma goes through his new book, _Creative Historical Thinking_, and how he typically asks his students to draw a timeline of their lives or a timeline of American history. Quite often, each students' timeline forms differently. Relating that to the study of the past, Douma argues that every timeline a historian draws, is a different interpretation of the past, creating history. Everyone has a different mental model or "timeline" in which they view their lives and that allows history to be a creative endeavor. Is the past simply what happened? With that in mind, is history our interpretation of the past? Is history how we give meaning to the past? What is the difference between an error in conception and an error in fact? If you had to drawl the timeline of your life how would you drawl it? ## Further Reading: Michael J. Douma [website](https://michaeljdouma.com/about/) [_Creative Historical Thinking_](https://www.amazon.com/Creative-Historical-Thinking-Michael-Douma/dp/1138048852) , writtenby Michael J. Douma [_What is Classical Liberal History?_](https://www.amazon.com/Classical-Liberal-History-Michael-Douma/dp/1498536107/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1533931766&sr=1-4&keywords=michael+j+douma) , written by Michael J. Douma Music by Kai Engel ## Related Content: [What is the Importance of History](https://www.libertarianism.org/essays/importance-history), written by David Boaz [Is there a Purpose to History?](https://www.libertarianism.org/podcasts/free-thoughts/is-there-a-purpose-to-history), Free Thoughts Episode [What is Classical Liberal History?](https://www.libertarianism.org/podcasts/liberty-chronicles/ep-51-what-is-classical-liberal-history-with-michael-douma-and-phil-magness), Liberty Chronicles Episode