Defining Creativity
The reason there is such uncertainty and confusion surrounding creativity is in part because it is difficult to give one clear, concrete definition for a concept that relates to so many aspects of life. However throughout my research of creativity, I have found that there are a few underlying ideas about "What is creative" that have been held constant throughout each of the theories I've encountered.
The fundamentals parts of the creative process in general are as follows:
-Novelty: The idea must be original or a combination of previously held ideas in a new form
-Base level of Intelligence/expertise: To be creative in a field, one must have a base level of
understanding and knowledge of that field
-Functionality: The end product of the creative process must have some form of utility or quality
of use.
While these components are only broad generalities of what makes up creativity, these are the only themes that have held been constant through the extent of my research. To back up this I will be citing a quote from the most creative people in the nation. Not the architects, artists, or English Majors, but the shining example of creativity in a cubicle: Patient Lawyers. Cited from Michael L. Ryan's Novelty in Law, a patient for a creative invention can only be given if is matches the following criteria:
(1) It must be the proper subject matter of a patent
(2) is an invention
(3) is novel
(4) is a utility
It doesn't take much discussion to see how being functional and having utility are similar or how being novel and having novelty fill similar criteria. However, points one and two of Ryan's criteria need to be explained in how they relate to base intellect. In order to apply for a patent or approve a patent one must know what has been patented in the past and what is considered to be an invention or improvement of an idea. In this way, both inventors and patent lawyers must have the a basic knowledge of their field to be creative or recognize creativity respectively.
While the definition of creativity remains as just a list of components, it's important to realize that each of these components has been a result the breakthroughs in the field of research. While the definition above is still vague, our conceptual understanding of creativity has made leaps and bounds from the stagnant singular concept of creativity. In a way I believe that the definition of creativity should, in fact, be kept vague. Creativity covers such a wide variety of concepts, that one single definition and description couldn't possibly describe each and every creative act. Instead, the core themes are listed so the general idea comes across, but leaves the details up to the discretion of the creative reader.
The fundamentals parts of the creative process in general are as follows:
-Novelty: The idea must be original or a combination of previously held ideas in a new form
-Base level of Intelligence/expertise: To be creative in a field, one must have a base level of
understanding and knowledge of that field
-Functionality: The end product of the creative process must have some form of utility or quality
of use.
While these components are only broad generalities of what makes up creativity, these are the only themes that have held been constant through the extent of my research. To back up this I will be citing a quote from the most creative people in the nation. Not the architects, artists, or English Majors, but the shining example of creativity in a cubicle: Patient Lawyers. Cited from Michael L. Ryan's Novelty in Law, a patient for a creative invention can only be given if is matches the following criteria:
(1) It must be the proper subject matter of a patent
(2) is an invention
(3) is novel
(4) is a utility
It doesn't take much discussion to see how being functional and having utility are similar or how being novel and having novelty fill similar criteria. However, points one and two of Ryan's criteria need to be explained in how they relate to base intellect. In order to apply for a patent or approve a patent one must know what has been patented in the past and what is considered to be an invention or improvement of an idea. In this way, both inventors and patent lawyers must have the a basic knowledge of their field to be creative or recognize creativity respectively.
While the definition of creativity remains as just a list of components, it's important to realize that each of these components has been a result the breakthroughs in the field of research. While the definition above is still vague, our conceptual understanding of creativity has made leaps and bounds from the stagnant singular concept of creativity. In a way I believe that the definition of creativity should, in fact, be kept vague. Creativity covers such a wide variety of concepts, that one single definition and description couldn't possibly describe each and every creative act. Instead, the core themes are listed so the general idea comes across, but leaves the details up to the discretion of the creative reader.
Applying the Knowledge
Once one has realized what is needed to form a creative idea, what it's components are, and that there are numerous sub-types of creativity that we can identify, it is important to see these concepts come to life in the modern day. In the next section, we will be looking at how creativity isn't just a lofty topic, but instead can be seen all around us in our everyday lives.