The Evolution of the Concept of Creativity
A while ago I wrote an article on the misconception of creative thinking and innovation, and I believe the message was well-received with positive insights and feedbacks. I decided to revisit this issue in order to highlight the importance of having a dialogue on this topic.
The word “creativity” comes from a Latin word “creo” which means to make or create something. The word “creativity” did not exist in Ancient Greece; arts or works were not considered creative work but rather a form of imitation. It was only in the 18th century during the Age of Enlightenment that the concept of creativity emerged. William Durf, a Scottish Presbyterian minister and writer, was the first to identify imagination as a quality of genius.
From the early 20th century to today, creativity evolved through a 5 stage process pioneered by Graham Wallas who published his work in his book, the Arts of Thoughts, in 1926. These five stages were preparation, incubation, intimation, illumination, and verification. In 1927, Alfred North Whitehead coined the word, “creativity,” that became a ubiquitous word in science, arts, and literature. Thus, the adoption and pervasiveness of this word, “creativity” led to a downstream of models and theories showcasing its history, interpretation, and application.
When learning more about the evolution and application of this word, what stood out to me was Daniel Pink’s argument in his book, A Whole New Mind, published in 2005. He was making a case for the need to apply creative thinking techniques into our society. This argument suggested that creativity was not just reserved for some or innately acquired by a few select individuals but rather, it was something that could be learned.
Mr. Pink’s argument further inspired me to do more research on the possibility of creativity being taught and thus, I came across this TED talk by David Kelly, a professor of Design Thinking at Stanford titled, How to Build a Creative Confidence:
After watching this video, I sought to better understand how someone can learn to become a confident creative thinker. So, through additional research, I came across Ms. Tina Seelig, the faculty director of Stanford Technology Venture Program (STVP), who has taught a crash course on creativity to over 44,000 students online. Below is a video wherein she provides some insights on how she teaches creativity and entrepreneurship:
My favorite insight of hers is that that creativity is an art form that can be spurred and learned.
The evolution and application of the word “creativity” suggest that design experts and professors are embracing the idea of the extrinsic nature of creativity. If experts like Ms. Seeling with over 25 years of teaching experience believes creativity can be taught, you should also consider the possibility that everyone can learn to be creative.
"This post was edited by LinkedIn Campus Editor Jessica Li."
Thanks for the great insights. I've also found practical value in this: https://briquinex.blogspot.com/2024/08/a-whack-on-side-of-head-by-roger-von.html
Now I'm going to go back and re-read Whitehead!
Thanks for this article, a really interesting read with o alot of sources I had not come across before. Alway's interests me to trace the language of something to see where and when it has been used, to better understand it. Creativity to day, feels like a catch all word for doing almost anything. I worked in the cultural sector for 10 years before really beginning to understand the process of creative thinking.
Jacob, I like this ,Thanks for sharing!
'Creativity' can be Implemented anywhere; in all areas of study or business. Creativity can be 'taught', if that's the correct terminology, but usually only to someone with an open enough mind to want to be creative or with the experience of what it feels like to be creative. It requires resilience, persistence and tenacity to be creative; real determination and commitment. Unfortunately, these are characteristics that need to be hard wired into one's consciousness at an early age, with opportunities to truly flex the creative muscle. The question we need to ask ourselves is 'Do we educate our youngest generations to develop creativity?'. I know what my thoughts are on this, as an educator who has been frustrated by the continuous checklists for expected progress, achievement of key objectives and curricular coverage, where any opportunities for creativity are squeezed out by paperwork and administration. As far as teaching creativity, I am skeptical only because I believe that those adults searching for opportunities to be taught it, have had a taste earlier in their lives, either through parenting or by an inspirational teacher and are not necessarily being 'taught' creativity but are developing and honing existing skills.