What Is Creativity

Psychologists who have studied creativity define it in various ways. A general definition is Mental processes that lead to ideas, solutions, conceptualizations, theories, artistic forms or products that are unique and novel. Harmon 

Smith (5) gave this definition Creativity is sinking down taps into our past experiences and putting these selected experiences into new patterns, new ideas, and new products.  

The creative process involves inventive, artistic, and inspirational thought. It is characterized by originality and imagination. 

Glegg (9) expressed the belief that the logical or rational must be the controlling element in the creative mind. He wrote The inventive and the artistic, the inspirational and the intuitive all have a place in the creative process, but the rational must hold the power of veto over them all.  

Creativity is not simply originality and unlimited freedom. There is much more to it than that. Creativity also imposes restrictions. While it uses methods other than those of ordinary thinking, it must not be in disagreement with ordinary thinking—or rather, it must be something that, sooner or later, ordinary thinking will understand, accept, and appreciate. Otherwise the result would be bizarre, not creative. 

---