Unit 1 Assignment: Hand Art Creative Expression

This One’s for You! Research on Definitions of Creativity

In addition to the definitions of creativity in your text, the following research review provides more information on these definitions.

According to Piirto (2004), creativity as a scientific term has its roots in psychology. Other researchers believe that what constitutes creativity has not been defined or featured in a clear and unambiguous way (Ferrari, Cachia, & Punie, 2009). Also, the nature and definitions of creativity vary across cultures (Starko, 2003) and seem to be value- and culture-specific (Craft 2005).

Two researchers reviewed  explicit definitions and  collations (a familiar grouping of words used to convey a meaning, that is, creative thinking) of creativity from 1953 to 2009 (Kampylis & Valtanen, 2010). They state that the noun creativity itself is not only relatively new and fashionable but also confusing, even misunderstood. They found that the noun creativity first appeared in printed form in 1875. It derives from the Latin creates which means, “to make, produce,” and is related to the Latin crescere (arise, grow).

Their analysis and comparisons of the collected definitions reveal that creativity researchers’ and theorists’ definitions of creativity generally all have the following key components:

1. Creativity is a key ability of individual(s) (person).

2. Creativity presumes an intentional activity (process).

3. The creative process occurs in a specific context (environment).

4. The creative process entails the generation of products (tangible or intangible). These creative product(s) must be novel (original, unconventional) and appropriate (valuable, useful) to some extent, at least for the creative individual(s) (Kampylis & Valtanen, 2010, p. 198). These key components are commonly summarized and referred to in the literature as the Ps of creativity: person, process, press, and product (Richards, 1999).

In working with young children, you will have many opportunities to see young children involved in all of the 4Ps of creativity, as well as in the key components of creativity as described in the preceding research.

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, a researcher on the creative process, describes it as one that normally takes five steps (1997).

1. Preparation—Becoming curious about interesting ideas or questions.

2. Incubation—Ideas churn around below the threshold of consciousness, subconsciously making connections.

3. Insight—When an understanding is realized. The “aha” moment when the puzzle starts to fall together.

4. Evaluation—Deciding if the insight is valuable and worth pursuing.

5. Elaboration—Translating the insight into its final work. This is the physical realization of the idea or question.

These stages spiral continuously as the individual pursues the problem. Creativity in Csikszentmihalyi’s theory is not linear (Csikszentmihaly, 2008). Creativity is about capturing those moments that make life worth living. Creativity’s objective is to offer an understanding of what leads to these moments, whether it’s the excitement of the artist at the easel or the scientist in the lab, so that knowledge can be used to enrich people’s lives.

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