WhatisCREATIVITY?1.AnAbility.Asimpledefinitionisthatcreativityistheabilitytoimagineorinventsomethingnew.Aswewillseebelow,creativityisnottheabilitytocreateoutofnothingbuttheabilitytogeneratenewidea***ycombining,changing,orreapplyingexistingideas.Somecreativeideasareastonishingandbrilliant,whileothersarejustsimple,good,practicalideasthatnooneseemstohavethoughtofyet.Believeitornot,everyonehassubstantialcreativeability.Justlookathowcreativechildrenare.In***s,creativityhastoooftenbeensuppressedthrougheducation,butitisstillthereandcanbereawakened.Oftenallthat'sneededtobecreativeistomakeacommitmenttocreativityandtotakethetimeforit.
2.AnAttitude.Creativityisalsoanattitude:theabilitytoacceptchangeandnewness,awillingnesstoplaywithideasandpossibilities,aflexibilityofoutlook,thehabitofenjoyingthegood,whilelookingforwaystoimproveit.Wearesocializedintoacceptingonlyasmallnumberofpermittedornormalthings,likechocolate-coveredstrawberries,forexample.Thecreativepersonrealizesthatthereareotherpossibilities,likepeanutbutterandbananasandwiches,orchocolate-covered
prunes.
3.AProcess.Creativepeopleworkhardandcontinuallyimproveideasandsolutions,bymakinggradualalterationsandrefinementstotheirworks.Contrarytothemythologysurroundingcreativity,very,veryfewworksofcreativeexcellenceareproducedwithasinglestrokeofbrillianceorinafrenzyofrapidactivity.Muchclosertotherealtrutharethestoriesofcompanieswhohadtotaketheinventionawayfromtheinventorinordertomarketitbecausetheinventorwouldhavekeptontweakingitandfiddlingwithit,alwaystryingtomakeitalittlebetter.Thecreativepersonknowsthatthereisalwaysroomforimprovement.
