What is Creativity?

"Creativity is intelligence having fun." ~ Albert Einstein

How best to define creativity? Even the experts disagree around the edges. Google 'creativity definition' and you'll get a sense of the nuances. Or, sample the videos on Youtube surfaced by the search phrase 'what is creativity?'

Brittanica defines creativity as the ability to make new things or think of new ideas.

Some maintain that for an idea, concept or thing to be considered creative it must be useful. Usefulness requires subjectivity. If you don't like a painting by van Gogh does that mean it's not useful to you, and therefore not creative? The appeal of the Brittanica definition is that it gets to the essence of creativity--newness, or novelty.

Explore the resources below to learn more about how different experts define and frame creativity.

Sir Ken Robinson shares his definition of creativity.

Kingston University What is Creativity?

James Taylor explains the difference between small 'c' creativity and big 'C' creativity

Short video depicting how life can squash our creative impulses.

What jazz can teach us about creativity.

Related article: What jazz improv can teach us about creativity and breaking the rules