Abstract
This chapter investigates what is understood by creativity. It explores different meanings of the concept, drawing on the development of creativity research including individualist and sociocultural approaches. So called ‘Big-C’ and ‘little-c’ creativity are considered along with key aspects (novelty, effectiveness and ethicality, discipline and playfulness, as well as creativity as a healing, life-affirming activity.) The creative state of mind, everyday creativity and radical creativity are examined alongside the question of whether creativity is a readily learnable skill and why the subject has not always been taken completely seriously by the scientific community. Finally, creativity’s link with wellbeing is discussed and the chapter concludes by proposing that creativity is applicable in mental health practice and is not merely desirable but necessary.
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Notes
- 1.
Flow – a concept closely linked to creativity and associated with the psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (1990) – describes a peak, positive experience of total absorption in a given activity. When in flow, the challenges of the task are perfectly matched to the ability of the person, the focus narrows to the intrinsically rewarding activity itself and the person becoming oblivious to the environment and the passage of time.
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Gillam, T. (2018). Understanding Creativity. In: Creativity, Wellbeing and Mental Health Practice. Palgrave Studies in Creativity and Culture. Palgrave Pivot, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-74884-9_2
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