Introduction

Abstract

The question, “Health for self, health for the world?” opens an overview, followed by a definition of our oft overlooked everyday creativity, then the author’s background, including key research at Harvard Medical School, development of The Lifetime Creativity Scales, plus a precursor edited book yielding “12 healthy benefits” of everyday creativity. The current book’s six parts and 17 chapters are then introduced, with I to III framed by the “4Ps of Creativity” (creative product, process, person, and press), and IV to VI exploring topics less usual in the creativity literature (“normal and abnormal,” and “new directions” including empathy, relationships, beauty, nuance and “higher consciousness”). Although sometimes speculative, later topics follow the logic of our human path of evolution and honor the goal to open minds.