The Nature of Creativity

The article 'The Nature of Creativity'(available here) taken from Creativity Research Journal 2006, Vol 18, no.1 pp87-98, outlines theories of creativity which have been developed through collaboration and grounded in research. In this article, Sternberg describes how six distinct but interrelated properties are required for creativity. These are: Intellectual abilities, knowledge, styles of thinking, personality, motivation and environment. Each of these are then discussed in greater detail throughout the article. For example, three intellectual skills are deemed to be important, and while these are discussed as separate entities, the relationship between the skills are essential.

Sternberg raises an interesting point through the 'Knowledge' resource. It is important to have knowledge to be able to move a field forward, conversely, having great knowledge in an area can hinder seeing this in a new light. This is mirrored not only in the larger scale of our education system, but also drilling down in approaches to teaching composition. To look at what we do from a completely different knowledge standpoint and question what and why we undertake teaching and learning in a certain way can be difficult, especially when a cumulative period of knowledge gathering and experience can point us in a certain direction.

When discussing motivation, the article addresses the point that intrinsic motivation is driven primarily by a love of the activity. This particularly applies to creative activities where the joy of undertaking the process out strips the importance of the reward. In many ways this parallels csikszentmihalyi's concept of 'flow'. This then asks the question of the purpose and relevance of the creative activity being undertaken.

Creativity is recognised as an essential skill as we move forward but it almost always the elephant in the room of educational conversation. While we acknowledge the importance, how it is being shaped and supported in young people is at best inconsistent. Sternberg also makes the point that as we grow and develop, "creative potential has been suppressed by a society that encourages intellectual conformity" (Sternberg, 2006). Given all the changes which have taken place in our curriculum over these past years, are we really supporting creativity and personalisation? Or do we still over emphasise the importance of learning in neat little boxes?