Understanding creativity

Creativity Glossary

A clear glossary explaining key concepts, behaviors, and thinking modes related to creativity.

· Behavioral Model ·

Creativity is not a linear process but a set of trainable behaviors.
The more these behaviors are practiced, the more likely creative outcomes become.

· Convergent Thinking ·

Convergent thinking is about evaluating, refining, and selecting ideas.
The goal is to choose the solution with the greatest value.

· Creativity ·

Creativity = Novelty × Usefulness.
Creativity is a human ability that exists in everyone and can be trained like a muscle.

· Cultivating ·

Cultivating means sharing ideas and problems and being open to the perspectives of others.

· Divergent Thinking ·

Divergent thinking focuses on generating many different ideas for a problem.
Quantity and openness come before evaluation.

· Ideating ·

Ideating means giving ideas time to grow, allowing imagination and trusting creative intuition.

· Perceiving ·

Perceiving means observing the world attentively and empathically, using all senses.

· Problem Space ·

The problem space is about understanding the problem itself.
Causes, characteristics, and perspectives are explored before solutions are considered.

· Rethinking ·

Rethinking means questioning assumptions to better understand problems and challenge the status quo.

· Sensemaking ·

Sensemaking means combining ideas into meaningful, creative solutions through experimentation and play.