Myth 1: We don’t know what creativity is
Researchers have been studying creativity for some seventy years now and in the last thirty plus years there has been a near universal acceptance that creativity involves some kind of expression of originality and the creation of something of value.
The Durham Commission has helpfully defined the concept of creativity and the act of creative thinking:
Creativity: The capacity to imagine, conceive, express, or make something that was not there before.
Creative thinking: A process through which knowledge, intuition and skills are applied to imagine, express or make something novel or individual in its contexts. Creative thinking is present in all areas of life. It may appear spontaneous, but it can be underpinned by perseverance, experimentation, critical thinking and collaboration.
Indeed, it is possible for organisations as diverse as the CBI, the Department for Education and the World Economic Forum to use the word ‘creativity’ without feeling the need to have to explain or define it. Hopefully the definitions above will give you food for thought about your definition of creativity and creative thinking.
Myth 2: Creativity is something only a few people possess
It is certainly true that there are some highly creative people, but the existence of very creative people does not prevent each of us from becoming more creative by practising whichever aspects of the concept we wish to improve. Every individual is creative to some degree. We can all use and develop what Anna Craft calls ‘little c’ or everyday creativity, the capacity to have good ideas when we need them and use these to the benefit of others.
Myth 3: Creativity distracts from school improvement
In recent years creativity in English schools has become intertwined with a sense that a focus on creativity is somehow not a rigorous use of teachers’ time. Far from detracting from a proper focus on raising standards, recent research suggests that a focus on creativity might actually contribute to raising achievement. There is, for example, emerging evidence that creative learning environments increase learners’ attainment. A number of meta-analytical studies have found moderate positive impact on achievement from critical and creative thinking approaches.
Myth 4: Creativity is not connected to ‘domain knowledge’
An unhelpful belief has grown over recent years that creativity is somehow separate from the kind of knowledge to be found in a subject domain and that it can exist in ways which mean that it does not require subject expertise. An exaggerated version of this myth would suggest that since knowledge is not required to be creative, we can instead just focus on developing the creativity of young people and forget subject teaching.
But increasingly it is clear from research that there are strong relationships between knowledge and creativity.
That said there is an ongoing debate about the degree to which creativity is domain specific or domain general, that’s to say whether, for example, being creative is different in maths or drama, at school or in the community, at play or at work. There are, of course, arguments on both sides of the debate. In its simplest form those arguing for domain specificity point to the fact that creative people are not creative in all subjects or domains. Their opponents suggest that creative thinking skills can be learned in one domain and transferred to another with practice.
Creativity, it is increasingly clear, does not exist in a vacuum; it is applied in a domain or context.
Myth 5: We do not know how to teach creativity
The Durham Commission defines teaching for creativity as:
Explicitly using pedagogies and practices that cultivate creativity in young people.
Over the last three or so decades a substantial knowledge base as to how best to foster creativity has been developed. Creativity is not a separate discipline and can be embedded in any school subject.
OECD research found that some pedagogies are more effective than others in developing creativity in young people. Bill Lucas and Ellen Spencer have described five helpful signature pedagogies:
- Problem-based learning - learning that starts with real-world issues.
- Classroom learning community - an approach that explicitly engages pupils in the process of their learning.
- Playful experimentation - the conscious, often playful, generation of new ideas
- growth mindset - a term coined by Carol Dweck that focuses on effort and persistence in learning.
- Deliberate practice - structured activities such as drafting, re-drafting, prototyping and rehearsing.
Myth 6: Creativity is only associated with the arts
This myth runs deep in society in general and schools in particular. As the Durham Commission reminded us:
There remains a misconception that creativity is solely the province of the arts. This is not true. Creativity exists in all disciplines. It is valued by mathematicians, scientists and entrepreneurs, as well as by artists, writers and composers.
Nevertheless, the arts have a special contribution to make in articulating emotions and understanding identity.
Myth 7: Eureka moments!
New ideas sometimes seem to appear as a flash of brilliance.
But research shows that such insights tend to be the result of prior hard work on a problem. This is then given time to incubate subconsciously as we connect threads before the ideas emerge as new eureka-like thinking!
By understanding the myths around creativity we can develop our understanding of what creativity is and why it matters. It’s also easier to make the case for creativity to others if we can draw on research to support our arguments.
This material draws on earlier research undertaken by Bill Lucas for the Durham Commission and for the Mercers Livery Company on creativity.
Further reading
Craft, A. (2005). Creativity in Schools: Tensions and Dilemmas. Abingdon: Routledge.
Gajda, A., Karwowski, M. & Beghetto, R. A. (2016) Creativity and Academic Achievement: A meta-analysis. Journal of Educational Psychology, 269-299.
Lucas, B. and E. Spencer (2017). Teaching Creative Thinking: Developing learners who generate ideas and think critically. Carmarthen: Crown House Publishing Ltd.
Pope, R. (2005). Creativity: Theory, history, practice. Abingdon: Routledge.
Runco, M. & Jaeger, G. (2012) The Standard Definition of Creativity. Creativity Research Journal, 24:1, 92-96.