Creativity

Introduction

We encounter with increasingly complex problems in today's world. Success in the complex world depend on our ability to solve these problems. New discovery and development is possible only due to creative thinking. Thus, whatever good and beautiful that has survived through the passage of time in human civilization and culture, is designed and determined by the creative thinkers. Creativity, thus, the highest order of human potentiality of a country that contributes optimum growth and development, progress and prosperity, and nurtures the greatness and glory of a nation's destiny. The creative persons are really the assets of the nation and the greater the creative potential that a nation holds, the better it is exploited for the cause of the nation. Therefore, in the educational process we should develop the creative abilities among children.

Meaning/Defining Creativity

Creativity has many meanings, probably because it arouses interest among a wide variety of scholars-including philosophers, historians, educators, psychiatrists and psychologists who view it from their separate perspectives. Some think of creativity as personal idiosyncrasy while others associate it with special competency. Thus, creativity is that which appears new to every moment or it is the responses that are novel to the society as well as to the individual. 

Drevdahl (1956) defined creativity as "the capacity of a person to produce compositions, products or ideas of any sort which are essentially new or novel and previously unknown to the producer".

Skinner defined the creative thinker is one who explores new ideas and makes new observation, new predictions and new inferences. Thus, creativity is the capacity or ability of an individual to create, discover or produce a new idea or object including the re-arrangement or reshaping of what is already known to him.

Koble (1958) defined as "creativity implies invention the uncovering of new facts or new relationships among new or old data.

Guilford (1960) said that "creativity refers to abilities that are most characteristics of creative people. Thus creativity refers to the abilities of individuals to create or produce results of creative nature.

Torrance (1962) defined creativity is the process of becoming sensitive to problems, deficiencies, gaps in knowledge, missing elements, dishermonies, and so forth".

McKinnon (1963) defined "creativity is a process extended in time and characterized by originality adaptiveness and realization".

Ausubel (1963) defined "creativity is a generalized constellation of intellectual abilities, personality variables and problem solving traits".

Thurstone defined creativity is an act of the thinker which comes suddenly to him and implies some novelty to him.

Tylor (1964) defined a process is creative when it results in a novel work that is accepted as tenable useful or satisfying by a group at a point in time.

Stein (1974) defined creativity is a process which results in novel work that is accepted as tenable or useful or satisfying to a group of people at some point in time.

Willach and Kogan (1965) defined creativity lies producing more associations and in producing more that are unique.

Thus for creativity there is no correct response it is new or original and unique. It is the capacity or ability of an individual to create, discover or produce a new idea or object including the rearrangement or reshaping of what is already known to him.

Baker (1962) defined creativity as bringing about notable changes in things, thoughts and social structure through action thinking which results in a situation not previously known to us.

Vernon (1967) considers creativity mainly as "on ability and a form of cognitive activity. According to him, creativity means the abilities and personality characterstics that underline the production of artistic or scientific work which is generally recognised as creative and original.

The creative person is a divergent thinker. He discovers or offers uncommon thoughts or ideas, unexpected suggestions and unconventional views. Andrews (1961) defines a creative person has a positive self-integrating force, a process of self actualization and expression of being. Creativity in terms of product refers to the capacity of individual by which something new is produced, ie an idea or an object including a new form or arrangement of old elements. Creativity in terms of process refers to the act of mind, that calls into play, motivation. perception. learning and thinking. According to Rogers "the creative process is the emergence in action of a novel relational product growing out of the uniqueness of the individual on the one-hand and materials, events, people or circumstances of his life on the other". A creative environment is that which motivates a person to produce new ideas, patterns or relationships. Rogers also mentioned four environmental conditions that may foster creativity. Le., accepting the individual as of unconditional worth. providing climate free from external evaluation, understanding the child empathically and providing psychological freedom.

Nature of Creativity

The following are the nature of creativity :

(a) Creativity is universal : Creativity is not confined to any individual groups of individuals, caste, colour sex or creed. It has no boundary of age. location or culture. It is applicable to all stages of education and universal in nature. 

(b) Creativity abilities are natural : It is not surrounded and developed With artificial and forceful situation. It can be nourished and nurtured by training and proper education. It is both innate and acquired. 

(c) Creative expressions are new or novel : All individuals are creative in diverse ways and in different degrees. It is not restricted to a chosen few. It brings newness or novelty in the system or something new into being. The emphasis is on the newness and lack of previous existence of the idea or product.

(d) Creative expressions are wider in scope : It has no limit or boundaries. It is a kind of adventurous and open thinking. It covers multifarious human accomplishments and all fields of human life.

(e) Creative expressions carries ego involvement : No one other than the creator can experience the warmth. happiness and satisfaction which he receives through his creation. The creator takes pride in his creation and hence makes ego involved statements like it is my idea and I have solved this problem, etc. 

(f) Creative abilities are not completely spontaneous rather it requires constant understanding discipline hardwork and patience to produce something new and unique. It is a kind of adventurous thinking and a departure from the closed thinking.

(g) Creativity is the ability to go beyond the immediate solution, redefine the problem or some part of it and unusual ideas and new approach to the problem. It Involves many abilities like fluency, flexibility originality and elaboration.

Characteristics of a Creative Person

According to Tylor, the characteristics of a Creative Person are the following :

(a) Strong momory powers and full of new ideas about things;

(b) Tendency to evaluate the ideas and actions of sell and others;

(c) Flexible and open minded;

(d) All the four qualities like originality. fluency. flexibility and power of elaboration;

(e) Sensitivity to problems, openness to new ideas and experiences;

(f) Curiosity and having intellectual persistence;

(g) Tendency to seek challenges and manipulative ideas;

(h) Prefering complex ideas and tolerance for ambiguity;

(i) Commitment to work and inclination to take risk;

(j) Resourceful, adventurous and extrovert, and 

(k) More perseverance and less traditional-bound.

Torrance indicated that a creative person is a (i) divergent thinker: (ii) forming ideas or hypothesis-concerning problem; (iii) testing these hypothesis and communicating the results, (iv) capable of modifying and retesting the hypothesis, (v) original, useful and socially accepted abilities and (vi) development of novel approach to solve problems.

 The researchers in their findings concluded the following behavioural characteristics of a creative person :

1. Flexible and open minded

2. Suggest better ways of doing a job

3. Originality of ideas and expression

4. Ability to use material, words or ideas in new ways

5. Bold and emotionally sensitive, resourceful, radical or a sense of adventure and curious nature 

6. A high degree of awareness, enthusiasm and concentration

7. Self-discipline and capacity to integrate things 

8. Respect for the opinions of others

9. Humorous, playful. dominant and self-assertive

10. Lack of rigidity, high values, intolerant for injustice, enjoy strange ideas, rich imagination and expressive

11. Need for autonomy and have high aspirations

12. Sense of self-confidence and reserve and

13. Venturesome and pursuit of self chosen interests