BONUS: Creativity and Imagination

Question 1

Describe the pre-christian view of creativity.

Answer 1

• The ancient conception of genius. • It was originally associated with mystical powers of protection and good fortune. • By Aristotle’s prime, creativeness began to be associated with madness and frenzied inspiration (Kaufman)

Question 2

Describe the early western view of creativity.

Answer 2

• Derived from the Biblical story of creation given in Genesis
• Plato felt that nothing new was possible, and art in his time was an effort to match or mimic ideal forms

Question 3

What is the difference between a scientifically oriented theory and a metaphorically oriented theory?

Answer 3

• A scientifically oriented theory aims to provide an empirically accurate map of reality • A metaphorical oriented theory offers more of a speculative stance; it focuses on provoking new understandings.

Question 4

What is the distinction between the creative experience (CE) and the creative product (CP)?

Answer 4

• CE represents the more subjective forms of creativity. It may or may not result in a tangible product. • CP is more objective. Evaluating the CP can result in a partial conception of creative phenomena.

Question 5

Describe the traditional dichotomy of creativity definitions.

Answer 5

• Big-C creativity refers to unambiguous examples of creative expression. • Little-c focuses on the creativity of everyday life. • This dichotomy can lack nuance, and be unclear as to what qualifies category membership