Defining Creativity comprehensively explains what creativity is, from a biological, psychological and socio-cultural standpoint. A concise and inspiring read!

A science-backed method to maximize creative potential in any sphere of life With the prevalence of computer technology and outsourcing, new jobs and fulfilling lives will rely heavily on creativity and innovation. Keith Sawyer draws from his expansive research of the creative journey, exceptional creators, creative abilities, and world-changing innovations to create an accessible, eight-step program to increasing anyone's creative potential. Sawyer reveals the surprising secrets of highly creative people (such as learning to ask better questions when faced with a problem), demonstrates how to come up with better ideas, and explains how to carry those ideas to fruition most effectively. This science-backed, step-by step method can maximize our creative potential in any sphere of life. Offers a proven method for developing new ideas and creative problem-solving no matter what your profession Includes an eight-step method, 30 practices, and more than 100 techniques that can be launched at any point in a creative journey Psychologist, jazz pianist, and author Keith Sawyer studied with world-famous creativity expert Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi Sawyer's book offers a wealth of easy to apply strategies and ideas for anyone who wants to tap into their creative power.

“Although the benefits of this study to scholars are obvious, this thought-provoking mixture of scholarly and colloquial will enlighten inquisitive general readers, too.” — Library Journal (starred review) The classic study of the creative process from the bestselling author of Flow. Creativity is about capturing those moments that make life worth living. Legendary psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (“The leading researcher into ‘flow states.’” — Newsweek) reveals what leads to these moments—be it the excitement of the artist at the easel or the scientist in the lab—so that this knowledge can be used to enrich people's lives. Drawing on nearly one hundred interviews with exceptional people, from biologists and physicists, to politicians and business leaders, to poets and artists, as well as his thirty years of research on the subject, Csikszentmihalyi uses his famous flow theory to explore the creative process. He discusses such ideas as why creative individuals are often seen as selfish and arrogant, and why the "tortured genius" is largely a myth. Most important, he explains why creativity needs to be cultivated and is necessary for the future of our country, if not the world.

Explaining Creativity is a comprehensive and authoritative overview of scientific studies on creativity and innovation. Sawyer discusses not only arts like painting and writing, but also science, stage performance, business innovation, and creativity in everyday life. Sawyer's approach is interdisciplinary. In addition to examining psychological studies on creativity, he draws on anthropologists' research on creativity in non-Western cultures, sociologists' research on the situations, contexts, and networks of creative activity, and cognitive neuroscientists' studies of the brain.

What is creativity? How does it work? How does it flourish in individuals and organizations? Now in its second edition, this bestselling introductory text--written by one of the world's leading experts on the psychology of creativity--is completely updated and expanded to reflect the tremendous growth in this field. In a redesigned, reader-friendly format, the text surveys the latest theories and research to provide key information about what we know (and don't know) about creativity including its many definitions and measures. It addresses how creativity operates on individual and social/environmental levels, and the effects and outcomes of the creative mind. This much-praised book is an ideal brief text for courses on creativity in psychology, education, business, and other fields, as well as cross-disciplinary seminars and programs in creativity studies. New to the Second Edition: Completely updated and expanded with new theories and research Restructured to enhance flow of information and ease of use New chapters on measuring creativity, creativity and mental health, creative environments, how creativity is perceived by self and society, and its positive and negative aspects Coverage of new models and frameworks Expanded coverage of creativity and motivation, mental illness, and mood; history of creativity research; the creative process; and neuroscientific theories and approaches Thorough reconceptualization of creativity and personality New content on differences between creativity, imagination, and innovation Expanded coverage of creativity assessment Key Features: Surveys theory, research, and applications of creativity concisely and accessibly Written in an engaging style by a world-renowned creativity expert Ideal for courses on creativity in psychology, education, business, and other fields, as well as cross-disciplinary seminars

Dimensions of Creativity brings together original articles that draw on a range of discipline--from the history and sociology of science, psychology, philosophy, and artificial intelligence--to ask how creative ideas arise, and whether creativity can be objectively defined and measured. Dimensions of Creativity brings together original articles that draw on a range of disciplines--from the history and sociology of science, psychology, philosophy, and artificial intelligence--to ask how creative ideas arise, and whether creativity can be objectively defined and measured. Margaret Boden and her colleagues Simon Schaffer, Gerd Gigerenzer, David N. Perkins, Howard Gardner, Colin Martindale, and Hans J. Eysenck demonstrate that creativity requires not only challenging new ideas but their acceptance by some relevant social group. Although some new ideas can arise as novel associations, others are generated by exploiting structural features of an existing conceptual space. Strong motivations often drive the creators and those who evaluate and perpetuate their work. The seven essays--although very different--are complementary. The book can serve as an up-to-date introduction to the study of creativity in various disciplines. The many references provide a way into the relevant literature. A Bradford Book

SHORTLISTED: CMI Management Book of the Year 2018 - Innovation and Entrepreneurship Category In Your Creative Element helps readers identify a personal creativity formula for success, and kick-starts the creative journey. It provides personalized insights so that readers can develop their knowledge and skills and their own formula to unlock creativity and apply it in any context. In Your Creative Element is an original work on one of the hottest topics in business written by a creative director who has made it her business to unpick how and why creative ideas are born, develop and survive or die. The author has identified 62 elements that affect creativity and has created a unique 'Periodic Table of Creative Elements'. This simple framework adds logic and science to the concept of creativity and can be explored by anyone to find which creative elements are most important to them and to transform their approach to creativity. Highly practical and packed with case studies and tips from creative experts and organizations including Google, Netflix, Pixar, the NHS, the United Nations and Twitter as well as some of the world's most successful advertising agencies, In Your Creative Element provides inspiration and practical advice for readers who recognize that creativity is essential for business success but who do not know where to begin to unlock their creative potential.

Contemporary society has seen an unprecedented rise in both the demand and the desire to be creative, to bring something new into the world. Once the reserve of artistic subcultures, creativity has now become a universal model for culture and an imperative in many parts of society. In this new book, cultural sociologist Andreas Reckwitz investigates how the ideal of creativity has grown into a major social force, from the art of the avant-garde and postmodernism to the ‘creative industries’ and the innovation economy, the psychology of creativity and self-growth, the media representation of creative stars, and the urban design of ‘creative cities’. Where creativity is often assumed to be a force for good, Reckwitz looks critically at how this imperative has developed from the 1970s to the present day. Though we may well perceive creativity as the realization of some natural and innate potential within us, it has rather to be understood within the structures of a very specific culture of the new in late modern society. The Invention of Creativity is a bold and refreshing counter to conventional wisdom that shows how our age is defined by radical and restrictive processes of social aestheticization. It will be of great interest to those working in a variety of disciplines, from cultural and social theory to art history and aesthetics.

Discover how creativity depends on inside-the-box thinking-that's right, not outside the box-and a new perspective on creative thinking.

This book provides a thorough introduction to the basic facts and major theories of human motivation. Throughout the book, the author addresses the types of questions that often arise, such as "Why are some people more organized than others?" and "Why do people dream?" In his exploration of day-to-day human motivation, Franken provides a topical organization that shows students how biology, learning, and cognition interact with individual differences to produce human behavior.