The Oxford English Dictionary suggests:
The Oxford English Dictionary suggests: "The ability to create". Fantastic! The Heritage Illustrated Dictionary is a little more helpful: "Characterized by originality and expressiveness, imaginative". So we can start to see some of the characteristics of creativity.

Here are some much more interesting quotes:

"Every act of creation is first of all an act of destruction". Picasso

My interpretation of this quote is the need to break down our barriers to creativity: preconceptions, fears, being trapped by 'rules' and unwilling to be frivolous, foolish and play with ideas that may take us to a solution.

"Imagination is more important than knowledge." Einstein

This quote suggests some of the 'ingredients': imaginative thinking is most important (in Einstein's view!) but there is a need for knowledge too.

And we came across this great quote:

"Creativity is knowledge times imagination times evaluation. And I say 'times' because if either knowledge, imagination

This really works well, because it suggests that creativity, and being creative, is a kind of process:

• First, you have to be knowledgeable on the subject. Fill yourself with understanding. • Second, use imaginative or creative thinking to generate ideas • Third, and finally, take time to evaluate

We have more information on brainstorming, in our 'Creative Thinking' section that provides one approach to undertaking this creative process.

And finally, a further quote from David C. Morrison:

"Also looking on to what innovation is, innovation is knowledge times imagination times evaluation times action. Because my belief is without action there is no innovation or no applied creativity."

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