Depending upon which source you select, there are nearly 500 definitions of the word creativity, with most relating to artistic ability or accomplishment, and few describing its impact and influence on business.
Here's some of the most common definitions:
"The birth of imaginative new ideas"
I understand - and moderately agree - with its underlying point, but I don't like the the concept of "new" in a definition of creativity. There's heaps of brilliant ideas created everyday that aren't new. Case in point: the iPod.
"Looking at the same thing as everyone else, but seeing it differently"
Being able to see and recognize difference perspective is absolutely vital.
"Bringing something new into the world"
Another reason why I dislike the word 'new' - I find it paralyzes brainstorm participantss. It's as if you're saying: "Come on everyone, think of something NEW that someone hasn't thought of in all of human civilizsation."
"Creativity comes from a world we don't know we don't know"
A classic, from a colleague at Burson-Marseller I never got a chance to meet: I love it because it's 99% oblique and 100% correct.
"The ability to discover new relationships and combinations"
This is a better use of the word 'new' - again, being creative, particularly in business, means seeing relationships between two items that others haven't (yet) seen.
"The imaginatively gifted recombination of known elements into something new"
I like this definition because of the word "recombination" - which is almost exactly what creative thought is - combining and merging together different elements into a new idea.
"Effective surprise"
Hardly an articulate definition of anything, except a surprise party.
"When a person has many new "big ideas" to bring into the world"
I see this definition frequently, but frankly, it's a better description of a creative person than a definition of creativity.
