Creativity: A Very Short Introduction

Very Short Introductions: Brilliant, Sharp, Inspiring

For thousands of years humanity has engaged in creative expression, allowing us to relate to other people, contribute to shared culture, build an identity, and give meaning to our existence. From the painted caves in Lascaux and the invention of the first tools to modern day advertising campaigns and inventors' labs, creativity has a long past but a short history. The word 'creativity' emerged in the English language in the 19th century and only become popular from the mid-20th century.

This Very Short Introduction explores the history, theory, and practice of creativity from a psychological perspective. Vlad Glaveanu considers the nature and development of the creative process, and analyzes the reasons why we produce creative work. Offering a sociocultural reading of this phenomenon, he discusses how we can understand creative people and their creations within the social, material, and historical context that made them possible. In doing so, he demonstrates how we can address the meaning and value of creativity beyond its contribution to economic growth and personal well-being. Finally Glaveanu focuses on the future of creativity and creativity research, reflecting on technological development, the evolution of society and, ultimately, on our place in a world populated by creative beings, ideas, and encounters.

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Vlad Glaveanu, Associate Professor, Webster University, Geneva & University of Bergen, Norway

Vlad Glaveanu is Associate Professor and Head of the Department of Psychology and Counselling at Webster University Geneva, Associate Professor II at Bergen University, Norway, and Director of the Webster Center for Creativity and Innovation (WCCI). His work focuses on creativity, imagination, culture, collaboration, and societal challenges. He edited The Palgrave Handbook of Creativity and Culture (2016), and OUP's The Creativity Reader (2018), and co-edited The Cambridge Handbook of Creativity across Domains (2017), and OUP's Handbook of Imagination and Culture (2017). He co-edits the book series Palgrave Studies in Creativity and Culture, and is editor of Europe's Journal of Psychology (EJOP), an open-access peer-reviewed journal published by PsychOpen (Germany). In 2018 Glăveanu received the Berlyne Award from the American Psychological Association for outstanding early career contributions to the field of aesthetics, creativity, and the arts.