Sternbert and Lubart (1999) defined creativity as the production of responses both novel (original, rare or unexpected) and suitable. Suitability depends on the venue: compelling in the arts, marketable in business, useful in science and technology or adaptive personally or socially.
This two component (production and suitability) definition changes creativity from a trait to a process in which a new idea is transformed into a compelling, marketable, useful or adaptive product. Given the number of steps involved, that nifty idea better fall on fertile ground. Continue reading Two-Part Creativity