Where does creativity come from?

Creativity is a tricky concept. Some would suggest its spontaneous nature sits outside traditional learning and that it can be nurtured through flexible forms of education. Others insist that in order to be creative we need to already have knowledge and facts stored in long-term memory. Both are legitimate proposals, yet as a predominately cognitive psychologist I’m more likely to opt for the latter. That said, creativity is in no way confined to our semantic memories (the facts; the general knowledge) but also to our episodic memory, our being in the world and experience of the ebb and flow of everyday life and social encounters. But knowledge can also get in the way of creativity, as I explain here.

What do we mean by creativity?

The Oxford English dictionary defines creativity as the use of skill and imagination to produce something new or to produce art. The aim of creativity is to do something purposeful and create something that exists in the real world and has real world purpose, such as the light bulb, telephone or smartphone.

We can say creativity has taken place when something new and valuable has been formed. Creating a painting or writing a novel culminates in a product, a thing that serves a purpose — painters, artists, metalworkers, inventors, carpenters are all creative people because what they produce…