The Creative Person

The term creativity, as used in psychology, has become chic. Many trend-setting terms live a short and hectic life and are soon forced to make room for new devices in the public show-windows. Not long ago a prominent creativity researcher asked if her beloved subject might also go out of fashion one day soon. But behind the term creativity one encounters an abyss of questions that ensnares us, at the same time tempting and frightening. The creative person, with whom we would like to identify, is commonly regarded as being filled to the brim of his mind with new ideas and projects: he views life from strange belvederes, formulates problems contrary to traditional beliefs, and turns accepted and seemingly self-evident conceptions upside-down. He may seem stimulating to those who work with him, an indispensable asset, but also exasperating, ego-centric, unreliable, and inconvenient. We usually accept a creative attitude as a constituent part of literary and artistic work, research, and technical construction. But creativity permeates all aspects of human activity, including our everyday business and communication.