The Dynamic Definition of Creativity:
A New Framework for Creative Education
Prof. Giovanni E. Corazza
October 31, 2016
2:00 – 3:15 PM
Gentry Room 131
-------------------------------------------------------
Abstract
The talk will start by considering the central role of creativity in the future post-information society,
followed by a call for a pragmatist approach to creativity studies, bringing as a consequence the
recognition of the dynamic nature of this phenomenon. At the foundation of the proposed new
theoretical framework lies the definition of creativity itself: the standard definition based on novelty
and value can and should be challenged, especially if the purpose is to educate the younger
generations. The approach to creativity is turned from static to dynamic through the introduction of
the concept of potential originality and effectiveness. Starting from this central definition we arrive at
novel definitions for creative achievement and creative inconclusiveness. While both aspects are
key in the creative process, creative inconclusiveness was not part of previous definitions, but it can
be argued that its role is most fundamental for effective education in creativity. The new definitions
are shown to have full backward compatibility with the extant corpus of scientific research in
creativity, as well as forward effectiveness in suggesting novel investigation approaches to support
the consideration of new theoretical hypotheses.
For more information, contact: Dianna Hyland at dianna.hyland@uconn.edu