5 June 2024, Dr Helen Johnson
Creativity is something of a buzzword – it seems everyone wants to be creative, think creatively, have creative employees, colleagues and children… But what does all of this really mean? Who gets to define what is creative? What and who should creativity be for? Should we be focusing on the links between creativity and productivity, creativity and wellbeing or should we be trying to nurture the development of creativity for its own sake? Should we be funnelling money into ‘high’ art pursuits like ballet and the opera or into activities like community choirs and amateur dramatics? What about creativity within areas like science, technology, in the home or in nature?
Dr Helen Johnson is Principal Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Brighton