The third characteristic of creative individuals is the acquisition of cognitive skills, such as the capacity for divergent thinking, i.e. thinking ‘beyond the square’, where the exercise of the imagination leads to multiple possible solutions to the problem. This has proved to be a fruitful area for empirical research, and tests for divergent thinking have been devised which have been widely used in creativity research and in practical applications, for example, as indicators of potential for creative thought in areas such as management [Runco (1999b)].
Turning to creativity as a process, we note that the representation of creativity in this context has generally dissected the process into a series of stages [Gilhooly (1988); Lubart (2001)]. Typically the stages as described involve preparation or observation, followed by definition of the problem, perhaps a stage of ‘incubation’, and then illumination leading to a solution. A final stage may also be identified involving verification. Whilst the characterization of the creative process as one of rational decision-making according to a logical procedure has much appeal, it seems to imply that anyone could become creative simply by following the required steps. In fact, it may well be that creativity, especially in art, is the very antithesis of a rational process. Indeed revolutionary movements in art such as dada have been explicitly aimed at subversion of the established order.
From the HOTEOAAC (pg. 511)
