About the Author

Samuel A Malone is a self-employed training consultant,

lecturer, moderator, examiner and author. He is the author of
20 books published in Ireland, the UK and worldwide on
learning, personal development, study skills and business
management. Many of his books have been translated into
foreign languages and gone into second editions. His most
recent book (2014) is titled Awaken the Genius Within A
Guide to Lifelong Learning Skills (Glasnevin Publishing,
Dublin). He has a M.Ed with distinction (in training and
development) from the University of Sheffield and is a
qualified Chartered Management Accountant (ACMA),
Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA) and a
Chartered Secretary (ACIS). He is a Fellow of the Irish
Institute of Training and Development (FIITD). Previous
books published by the author include Why Some People
Succeed and Others Fail (Glasnevin Publishing, Dublin),
Learning about Learning (CIPD, London), A Practical Guide
to Learning in the Workplace (The Liffey Press, Dublin),
Better Exam Results (Elsevier/CIMA, London) and How To
Set Up and Manage A Corporate Learning Centre (Gower,
Aldershot, UK). All of these books are available online from
Amazon.co.uk.

Dedication
To my wife Veronica, my children Caroline, Sandra and David
and my three grandchildren Shane, Kate and Rachel.

Copyright Samuel A. Malone (2015)

The right of Samuel A. Malone to be identified as author of this
work has been asserted by him in accordance with section 77 and
78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be
reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any
form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the
publishers.
Any person who commits any unauthorized act in relation to this
publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims
for damages.
A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British
Library.

ISBN 978 1 78455 416 3

www.austinmacauley.com
First Published (2015)
Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd.
25 Canada Square
Canary Wharf
London
E14 5LB

Printed and bound in Great Britain

Acknowledgements
I would like to thank Austin Macauley Publishers for having the
confidence in me to publish this book. I would also like to thank
them for the great job done on layout, typesetting and editorial
work.

Cont ent s
Preface
1 What Is Creativity
Introduction
Exploring Creativity
Nature Verses Nurture
Creativity and Innovation
IQ and CQ
Multiple Intelligences
Barriers to Creativity
Myths of Creativity
Summary of Chapter 1
2 Why Does Creativity Happen?
Introduction
Business Needs
Visualisation
Design Needs
Career Opportunities
Creativity and Travel
Creativity and Motivation
Adopting Certain Roles
Summary of Chapter 2
3 When Does Creativity Happen?
Introduction
Role of the Subconscious
Inspired By Dreams
Notes to Inspire
Serendipity
Thinking Creatively
Summary of Chapter 3
4 How Does Creativity Happen?
Introduction
Five Stages of Creativity
Practical Creativity
The 4 Ps of Creativity
How to Kill Creativity

13
20
20
20
23
25
31
35
42
58
69
70
70
71
73
75
80
81
82
90
93
94
94
94
96
101
104
118
124
126
126
127
133
139
141

Creative Perspectives
The Range of Creativity Paradigms
Brainstorming
Techniques for Stimulating Creativity
Suggestion Schemes
Creative Problem Solving
TRIZ
Biomimicry Creativity Inspired by Nature
Summary of Chapter 4
5 Where Does Creativity Take Place?
Introduction
Creativity in the Brain
Flow and Creativity
Exercise, Sleep and Mediation
Creativity in the Home
Creativity in the Workplace
Nurturing Creativity at Work
Nurturing Creativity in Teams
Universities and R&D
Western Verses Eastern Cultures
Cities as Creative Hubs
Summary of Chapter 5
6 Who Is Creative?
Introduction
Traits of Creative People
The Dark Side of Creativity
The DISC Personal Profile System
Thinking Styles Preferences
Gender and Creativity
Famous Creative People
Creativity over the Lifespan
Diffusion of Innovation Curve
Education and Creativity
Entrepreneurs
Summary of Chapter 6
References and Bibliography
INDEX

147
152
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165
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191
199
213
215
215
216
220
221
223
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241
244
247
250
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301
314

Preface
This book answers the six vital questions everybody has about
creativity: What is creativity? Why does creativity happen?
When does creativity happen? How does creativity happen?
Where does creativity take place? And who is creative? There
are six chapters in the book devoted to addressing each of
these issues. Each chapter is illustrated by practical examples
of creativity and innovation in action. These range from
business to science; from continuous improvement to new
product development.
Creativity is creating something that wasnt there before,
seeing novel relationships between things, ideas, artefacts,
products, places and people. Creativity has been linked to
genius, in science, business, and art, and many people have
attained world fame through their wonderful discoveries and
inventions. Every idea that changed the world began in the
mind of someone as a thought. Modern living has been
enriched and made possible through creative endeavours.
Apart from making something new or original, creativity can
be also about improving, refining, changing or combining
things in unusual ways. Creativity is not just for the privileged
few, because we all have the potential to be creative.
The debate about the contribution of nature versus nurture
to creativity still goes on and evokes considerable
controversy. Research shows that certain characteristics,
whether from nature or nurture, or a combination of both,
account for a persons creativity. These traits include having a
broad range of interests, being attracted to complex issues,
seeking out novel experiences, aesthetic sensitivity, and
toleration of ambiguity, non-conformity, risk taking and selfconfidence. Historiometry is the study of personal traits
making up genius such as creativity. It covers the lifespan of
people who were exceptionally creative, and the progress of
their creativity throughout their lives. By studying these role

models we should be able to learn about what it takes to be

creative, and apply them to our own lives.
Creativity and innovation are different. Creativity is the
production of novel and useful ideas in any field, whereas
innovation is the implementation of these ideas. Creative
companies believe in flexibility, adaptability and involvement,
implemented by a policy of employee empowerment and
development. Creative companies such as 3M, Apple and
Google actively support a culture of creativity.
Intelligence and creativity are linked but different.
Creativity is just one aspect of intelligence. Nevertheless, you
need a certain amount of IQ to be creative, although people
with a high IQ are not necessarily creative. Howard Gardner,
who has come up with the theory of multiple intelligences, has
widened the definition of intelligence to include eight aspects
that have a strong creativity bias. These include spatial,
interpersonal, musical, intrapersonal, linguistic, kinaesthetic,
logical and naturalistic. People can develop their creative
skills in any or a combination of these areas.
The barriers to creativity include conformity, fear and
group think. The myths of creativity include that the right side
of the brain controls creativity, and that all the best ways of
doing things have already been found. Being aware of the
barriers and myths to creativity will help you develop a more
positive attitude to creativity and counteract any negativity.
Evidence of creativity has spanned the history of human
kind, from the drawings on cave walls and the invention of the
wheel to the modern wonders of telecommunications. Global
competition, rapidly changing technology, and the shortening
of the product life cycle, has made creativity more important
in business than ever before.
Creativity is important because it creates business
opportunities, visualises possibilities, fulfils design needs,
meets personal ambitions, provides roles for people to play
and presents career opportunities for employees. Without
being creative we would be unable to solve the everyday
problems of life, and the ever changing challenges of
business. The people who progress in their careers are the

ones who can come up with new and innovative ideas, and
new and improved ways of doing things.
To survive, a business needs to work smarter and faster,
continually develop new products and services, and improve
existing ones. We tend to move towards those goals that we
clearly visualise. If you visualise a difficult task before you do
it, you are more likely to successfully complete it.
Good design is an important ingredient of creativity in
business and permeates all aspects of our lives. Many
successful companies are now driven by design. It is often the
main competitive advantage. Good design will increase sales,
create brand recognition, and should be considered an
investment rather than a cost.
Travelling to foreign parts and particularly living in
foreign countries seems to be an aid to creativity. Living and
adapting to a new culture forces us to think and to learn novel
approaches to problem solving, and behave differently to cope
with a changed way of life.
In general, people will be most creative if intrinsically
rather than extrinsically motivated. If you love what you do
you are intrinsically motivated. The roles people adopt
facilitate the process of creativity. These roles are: explorer,
artist, judge and warrior. A combination of these roles is
needed for creativity.
The subconscious plays a vital role in our creativity. Your
subconscious is the storehouse of everything you know, even
things you cant readily recall to mind. It makes patterns and
connections without your conscious knowledge. It will
process, recombine, adapt and consolidate ideas, images and
experiences and suggest solutions. You can tap spontaneous
insights by accessing the vast resources of your subconscious.
Many famous people came up with their most brilliant
ideas and marvellous inventions after a daydream or a dream.
When you sleep your mind doesnt turn off but instead
becomes very active. Sometimes dreams are the way your
mind works out solutions to difficult problems, and it taps into
the creativity in your subconscious to do so. Thomas Edison
claimed that most of his ideas came to him after dozing.

Similar claims have been made by other prominent scientists

and authors.
Creative people are great note takers. Leonardo da Vinci
kept detailed notes and drawings of his ideas that survive to
this day. Charles Darwin was an avid note taker. Scientists
could not keep track of their experiments and research without
keeping comprehensive notes. Novelists and non-fiction
writers could not produce their books without notes on their
observations and research.
Many famous inventions were inspired by serendipitous
or accidental events. Serendipity is the source of many ideas
in consumer goods, pharmaceuticals, science, medical
devices, industry and discoveries about astronomy. One of the
most notable accidental discoveries was Alexander Flemings
penicillin made in 1928.
Thinking creatively can be encouraged by having the right
mindset, adopting the right approach and having fun during
the process. You are more likely to be creative if you are
optimistic, have a strong self-belief and pursue ideas with
confidence and purpose.
The five stages of creativity are preparation, effort,
incubation, insight and evaluation. New ideas may be
triggered off by means of the acronym CAMPERS. This
stands for combine ideas, adapt, modify, put to other uses,
eliminate unnecessary parts, rearrange and simplify. This
simple acronym if used purposefully can be a great inspiration
for creativity.
In many organisations ideas are killed before they ever get
off the ground. Some of the best ideas were initially rejected
but came to fruition through the persistence and determination
of their owners. The not invented here syndrome is a good
example of a prevalent barrier to creativity.
Edward De Bono, the inventor of lateral thinking, has
suggested the six thinking hats as a way for people to become
more creative. Wearing these metaphorical hats gives us
different perspective on a problem. The hats represent white
hat thinking (logical), red hat thinking (emotional), yellow hat

thinking (optimistic), black hat thinking (pessimistic), green

hat thinking (creative), and blue hat thinking (control).
Brainstorming is one of the most popular methods used in
companies to generate ideas. The four stages of brainstorming
are: suspend judgement, freewheel, generate many ideas and
cross fertilise. Other techniques of creativity include fantasy,
attribute listing, metaphors, synectics, swot analysis, stretch
imaging and suggestion schemes. Companies may set up
suggestion schemes to encourage employees to make cost
savings and improvements related to their work or the
products or services of the company.
Creative Problem Solving (CPS) is another major
creativity technique for generating ideas and solving
problems. TRIZ is the Theory of Inventive Problem Solving
developed from world-wide patterns of inventions from patent
literature and it has now been adopted by many major
multinationals. These two techniques have made a major
contribution to creative problem solving in organisations.
Biomimicry is creativity inspired by nature. Sources
include birds, the sea, plants, insects and humans/animals.
Nature has evolved over 3.8 billion years to solve problems in
surprisingly efficient and novel ways. A closely related field
to biomimicry is bionics, which is used creatively to mend
broken bodies.
Creativity starts in the brain. Both sides of the brain are
needed for creativity. The entire creative process engages
different regions of the brain. The neocortex is the part of the
brain that distinguishes us from the other mammals. Thanks to
the neocortex, humans can perform extraordinary creative and
complex tasks. These include writing a book, composing a
symphony, painting a landscape or building a computer.
Creative people tend to lose themselves in the creative
process. This is known as a state of flow.
Exercise, sleep and meditation are good for your
creativity. Creativity can happen at home or at work.
Creativity is needed in our personal lives to solve everyday
problems. These could include household budgeting, interior
design and carrying out do-it-yourself projects.

In the workplace there are numerous opportunities to

exercise creativity from continuous improvements to new
product developments. Simple everyday changes and
improvements may reap major benefits in productivity.
Responding in a creative way to a customers request, or
solving a crisis requiring a quick response, are everyday
occurrences in most businesses. At a more sophisticated level
new goods and services are coming on the market all the time.
Universities are designed to encourage the flow of ideas
between disciplines within and outside the university. Pure
research is conducted in universities rather than development.
The fruits of this research benefits industry. The internet
enables universities to keep up to date on the research
activities of other universities at home and abroad.
Western and eastern countries differ to the extent that they
are creative. Originality, initiative, fluidity and flexibility are
highly regarded and respected in the west. On the other hand,
eastern cultures emphasise the importance of the group over
the individual, and the need for conformity, respect for
tradition and social harmony. Japan has built its reputation on
incremental improvements rather than invention. China is
becoming a major economic force in the world.
Major cities are creative hubs. The average inhabitant of a
city is three times more creative than someone living in a
small town. Innovation is a prime driver of economic growth
in cities and regions. Globalised cities such as New York and
London now trade in creativity, ideas, knowledge and
innovation.
The traits of creative people include playfulness,
resilience, imagination, novelty, curiosity and energy. These
traits are well worth developing. The average person
underestimates how creative they are. Creativity can be
expressed in our lifestyle, in the way we solve problems, in
the way we dress, in the way we speak, in how we interact
with others and in the way we cook.
There is a dark side to creativity. Many famous creative
people show symptoms of extreme personality disorders such
as schizoid, histrionic, narcissistic and manic depressive. The

DISC Personal Profile System attempts to develop a creativity

quotient (CQ) similar to the intelligence quotient (IQ), but has
not achieved the same level of acceptance. There are thinking
style preferences in creativity such as the inventive style, the
implementing style and the evaluating style. Men and women
are equally creative.
Creativity lasts a lifetime despite the fact that some people
consider themselves too old to be creative. Creativity is a
highly desirable skill at any age even though it may vary over
the lifespan of a person. Scientists, artists, politicians,
entertainers and writers can remain creative throughout their
lives and into old age.
Education plays a critical role in creativity. Deep
knowledge of a particular domain and a fund of general
knowledge is an important resource for creativity. Creative
people need a store of knowledge to fall back on. An
individual must have knowledge of a specific field of study to
engage in problem solving related to that field, and make a
creative contribution to that domain. Entrepreneurs need to
know their businesses and be knowledgeable and creative if
their enterprise is to survive and thrive.

1
What Is Creativity
Introduction
The word creative means to create, to make or to produce.
Creativity is creating something that wasnt there before,
seeing novel relationships between things, ideas, artefacts,
products, places and people.
The debate about the contribution of nature versus nurture
to creativity still goes on and evokes considerable
controversy. Historiometry is the study of personal traits
making up genius such as creativity. It covers the lifespan of
people who were exceptionally creative and the progress of
their creativity throughout their lives.
Creativity and innovation are different. Creativity is the
production of novel and useful ideas in any field, whereas
innovation is the implementation of these ideas into useful
products. Creative companies actively support a culture of
creativity.
Creativity is an aspect of intelligence, although people
with a high IQ are not necessarily creative. Howard Gardner
has widened the definition of intelligence to include eight
aspects having a strong creativity bias.
The barriers to creativity can be social, corporate and
psychological. The myths of creativity relate to people, ideas,
business and the brain.

Exploring Creativity
The word creative or creativity comes from the Latin
word creare which means to create, to make or to
produce. Beginning in the Renaissance (14th 17th century),
into the Age of Enlightenment (18th century), and continuing