Creativity

with a Capital "C"

Part 1: Perspectives on Creativity
Yurika Shibamoto (CEP818/FS2023)

My original definition of creativity:

To bring new perspectives and keep trial & error to create new values

Disliking repetition makes me creative!

Interviewee
I interviewed my collegue, a female researcher in her
early 30's. She is a Malaysian, born and raised in
Malaysia, and obtained her doctoral degree in Tourism
Management in United Kingdom.
According to her, creativity means thinking outside the
box and being able to solve one problem in many
different methods. She identifies herself lazy and often
is looking for ways to achieve the goal in the shortest
way possible. She also added the importance of having
extra time to reflect. After our conversastion, we drew a
conclusion saying that the origin of creativity as a driving
force for action is a questioning:
-How can I make my teaching more interesting?
-How can I teach/research using different tools?
-How can I clean my room with less effort?
and many more.

Creativity can emerge under a wide

range of circumstances!
ChatGPT
ChatGPT, after prefacing the statement that it is a
complex and multifaceted concept which can be defined
in various ways, defined "creativity is the cognitive and
imaginative ability to transcend established patterns,
norms, or constraints in order to produce something
original, innovative, or unique" (OpenAI, 2023).
The specific examples given in the responses illustrate
the magnitude of the concept of creativity, which
includes common keywords to my thoughts such as
risk-taking, resilience, unconventional thinking, divergent
thinking, etc.
On the other hand, I was surprised by the persistence
mentioned as a characteristic of a creative person and
am highly convinced that a strong work ethic and
perseverance are necessary elements for creativity.

In capturing creativity through the lens of the

interviewee and generative AI, I was challenged to
observe what underlies my creativity. That is, to try to get
maximum results with minimum effort and to seek
inherently good results in any activity.
With this understanding, I would renew the definition as
follows.
Creativity is the ability to create new value that
transcends constraints by persistently challenging and
being resilient, driven by passion, from a variety of
perspectives.

For more information reach out to the author at: yurikashibamoto@gmail.com