Creativity: Exploring the Possibilities

The empirical and philosophical study of creativity is a popular topic, especially in the fields of psychology, business, and technology. There is also a growing body of literature in the field of neuroscience. Occupational therapy and creativity have been implicitly linked through our history, traditions and education. However, there remains a paucity of literature in the field of occupational therapy about creativity. The comprehensive database OT Search Complete lists only 67 publications utilizing the keyword “creativity” from 1911 through March, 2009. The sparse literature exploring the relationship between occupational therapy and the field of creativity reflects a lack of distinction between the type of creativity traditionally associated with use of art materials, and the type of creativity associated with problem finding or solving and with lateral or divergent thinking. This purpose of this presentation is to discuss the literature related to creativity. An attempt will be made to discuss the multi-faceted dimensions of creativity from the multiple sources of literature. Additionally, a model for conceptualizing creativity as it related to occupational therapy will be presented.Opportunities for discussion will be afforded the participants