Femina Problematis Solvendis – Problem-solving woman: A history of the creativity of women

Abstract

This paper is a transcript of a keynote delivered at the 2021 SOU Creativity Conference. The paper addresses two topics. First, a discussion of the current state of creativity research is given. Of particular note is the conclusion that, despite seven decades of growing research, creativity has, in some respects, failed to make a significant impact on application areas such as education. Second, the paper then examines three historical case studies of creativity by women. The paper concludes by suggesting that the human capacity for creativity – the generation of effective and novel solutions to problems stemming from change – has been a defining strength of our species since the emergence of anatomically modern humans.