Cultivating Creativity in Adult Literacy Education Settings

Few traits are as desirable as creativity. In fact, according to chief executives around the world, creativity is the most sought-after trait in leaders. Yet creativity is also one of the most elusive concepts (Csikszenthmihalyi, 1996). There is no shortage of definitions. Some define creativity as novelty, effectiveness, ethicality (e.g., Cropley, 2001). Others characterize creativity as a psychological trait that produces high quality, novel, useful work appropriate to an audience (e.g., Sternberg, Lubert, Kaufman, & Pretz, 2005). Others argue creativity is a confluence of personality traits, alternative ways of thinking and knowing, and a mixture of social and environmental influences (e.g., Kerka, 1999).