Developing Creative Potential: The Power of Process, People, and Place

Creativity is increasingly seen as a key human capability that can be deliberately developed. Correspondently, a proliferation of tools, techniques, and methods are available in the academic and popular literatures. Creative problem-solving (CPS) is one framework among these, and has a 70-year history of research and development. This essay overviews this history and the key stages of its continuous development, as well as the rationale for the changes and improvements that have been made. Foundational work established the Osborn–Parnes paradigm for CPS. Initial efforts were aimed at enhancing this approach. Then came work to stretch the Osborn–Parnes approach, and ultimately to break this paradigm. Understanding these major stages of development should better differentiate contemporary CPS approaches from the variety of earlier versions. Future research and development are also highlighted that will move our understanding, learning, and application forward.