Understanding Creativity

by Jane Piirto

Book Overview

This reader-friendly book is used as a college textbook for courses in creativity. However, it is also interesting just as a nonfiction book with its sections on creativity, information about well-known creative individuals, and the different domains within creativity-artists, writers, musicians, scientists, mathematician, comedians, and more. Learn how the definition of creativity has changed through the years, and view the author's own depiction...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0910707596
• ISBN13: 9780910707596
• Release Date: May 2020
• Publisher: Gifted Unlimited
• Length: 521 Pages
• Weight: 1.64 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.1" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

enhancing your own creativity

With extensive scholarship, Dr. Piirto relates a fascinating overview of approaches to creativity, from the mystical to the pragmatic, the psychodynamic and psychometric to the cognitive. She notes that psychologist Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi makes a distinction of "Big C" creativity (eminent people making significant contributions to a domain), and "little c" creativity "by which human beings lead their everyday lives." She cites the work of social psychologist Dean Keith Simonton showing that "creativity is the work of a life... from birth to grave" and "a form of leadership... the creator is a persuader." For anyone wanting to enhance their creative lives and talents, the book provides a wealth of concrete and practical ideas from experts, such as divergent thinking exercises of the Odyssey of the Mind program, and strategies used by Dr. Piirto in her own classes.

How parents and teachers can enhance creativity

Understanding Creativity is an examination of the psychological impulses that drive the quality in human beings broadly labeled as "creativity," which also covers how parents and teachers can enhance creativity, as well as the cognitive aspect of creative writers, scientists, musicians, and physical performers, as well as ways to assess and train creativity. Author Jane Piirto, a teacher of the College of Education and the Director of Talent Development Education in Ashland University, offers a wealth of research, theory, and a guideline around the Seven I's - Inspiration, Imagery, Imagination, Intuition, Insight, Incubation and Improvisation - to form the foundation of a solid creative process. Understanding Creativity needs to be carefully read by anyone charged with the responsibility of recognizing talent in children, setting a creative tone with children, and encouraging children to utilize their creativity in their personal lives.

Become more creative!

Dr. Jane Piirto has put together one of the best resources for anyone interested in creativity. The biographic examples of highly creative people are fascinating. I thoroughly enjoyed this comprehenvie text.