By Isabel Smith

Creativity and business strategy intersect in ways I also explore in marketing.

To understand where creativity truly originated is to examine the behaviour of human evolution. As we evolved into Homo sapiens, humans learned to make fire, hunting equipment, and shelter. They also understood the concept of communication and imaging.

This way of thinking could have risen due to survival mentality and the urge to keep mankind alive by all means necessary, but I do believe that being creative is a form of thinking before doing. A calculated risk that comes from a thought to an execution, regardless of the outcome.

Many inventors believed in the hypothesis, and after many tries, succeeded based on their never-ending search for what they believed to be true.

In every century, we have seen artistic, architectural, and philosophical movements. Each era offered a new creative view of the world. Aristotle's philosophy, Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, and who could forget Michelangelo’s Sixteen Chapel or the statue of David. 

  Leonardo da Vinci, for example, was an artist, inventor, and scientific genius, a master in his craft, from his unforgettable portrait  “Monalisa “ to his sketch of his flying machine (helicopter).  

The word creativity, to create, comes from the Latin word creare. 

The noun "creativity" became a household name after World War II due to its introduction in the early 1950s by J.P. Guilford during his presidential address to the American Psychological Association.

J.P. Guilford

His research examined the difference between convergent thinking, which is finding the single best solution, and divergent thinking, which involves generating multiple, varied solutions. This led to unlocking the psychological creative mind and the introduction of humanistic psychology.

Interestingly, the study proposed a humanistic need to position oneself in a higher rank while thinking creatively to achieve such goals, no matter the outcome. It deeply intertwined psychology, education, and business in an uncertain economy.

Diving into Guilford’s 1950s ideology, “Creativity equals divergent thinking,” he introduced brainstorming in its simplicity, but there was a flaw: the execution.

In 1958, a Yale study of a group of participants concluded that brainstorming in a group setting generated fewer innovative ideas than a single individual working alone. The phenomenon of social loafing and fear of judgment while presenting their ideas to the other participants affected the results. In conclusion, a group setting impacted the group's overall performance and reduced creativity at its core.

What did this mean for the production and execution of creativity thereafter?

After many debates and criticisms, the integration of creativity became more sought after than ever before. The acknowledgement that creativity belongs alongside traditional education and corporate management created an everlasting need for more in the fundamental industrial era.

Workers were introduced to critical thinking and collaboration based on result-driven solutions. Creativity was no longer seen as something separate; it became part of the equation.

Once World War II ended, the world experienced a massive industrial and technological acceleration, giving birth to the Golden Age of Capitalism. While many countries rebuilt, the United States underwent rapid growth fueled by consumer demand.

Not only inserting themselves into a revolutionized economy and product placement due to supply and demand, but also expanding educationally to surpass scientifically their competitors, the Soviets.

Because of the structural changes and rigid approach of the education system, creativity became misaligned with its curriculum.

While education was still trying to figure out how to combine creativity and the school system, the arts continued to be the primary vehicle for creativity.

Advertising, in particular, rose to popularity after taking a plunge in the 1930s. Advertisers became the top promoters of innovation and provided a vision of “living in America.”

Artistic campaigns drove up sales and created a new visual concept of buying in a transformational market of mass production. They weren’t just selling products; they were selling dreams and aspirations.

Looking at all of this, creativity has always been with us. From the earliest forms of survival to the rise of visual culture, it has been the throughline that shaped the way we lived, adapted, and moved forward.

It has always started with a thought, followed by risk, then belief.

We are still trying to define it, teach it, and measure it, but one thing remains clear. Creativity continues to shape how we survive, how we grow, and how we evolve.

"How has creativity shaped your thinking?"

Join the conversation and share your reflections on how imagination and innovation have influenced your path.