History of Creativity

Pre-Christian 117 CE

117

The Pre-Christian, Greek view of creativity was associated with mystical powers and the concept of "genius". Roman view of creativity was limited to the concept of creative power exclusively present in males

Early Buddhists 900 BC

200

Early Buddhists believed that creation is a kind of discovery. An emphasis on natural cycles meant that there was no way to create something new.

Middle Ages 5th - 15th Century

500

Common belief that an individual with a special talent or ability was manifested by a "spirit"

Renaissance 14th - 17th Century

Jul 8, 1500

The European Renaissance led to a shift in conceptions of creativity. People began to believe that creativity and ability belongs to the individual, and is not the result of da ivine spirit.

Hobbes 1600's

Jul 8, 1600

"Hobbes was the first major figure to recognize how important imagination was in human thought and planning, and how constructive it could be", an idea that influenced the Enlightenment

Rousseau 1750

Jul 8, 1750

Jean-Jacques Rousseau's concept of Romanticism emphasized individual emotion as the basis of artistic inspiration, which fueled a creative movement.

Smith 1776

Jul 8, 1776

Adam Smith published "The Wealth of Nations", calling for the science of human behavior, which caused people to look more closely at how humans behave and how social change affects us.

Darwin Late 19th Century to Early 20th Century

Jul 8, 1850

Charles Darwin's exploration of natural selection brought creativity into sharp focus. There is value in creativity when it comes to adaptation and survival.

Galton 19th Century

Jul 8, 1883

Sir Francis Galton focused on defining how individual differences can be measured, which relates to creativity. He also confirmed that genius is not supernatural, and that genius is the potential of every individual.