Of course, we know what the word creativity means. Intuitively. But imagine being asked to define it. Now the task becomes more difficult.

A new paper by Cornell professor Robert Sternberg takes a step back to see the full picture of what creativity is and how it unfolds, based on decades of creativity science. The exact definition of creativity might not seem important. However, how we think of it matters. For example, if we consider creativity as a trait describing a person, we also think that we either have it or do not. And if we doubt having it, we become less likely to attempt something creative.

Sternberg contends that what is necessary for creativity—doing something original and effective—is not only a creative person but also a task that is not fully structured and a situation or environment that allows for something unconventional.

We can picture the same person—with the same traits and the same creative potential—in a school or work environment in which they have to perform tasks that follow strict rules or steps that do not allow for any deviation from what and how is done. The outcomes will be very different. Based on his comprehensive review, Sternberg identifies three major components that make creativity possible: the person engaging in it, the task that allows for it, and the environment that makes it possible.

The creative person

People who have potential to be creative can be described by their motivations and their personality. They enjoy a challenge—they are motivated by a desire to tackle new problems and driven by curiosity and desire to learn. They also tend to be open to new experiences. Instead of being creatures of comfort and routine, they like trying something new to broaden their experience and thinking. This can take a form of trying new foods, traveling to new places, trying out new activities, or exploring different interests through reading or discussion.

Although personality has a substantial genetic component, it is not set in stone. Even if we don’t tend to naturally desire and seek variety, we can influence how we approach particular tasks and situations. If you know that creative work benefits from broad experiences, perhaps when you attend a professional conference, you can purposefully go to presentations or events that are not directly focused on your specific area of work. Inspiration comes from unexpected places. It might seem like luck, but it really is being open to seeing connections where others might not.

Personality gives rise to different kinds of thinking styles, some more conducive to creativity than others. Some people tend to like to come up with ideas (and have lots of them!) and some prefer to critically think about ideas. Both are necessary for doing something creative. Other thinking styles make creativity unlikely, especially the preference for being told what to do and not wanting anything to change.

People who have creative potential are not dogmatic, and they are willing to let go of ideas, even their own, when necessary. Without such willingness, those who have early creative successes stagnate later on, such as when scientists sticks to the same theory well after its usefulness has passed or when artists do not change their signature styles as the culture and tastes change.

Opportunities for creativity: Task and environment

Not every task we face makes creativity possible. Tasks that become opportunities for creativity are personally meaningful and allow multiple directions or solutions. This means that the same kind of task—a research assignment at school or a work project, for instance—can open possibilities for creativity for one person and not for another, depending on their motivation and the meaning they attach to it.

We can also consider how different social circles around us influence creativity. Most immediately, we are influenced by our family, classroom, or work teams. If your friends, colleagues, and supervisors do not value creativity (or say they do but routinely shut down new ideas), you will be unlikely to be creative. If ideas are not supported, they cannot be developed. And if creative work is harshly criticized, people conclude that it is not safe and is better avoided if they want to reach goals like high grades or promotions.

Our broader environment matters too. If funding agencies do not support scientific research, less research will be done. If a government outlaws some kinds of expression, they will be less likely to happen. Sometimes this results in subversive creativity, such as satire evading censorship. But overall, societal creativity tends to be diminished.

And then there is the element of time. What is highly creative in one time is not very creative in another. An Impressionist painting today is not going to make it into art history books. Certain problems are also more relevant in particular times. Someone who wants to build a giant hydroelectric power plant today is unlikely to be a major innovator like Nikola Tesla was in the late 19^th and early 20^th century. Those problems have been solved. Each time provides opportunities for people with different interests and skill sets.

What kind of creativity?

Once there are people with creative potential stemming from their personality, motivation, and cognitive styles, and once they work on tasks and in environments that support their potential, successful creativity becomes likely. People, working alone (like writers) or in teams (e.g., product designers), create something original and effective for a particular goal.

But different kinds of creativity can also be considered value-neutral, negative (e.g., successful advertising that creates an opioid addiction crisis), or positive (e.g., new vaccines that prevent dangerous diseases). Transactional creativity means doing something creative because we are paid to do it. Which way this creativity goes depends on the goals of leaders or employers.

Self-transformational creativity helps us express who we are and grow as a person. And then there is fully transformational creativity: creativity that purposefully aims to make the world a better place. As we contemplate creativity, we can be intentional both about immediate task goals and the bigger purpose of the creative work.