Creativity
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Creativityis theabilityof a person or group to make something new and useful or valuable, or theprocessof making something new and useful or valuable. It happens in all areas of life - science, art, literature and music.
As a personal ability it is difficult tomeasure.The reason is that we don't understand the mental processes that help some people be more creative than others. Judging what is creative is also controversial. Some people say only things which are historically new are creative, while other people say that if it is new for the creator and the people around them, then it is also creativity.
Some think that creativity is an important thing that makeshumansdifferent fromapes.Others recognize that even apes, otherprimates,othermammalsand some birdsadapttosurviveby being creative (for example - primates using tools).Liane Gaborabelieves that allculturecomes from creativity, notimitation.Therefore, these people say,human scienceshould focus on it (pay special attention to it):Ethicsfor example would focus on finding creativesolutionstoethical dilemmas.Politicswould focus on thepolitical virtuesthat need some creativity. Imitation would not be the focus ofeducation.Linguisticsmight be more interested in how new words are created by culture, rather than in how existing ones are used ingrammar.
Intellectual interests(recognized asintellectual rightsorintellectual propertyin thelaw) are a way torewardcreativity in law, but they do not always work very well. A good example iscopyrightwhich is supposed to paywritersandartists,but may only paylawyersto make (imitative) arguments incourt.
Creativity is a central question ineconomics,where it is known asingenuity(the ability to come up with new ideas) orindividual capital-capacitiesthatindividualshave, that do not arise from simple imitation of what is known already. This is separate from theinstructional capitalthat might try tocapturesome of that in apatentortrainingsystem that helps others do what the individual leader orfounderof the system can do. Inurban economicsthere are various ways to measure creativity - theBohemian IndexandGay Indexare two attempts to do thisaccuratelyandpredicttheeconomic growthofcitiesbased on creativity.