Creative Intuition: An Integrative Review

Abstract

Researchers have suggested that certain individuals appear to have an intuitive sense, as they begin their creative work, about what their final product will be like. Many creators have supported this claim. In this article, a critical review of the relevant studies and claims, I suggest that there is at least some validity to the construct of creative intuition. The following four sources of evidence are critically discussed—autobiographical testimonies, analyses of historical evidence, psychometric assessment, and experimental studies. Together, these sources suggest that the notion of creative intuition is coherent, well-grounded, and empirically testable. Although some questions remain, creative intuition may be defined operationally and researched in systematic way.