Meta-Creativity: Being Creative About Creativity

Abstract

The concept of meta-creativity is defined and explored, with examples drawn from the long and productive career of Arthur Cropley. Meta-creativity may sound like jargon, but then again, given how meta is used in the sciences (e.g., meta-analysis, meta-cognition), it is a perfectly apt term. It is the best label for being creative about the creativity research. Cropley's research has demonstrated the benefits of questioning assumptions, which may in fact be the most broadly-applicable example of meta-creativity. Questioning assumptions is a tactic that has been found to characterize a large number of creative insights and is undoubtedly useful for solving a wide range of problems. Shifting perspectives is a second example of meta-creativity explored herein. The field of creativity research owes a great deal to Arthur Cropley and the creativity he has employed throughout his career.