The topic of "creativity" is a broad field that can be viewed in front of countless aspects. The number of forms of creativity alone (e.g., copying, problem-solving, narrative, intuitive or imaginative, industriousness, eccentricity, remix, ideation, or lateral thinking creativity) gives an idea of how complex the subject is. According to one of the many definitions, creativity is a person's disposition to think and act in imaginative and creative ways. It involves recognizing, analyzing, and working purposefully to solve problems, and the ability to seek, find, and gather information. However, it should be emphasized that creativity is not only innate ("predisposition"), but can also be acquired or improved through appropriate techniques. In this respect, the definition of creativity as a collection of skills and personal character traits that enables new and useful achievements is more accurate. Whether an imaginatively created product may only be called creative if it is useful is likely to be questioned, at any rate in the artistic field. Apropos: Not only those working in the so-called "creative professions" can be creative. Doctors, lawyers, tax consultants or accountants can also perform the tasks they each perform in a creative way. Creative abilities are, for example: the ability to recognize connections, to change perspective, to combine existing knowledge, to think in images or analogies, to form associations spontaneously, to resolve opposites, to act intuitively, to accept contradictory behavior or to distinguish good ideas from bad ones.
However, those who think that creativity shows itself in the form of the famous "flash of inspiration" are mistaken; rather, it arises within the framework of a process that can be divided into 4 phases:
Problem identification (also: "as-is analysis"): analysis of the situation/recognition of a problem or deficiency
Preparation phase: Gathering of all necessary information (brainstorming) for the purpose of defining a goal and identification of the appropriate heads
Generation phase (also: "incubation phase"): development of ideas and solutions, e.g. with the help of creativity techniques
Assessment phase (also: "verification phase"): examining and adapting possible solutions for their suitability (further text in part 2)
