What is Creativity and Critical Thinking

By,
Taufiq Kurniawan Bin Nazwir
1112702285
Creative studies


Creativity :
From my point of view,creativity is defined as the tendency to generate or recognize ideas, alternatives, or possibilities that may be useful in solving problems, communicating with others, and entertaining ourselves and others.


There are few reasons on why people are motivated to be creative :

1. need for novel, varied, and complex stimulation
2. need to communicate ideas and values
3. need to solve problems

The most important is,in order to be creative you need to be able to view things in different ways. Among all things, you need to be able to generate new solutions. Tests of creativity measure not only the number of alternatives that people can generate but the uniqueness of those alternatives. the ability to generate alternatives or to see things uniquely does not occur by change; it is linked to other, more fundamental qualities of thinking, such as flexibility, tolerance of ambiguity or unpredictability, and the enjoyment of things heretofore unknown.


Characteristics of the creative personality :

1. Creative individuals have a great deal of energy, but they are also often quiet and at rest.
2. Creative individuals tend to be smart, yet also naive at the same time.
3. Creative individuals have a combination of playfulness and discipline, or responsibility and irresponsibility.
4. Creative individuals alternate between imagination and fantasy ant one end, and rooted sense of reality at the other.
5. Creative people seem to harbor opposite tendencies on the continuum between extroversion and introversion.
6. Creative individuals are also remarkable humble and proud at the same time.
7. Creative individuals to a certain extent escape rigid gender role stereotyping and have a tendency toward androgyny.
8. Generally, creative people are thought to be rebellious and independent.
9. Most creative persons are very passionate about their work, yet they can be extremely objective about it as well.
10. The openness and sensitivity of creative individuals often exposes them to suffering pain yet also a great deal of enjoyment.

Critical Thinking :
The definition of critical thinking is described as "reasonable reflective thinking focused on deciding what to believe or do." It has also been described as "thinking inside thinking." In addition to that,critical thinking has been described as "the process of purposeful which uses reasoned consideration to evidence,methods,and criteria."


The meaning of Critical thinking is "critical" shows the importance of the thinking to a question,or problem of concern. "Critical" in this context does not mean "disapproval" or "negative".There are many positive and useful uses of critical thinking.


Critical thinking can occur whenever one judges or solves a problem,in general,whenever one must figure out what to believe or what to do,and so in a reasonable and reflective way.Meaning,critical thinking is "a way to think for a solutions of life."


We are thinking critically when we :

1. Rely on reason rather than emotion
2. Require evidence
3. More concerned with finding the best explanation than asking questions
4. Weigh the influences of motives
5. Recognize our own assumptions or point of view

Source :

• http://www.csun.edu/~vcpsy00h/creativity/define.htm
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_thinking
• http://www.criticalreading.com/critical_thinking.htm