Creative production is often characterized by the divergent nature of human
thought and action. Divergence is usually indicated by the ability to generate
many, or more complex or complicated, ideas from one idea or from simple ideas
or triggers. Traditionally the eight elements below are ones commonly thought of
as inherent elements of creative production, as well as attributes associated
with creative problem solving abilities.
Fluency - The ability to generate a number of ideas so that
there is an increase of possible solutions or related products.
Flexibility - The ability to produce different categories or
perceptions whereby there are a variety of different ideas about the
same problem or thing.
Elaboration - The ability to add to, embellish, or build off of
an idea or product.
Originality - The ability to create fresh, unique, unusual, totally
new, or extremely different ideas or products
Complexity - The ability to conceptualize difficult, intricate, many
layered or multifaceted ideas or products.
Risk-taking - The willingness to be courageous, adventuresome,
daring -- trying new things or taking risks in order to stand apart.
Imagination - The ability to dream up, invent, or to see, to
think, to conceptualize new ideas or products - to be ingenious.
Curiosity - The trait of exhibiting probing behaviors, asking
and posing questions, searching, being able to look deeper into ideas, and the
wanting to know more about something.
Henrique Fogli shares a very nice explanation of the
divergent process
