The Mid-Century Creativity Reader: Pioneering Lectures From 1950-1975

This book uncovers a transformative period in the history of creativity studies, tracing its emergence as a distinct field of inquiry during the pivotal decades from 1950 to 1970. Building on the foundation laid by The Creativity Reader (2018), which explored creativity research from 1850 to 1950, this new volume turns to the mid-20th century to recover the voices, ideas, and debates that helped shape creativity as we know it today. The book includes 27 never-before-published speeches delivered by pioneering scholars and practitioners at the Creative Problem Solving Institute (CPSI), an annual conference hosted by the Creative Education Foundation. In addition, a number of speeches were drawn from a special creativity program hosted by Cooper Union Forum. These archival recordings, now transcribed for the first time, feature seminal figures such as Alex Osborn and J.P. Guilford whose work laid the intellectual and practical foundations for contemporary creativity research, training, and assessment. The volume also includes views on creativity by other notable mid-century intellectuals such as Joseph Campbell, Moses Hadas, and Gardner Murphy. Complemented by commentary from today's leading scholars across psychology, education, design, business, and engineering, these primary texts are illuminated through interdisciplinary perspectives that connect past insights to present-day challenges. The volume not only revives foundational creativity theories and methods but also invites readers to rediscover forgotten or overlooked contributions with renewed relevance for the future of creativity and innovation. This book serves as both a historical recovery and a forward-looking resource. It captures the moment when creativity became a serious subject of academic and practical interest, offering a rare opportunity to engage with the origins of a field that continues to grow in importance. For scholars, educators, and practitioners alike, this collection is an essential reference--one that honors the legacy of creativity's early architects while equipping a new generation to carry their ideas forward.

Table of Contents:
Prologue to the Mid-Century Creativity Reader: Collaboration at a Pivotal Stage in the History of Creativity John Osborn and Will Osborn Fogarty Foreword: The Mid-Century Era - the Gateway to Understanding Creativity Arthur Cropley Chapter 1: Creativity as a Field of Study: A Mid-Century Story Gerard J. Puccio, Vlad P. Glaveanu, Jo A. Yudess, and Matei Schwartz PART ONE THE NATURE OF CREATIVITY Chapter 2: Four Key Research Domains for the Study of Creativity Donald MacKinnon (1964) Chapter 2.1: Laying Foundation to Creativity Studies: The Legacy and Lessons of the Institute of Personality Assessment and Research and Donald MacKinnon Zorana Ivcevic Chapter 3: Investigation of the Structure of the Intellect Model J. P. Guilford (1964) Chapter 3.1: "My Hat's All Right but Where's My Steak?": A Comment on J. P. Guilford's Investigation of the Structure of Intellect Model James C. Kaufman Chapter 4: Was Einstein Right? Alex F. Osborn (1957) Chapter 4.1: Alex F. Osborn: Catalyst for Deliberate Creativity and Proponent of Creativity Research Gerard J. Puccio Chapter 5: Some Thoughts on Creativity: The Nature of Creativity Lewis Mumford (1958) Chapter 5.1: A Really "Big C" Creativity Puts Human Creativity (and the Conditions Necessary for It) in Sharp Relief Mark A. Runco Chapter 6: Accomplishments in Mathematics, Creativity, and Mentoring Ruth B. Noller (2003) Chapter 6.1: Dr. Ruth Brendel Noller: Pioneering Mathematician and Professor of Creativity Studies Susan Keller-Mathers, Melodi Ozyaprak, and Joette Field PART TWO HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL PERSPECTIVES ON CREATIVITY Chapter 7: The Politics of Culture C. Wright Mills (1958) Chapter 7.1: Who Is Afraid of the Cheerful Robot? Revisiting C. Wright Mills on Politics and Culture Nicolas B. Verger and Vlad P. Glaveanu Chapter 8: Philosophical Concepts of Creativity in the Orient Joseph Campbell (1958) Chapter 8.1: From East to West, From Spirituality to Responsible Creativity, and Vice-Versa: A Contemporary Reading of Joseph Campbell's 1958 Lecture Hélène Hagège, Takeshi Okada, and Todd Lubart Chapter 9: Creativity: The Greek Beginnings Moses Hadas (1958) Chapter 9.1: Anchoring Creativity in Greek Antiquity: Commentary on Moses Hadas (1900-1966) Ineke Sluiter and Miguel John Versluys PART THREE ASPECTS OF THE CREATIVE PERSON Chapter 10: The Creative Person, Teacher, and Student Donald W. MacKinnon (1969) Chapter 10.1: Nurturing Creativity in the Classroom: From Who to How Ronald A. Beghetto Chapter 11: Psychological Aspects of Creativity Gardner Murphy (1959) Chapter 11.1: Psychological Aspects of Creativity: Commentary on the Views of Gardner Murphy Melodi Ozyaprak and Molly Holinger PART FOUR CREATIVE THINKING AND PROBLEM SOLVING Chapter 12: The Functions of Problem-Solving Skills J. P. Guilford (1964) Chapter 12.1: Guilford's Insights on Creativity: Reflections on Their Contribution Robert J. Sternberg and Arezoo Soleimani Dashtaki Chapter 13: Creating Conditions for Creative Behavior E. Paul Torrance (1964) Chapter 13.1: Cultivating the Conditions That Are Conducive to Creativity: Insights From E. P. Torrance Anna Abraham and Desiree Sharpe Chapter 14: Creative Thinking and Education: Instruction in Creative Problem Solving Sidney J. Parnes (1962) Chapter 14.1: Sidney Parnes on Creative Thinking and Education: Commentary by One of His Devoted Students Roger L. Firestien Chapter 15: Creative Problem Solving and the Cornell Counseling Service James Maas (1965) Chapter 15.1: Creativity From a Counseling Perspective (Maas, 1965): Five Lessons to Help Solve Life's Problems Marie Forgeard Chapter 16: Evaluation, Development, and Use of Ideas William Culp (1962) Chapter 16.1: William Culp: Moving the Understanding of Creativity From a 'State of Mind' to a 'Mind in a State' Wendy Ross and Thomas C. Ormerod PART FIVE CREATIVITY IN ENGINEERING Chapter 17: Creative Behavior in Engineering and Industrial Management Leo B. Moore (1966) Chapter 17.1: Commentary: Creative Behavior in Engineering and Industrial Management (Leo B. Moore) David H. Cropley Chapter 18: The Creative Engineer John Ray Dunning (1959) Chapter 18.1: The Engineer, The Creator Adrian Bejan PART SIX PSYCHOANALYSIS, PSYCHODRAMA, PSYCHEDELIA, AND PLAY Chapter 19: Past and Present Experience in the Creative Process Gregory Zilboorg (1958) Chapter 19.1: Past and Present Experience in the Creative Process: Gregory Zilboorg's Cooper Union Address Evangelia G. Chrysikou and Robert W. Weisberg Chapter 20: Psychodrama as a Creative Function in the Open Community Jacob Levy Moreno (1958) Chapter 20.1: Commentary on the Creative Function of Psychodrama in the Open Community John Nolte Chapter 21: Creativity as a Conscious and Unconscious Activity Theodor Reik (1958) Chapter 21.1: Theodor Reik on Creativity as a Conscious and Unconscious Activity Ken Gilhooly and Dany Nobus Chapter 22: Creation as the Vestibule to Psychedelia and Self-Actualization John Curtis Gowan (1974) Chapter 22.1: John Curtis Gowan: Creativity, Psychedelia, and Illumination Giovanni Emanuele Corazza Chapter 23: The Preconscious and Its Creative Power John Curtis Gowan (1972) Chapter 23.1: Deep Play and the Preconscious: Commentary on John Curtis Gowan Sandra W. Russ PART SEVEN EDUCATING FOR CREATIVITY Chapter 24: Creative Teaching George D. Stoddard (1959) Chapter 24.1: Teaching When Encountering Fixed and Growth Creative Mindsets: Reflections on George Stoddard Jennifer Katz-Bounincontro Chapter 25: Creativity in Education Calvin W. Taylor (1968) Chapter 25.1: Creative Education and the Development of Talent: Calvin W. Taylor Susan Keller-Mathers Chapter 26: Problems in Programming Creative Behavior Bert J. Decker (1962) Chapter 26.1: Exploring the Dynamics of Creativity: Unpacking Lt. Colonel Bert J. Decker's Insights and Their Contemporary Relevance Selcuk Acar and Fatmanur Cifci Chapter 27: Requirements for Creative Teaching Benjamin Fine (1965) Chapter 27.1: The Conditions Needed for Creative Teaching and Learning: A Contemporary Perspective on Benjamin Fine's Approach Ross C. Anderson Chapter 28: Creativity and the National Schools Project Frank Williams (1966) Chapter 28.1: Frank E. Williams: Educational Engineer of Creative Teaching Behaviors Connie Phelps CONCLUSION Chapter 29: Closing the Mid-Century Creativity Reader: Lessons From the Past and Recommendations for the Future Gerard J. Puccio, Vlad P. Glaveanu, Jo A. Yudess, and Matei Schwartz Biographical Sketches

About the Author :
Gerard J. Puccio is a State University of New York Distinguished Professor and Chair of the Center for Applied Imagination at Buffalo State University. He is a renowned thought leader in the field of creativity and innovation, and has made a lasting impact on the study of creative thinking with a prolific body of work that includes more than 70 articles, chapters, and books. He has provided consulting and training services to organizations in more than 20 countries, helping them leverage creative thinking for success. Additionally, he serves on the advisory selection committee for the Strong Museum's Toy Hall of Fame, contributing his expertise in recognizing creative excellence. Vlad Glaveanu is a Full Professor in the School of Psychology at Dublin City University, Ireland, and an Adjunct Professor at the Centre for the Science of Learning and Technology at the University of Bergen, Norway. He is a leading international expert in the fields of creativity, culture, wonder, collaboration, imagination, social media, creative education, and possibility thinking. He founded the transdisciplinary field of Possibility Studies and serves as the president of the Possibility Studies Network and Director of the DCU Centre for Possibility Studies. Jo A. Yudess is an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the Center for Applied Imagination, Buffalo State University. She has received the Chancellor's Medal for Excellence in Adjunct Teaching, five Faculty Appreciation Awards, six Outstanding Service-Learning Class Awards, and the Mid-Career Faculty Award for Community Engagement. For eleven years, she was the managing editor of The Journal of Creative Behavior, a publication of the Creative Education Foundation for which she is a Colleague and has received the Distinguished Leader Award. Matei Schwartz is an Adjunct Assistant Professor at Buffalo State University and the School of Visual Arts in New York City. He is a leading practitioner of creative problem-solving, brand, and innovation strategy and currently serves as Senior Vice President, Strategic Planning at FCB Health New York. He is originally from Bucharest, Romania, where he co-founded Crea-Est and Rebranding Creativity. He also served on the international advisory board of World Creativity and Innovation Day and Week, representing Europe.