The Cult of Creativity - A review.
The term "creative" operates as both an adjective—related to imagination and original ideas, often associated with the arts—and as a noun, referring to someone working in a creative profession. But what does it mean to be "creative," and how did creativity become a skill valued across all industries?
In The Cult of Creativity, Samuel W. Franklin explores these questions by tracing the cultural rise of creativity to post-war America. During this era, psychologists began shifting away from the behaviorist focus on observable actions, in part as a reaction against the conformity seen as a threat linked to communism. This shift spurred psychologists and marketers alike to quantify, define, and promote creativity, leading to a surge in its popularity as a solution to philosophical inquiries and practical challenges. Franklin suggests that the ambiguity of creativity allows it to be molded to fit various appealing traits, each appealing to stakeholders’ diverse interests.
Franklin delves into long-debated questions about creativity: Is it innate or teachable, measurable, or tied to intelligence? Who qualifies as "creative," and does creativity apply to individuals across professions—from artists and engineers to homemakers and advertisers? He reveals how, over time, creativity has been linked to a range of concepts, including "divergent thinking," "brainstorming," "self-actualization," encounter therapy, childhood education, and “design thinking.” Furthermore, creativity has often been promoted as essential to freedom, democracy, morality, and even civilization itself. Interestingly, Franklin notes that "creativity" was seen as a more democratic term than "genius" or "innovative," bypassing the elitist undertones associated with those terms and making it accessible across societal roles.
While creativity is widely celebrated, Franklin warns of the risks of this uncritical admiration. Many so-called creativity experts often ignore that genuine success usually results not from sudden flashes of inspiration but from continuous effort, persistence, and resilience. True innovation requires resources—education, time, and financial support—that are not distributed equally across class, ethnicity, and gender.
The "creativity cult" frequently overlooks these socio-economic factors, downplaying their impact. In reducing creativity to "novelty," Franklin argues, society loses sight of its communicative and cultural functions, such as storytelling and preserving traditional wisdom. Artistic creativity becomes commodified, distilling the concept into a marketable asset while undervaluing its broader social impact.
Moreover, Franklin contends that the glorification of creativity as a solution for global challenges often masks the real issue: a lack of political will to implement solutions already agreed upon. By focusing on creativity as the missing ingredient, discussions sidestep deeper structural and policy-based obstacles. Franklin also critiques the romanticized notion that creatives are compensated by passion, which obscures the financial struggles faced by many self-employed creatives—such as actors, designers, and filmmakers—who struggle to make a living in a society that views their work as inherently rewarding.
While The Cult of Creativity effectively chronicles the evolving moral and cultural values of post-war America, Franklin’s account overlooks the global and historical perspectives of creativity, focusing predominantly on the experiences of privileged men within Western society.
Franklin demonstrates how creativity, an ability inherent to all—a view also held by humanistic psychologist Carl Rogers—was gradually co-opted to fuel capitalism, transforming a universal human trait into a marketable skill.
Alex Osborn, an advertising executive and the pioneer of brainstorming, believed creativity had the potential to foster world peace. Ironically, however, the emphasis on creativity has largely served commercial interests, promoting consumerism and destructive trends, rather than the collective good Osborn envisioned. Through The Cult of Creativity, Franklin invites readers to critically examine the complexities and contradictions surrounding one of society's most celebrated traits.