Creativity and problem solving: the same thing?

The book Adaption-Innovation: In the Context of Change and Diversity treats creativity as a subset of problem solving, with all of us being creative, but at different different levels (how creative we are) and with different styles (in what way we are creative). In any act of creativity, problem solving and decision making will be in very close proximity: A hair stylist, for example, during her "flash of insight" for a new cut, will pretty quickly have the problem of choosing the best tool for the job. Razor, scissors or thinning scissors?

It's important to remember that individuals have different styles when solving problems: we will tend to have a "more innovative style" or a "more adaptive style." It's not a case of either or (similar to the well-known cultural dimension: more collectivist/more individualistic).

The book includes a table from Ikasen et al. (2000) that sheds some light on the differences between creativity and problem solving in terms of problem/task definition; solution pathway and method/desired outcome.

PROBLEM/TASK DEFINITION

Creativity: Fuzzy, ill defined and ambiguous

Problem Solving: Well defined and clearly structured

SOLUTION PATHWAY or METHOD

Creativity: Unknown, complex and non-determined

Problem Solving: Known, pre-determined and relatively simple

DESIRED OUTCOME

Creativity: Not currently or readily available, needs to be "invented" [original italics]

Problem Solving: Readily available, already exists

What's really fascinating about the above is that you start to appreciate that creativity tends to be more internally driven whereas problem solving is more externally driven -- often just a reaction to an already present resource. With creativity, by contrast, whatever is produced becomes itself a resource (think chefs in a kitchen combining ingredients or a producer of a new electronica song combining sounds). But the question still remains: From where does the desire to create come from when there is no apparent problem?

There's a very interesting video about problem solving styles on the Kai Center Web site. Here's the link to the Windows Media file and here's the Quicktime link. You need to use the pause button to stop the movie in order to read the slides.

SOURCE: Isaksen, S. G., Dorval, K. B., & Treffinger, D. J. (2000). "Creative approaches to problem solving: A framework for change," 2nd ed. Dubuque, IA: Kendall/Hunt Publishing.