In the last 50 years, psychologists, anthropologists, and sociologists
have increasingly studied creativity, and we now know more about
creativity that at any point in history. Explaining Creativity
considers not only arts like painting and writing, but also science,
stage performance, and business innovation. Until about a decade ago,
creativity researchers tended to focus on highly valued activities like
fine art painting and Nobel prize winning science. Sawyer brings this
research up to date by including movies, music videos, cartoons,
videogames, hypertext fiction, and computer technology. For example,
this is the first book on creativity to include studies of performance
and improvisation. Sawyer draws on the latest research findings to show
the importance of collaboration and context in all of these creative
activities.