The Cult of Creativity: A Surprisingly Recent History
Samuel W. Franklin
(Author)
Description
A history of how, in the mid-twentieth century, we came to believe in the concept of creativity. Named a best book of 2023 by the New Yorker and a notable book of 2023 by Behavioral Scientist. Creativity is one of American society's signature values, but the idea that there is such a thing as "creativity"--and that it can be cultivated--is surprisingly recent, entering our everyday speech in the 1950s. As Samuel W. Franklin reveals, postwar Americans created creativity, through campaigns to define and harness the power of the individual to meet the demands of American capitalism and life under the Cold War. Creativity was championed by a cluster of professionals--psychologists, engineers, and advertising people--as a cure for the conformity and alienation they feared was stifling American ingenuity. It was touted as a force of individualism and the human spirit, a new middle-class aspiration that suited the needs of corporate America and the spirit of anticommunism. Amid increasingly rigid systems, creativity took on an air of romance; it was a more democratic quality than genius, but more rarified than mere intelligence. The term eluded clear definition, allowing all sorts of people and institutions to claim it as a solution to their problems, from corporate dullness to urban decline. Today, when creativity is constantly sought after, quantified, and maximized, Franklin's eye-opening history of the concept helps us to see what it really is, and whom it really serves. Product Details
Price
$26.00
$24.18
Publisher
University of Chicago Press
Publish Date
April 18, 2023
Pages
264
Dimensions
6.2 X 8.8 X 1.2 inches | 1.1 pounds
Language
English
Type
Hardcover
EAN/UPC
9780226657851
BISAC Categories:
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About the Author
Samuel W. Franklin is a cultural historian and a postdoctoral researcher in human-centered design at the Delft University of Technology. He has earned awards and fellowships from the Smithsonian Institution's Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation, the Hagley Library and Museum, the Hathi Trust Research Center, the Stanford Arts Institute, and Brown University's Center for Digital Scholarship. He has developed exhibitions for the American Museum of Natural History, the National September 11 Memorial and Museum, and others.
Reviews
"The Cult of Creativity is a beautifully written and well-documented account of how creativity gained the societal value it has today. Franklin reveals the powerful social construction at work behind the meaning of creativity and reminds us that such ideas have historical roots, as well as a more sinister side that should concern us all. Through engaging storylines, he builds a complex picture that is captivating to discover, piece by piece."--Vlad Glaveanu, author of Wonder: The Extraordinary Power of an Ordinary Experience
"Celebrated and sought-after, 'creativity' is often presented as the magic yet ineffable elixir for fame and fortune by today's artists, technologists, and business leaders. And yet--until Samuel Franklin's marvelous new book--it has been little studied as a historical phenomenon. The Cult of Creativity examines how, after World War II, a fascinating ensemble of psychologists, advertising executives, and other assorted gurus attempted to explain and quantify human ingenuity. The result is an insightful and delightful exploration into how we think about technology, capitalism, and consumerism."--W. Patrick McCray, author of Making Art Work: How Cold War Engineers and Artists Forged a New Creative Culture
"The Cult of Creativity presents an exceptionally lucid look at the various ideas, doctrines, and programs behind the concept of creativity. Through keen analysis, Franklin brings together scholarship from a range of sources to frame this powerful social and cultural critique."
--Howard Brick, author of Transcending Capitalism: Visions of a New Society in Modern American Thought
"As historian Franklin notes in his forthcoming book The Cult of Creativity, the concept [of creativity] gained much of its cultural currency in the mid-20th century, when executives and other leaders tried to stimulate creativity in hopes of churning out better ad spreads and new technologies. With these titans' encouragement, Americans began to see creativity as a virtuous end in itself, buying into the promise that expanding our creative abilities could fulfill us individually and secure our collective future."-- "Boston Globe"
"Celebrated and sought-after, 'creativity' is often presented as the magic yet ineffable elixir for fame and fortune by today's artists, technologists, and business leaders. And yet--until Samuel Franklin's marvelous new book--it has been little studied as a historical phenomenon. The Cult of Creativity examines how, after World War II, a fascinating ensemble of psychologists, advertising executives, and other assorted gurus attempted to explain and quantify human ingenuity. The result is an insightful and delightful exploration into how we think about technology, capitalism, and consumerism."--W. Patrick McCray, author of Making Art Work: How Cold War Engineers and Artists Forged a New Creative Culture
"The Cult of Creativity presents an exceptionally lucid look at the various ideas, doctrines, and programs behind the concept of creativity. Through keen analysis, Franklin brings together scholarship from a range of sources to frame this powerful social and cultural critique."
--Howard Brick, author of Transcending Capitalism: Visions of a New Society in Modern American Thought
"As historian Franklin notes in his forthcoming book The Cult of Creativity, the concept [of creativity] gained much of its cultural currency in the mid-20th century, when executives and other leaders tried to stimulate creativity in hopes of churning out better ad spreads and new technologies. With these titans' encouragement, Americans began to see creativity as a virtuous end in itself, buying into the promise that expanding our creative abilities could fulfill us individually and secure our collective future."-- "Boston Globe"
