Creativity, Invention & Knowledge: Foundation for Innovation

Creativity, invention and knowledge are key ingredients to the innovation process. As I mentioned before, innovation is about the implementation of a new idea(s) for the purpose of creating value: value for the firm, and value for the consumer. As Isaac Newton indicated, innovation is built on existing ideas, knowledge and inventions: “If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants”.

Ideas are nothing more than representation of new thoughts, concepts, beliefs or feelings that are generated as a result of some mental activity. Creativity is about combining these ideas in a unique and unexpected way, and/or establishing useful associations among what seems disparate ideas.

We are all creative, even when we don’t recognize our creative powers. The question is not if we are creative, but how close are we to our creative potential. Imagination, observation, experimentation, curiosity, experience, and sharing of ideas are some of the elements that fuels the creativity and the creative process. The process of invention (creating something that is “brand new”) and knowledge creation begins with this creative spark.

Innovation is the result of combining these creative ideas, inventions and knowledge in a novel way for the full intent of creating value. This process of transforming that creative spark into robust innovation requires just as much creativity as before: “It takes almost as much creativity to understand a good idea as to have it in the first place”, Alan Kay (Xerox PARC). This is the cycle of innovation: creation of new ideas, inventions and knowledge through the process of innovation to generate products, services, processes, technologies…

Maybe that is why the concept of innovation is complex: innovation is the input, the output and the process. Regardless, what is important is that the innovations do not occur by themselves: they are generated and sustained through the efforts of individuals and people. Creativity, commitment and persistence drives the innovation process. How well an organization cultivates and nurtures the creativity, knowledge creation and invention process plays into their innovation capability. Yet, important to note that these are necessary but not sufficient conditions for successful innovation; but they do make up the foundation that innovations are built upon.

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