The Cult of Creativity

The Cult of Creativity: Tracing the Origins and Cultural Impact

In his interview on The Chasing Leviathan podcast, the host points out to Samuel W. Franklin, author of The Cult of Creativity, that he has “opened up something we take for granted.” This observation resonated with me. After nearly 15 years in the creative field, I had never questioned the origins of creativity—not just as a word but as a concept and its cultural and historical contexts. Franklin’s work makes us pause and consider how the modern fixation on creativity is a relatively recent phenomenon, shaped by forces beyond artistic expression.

A Deep Dive into the Modern Obsession with Creativity

The introduction and first chapter of The Cult of Creativity dive into the construction of creativity as a concept and its prominence in today’s world. Franklin takes us through the historical and psychological forces that have contributed to the phenomenon of creativity, offering a clear-eyed view of how the term, which seems ubiquitous today, was molded by mid-20th century psychologists, educators, and, more covertly, the demands of capitalism.

In this early part of the book, Franklin traces the roots of creativity to a relatively new concept shaped by the post-war world, when individualism became highly valued in a society recovering from trauma and facing new anxieties about conformity. Franklin’s analysis highlights how psychologists and other influential thinkers began to view creativity not as an artistic or exclusive skill but as a critical, almost democratic attribute of the human condition.

Creativity: A Democratic Concept or a Reflection of Elitism?

One of Franklin’s critical arguments in the first chapter is that creativity was presented as a natural human trait, something everyone could access. He emphasizes, however, that the way it was defined and measured—by a mix of cognitive abilities and personality traits—was heavily influenced by the biases of those who shaped the field. After all, the psychologists who studied creativity were products of their time and were primarily funded by institutions with vested interests. In the book, Franklin writes, “The ‘creative person’: a somewhat unstable mix of particular cognitive abilities and personality traits, while putatively universal, ended up reflecting the assumptions and interests of the psychologists themselves and their major benefactors.” This quote reveals the inherent contradictions in how creativity was defined: as something everyone could possess but only truly understood through the lens of those who had the power to define it.

The Historic Connection Between Creativity and Capitalism

One of Franklin’s most fascinating points is the link between creativity and capitalism. As creativity was embraced as a universal trait in the post-war era, it was also commodified. The rise of creativity in business, education, and psychology paralleled the needs of a growing capitalist economy, which required innovation, entrepreneurial thinking, and new forms of problem-solving to thrive. Franklin argues that creativity became a tool for both personal and societal advancement but was also shaped to fit the market’s needs. In this sense, the modern obsession with being “creative” can be seen as an extension of capitalism’s demand for constant reinvention and productivity.

As creativity became more valued in corporate and educational settings, leaders began to adopt it as a key trait in driving innovation and fostering collaboration. Yet, as Franklin suggests, there’s a need for critical reflection on how creativity is used and who benefits from it. Is it a tool for liberation and personal growth, or has it been co-opted to drive productivity and economic gain?

In the Chasing Leviathan episode, Franklin discusses how creativity has become a kind of cultural currency, something everyone strives for. However, without a critical lens, we risk promoting creativity without understanding its origins and the structures that perpetuate its value. For those in leadership roles, especially in creative industries, this critical reflection is essential in navigating how creativity is cultivated, harnessed, and distributed.