Can creativity be measured?

An interesting question is whether or not creativity can be measured.  Are there metrics by which we can assess our creative output?

The answer depends on whether our creative product is already out there in the market, or whether it’s still in development.

If it’s out there in the world, the answer is pretty straightforward. Assuming that today’s market demands products and solutions
that it considers creative, we can measure creativity by traditional means:  sales results, client retention, ROI and the like.

In short, it’s only creative if it sells.

However, assessing  our creativity before we put something out in the market is trickier.

At the moment, I can think of no quantitative measurement that could be useful during the creative process itself.

But there are questions we can ask ourselves as we create, which can help us assess whether or not we’re moving in the right direction:

1)  Am I repeating myself?  Have I done or seen this before?  Does this feel a little too easy, too comfortable, or am I pushing myself out of my comfort zone?  Is my solution novel?

2)  Does the solution make sense?  Have I just generated a jumble of ideas or are they organized in a coherent and meaningful fashion?  Is there a single overarching concept that holds everything together?

3)  Do others understand my creation? Is it simple?  Meaningful?  Is it answering a real problem, or is it merely novel but lacking utility?

4) Does my creation have an emotional component?  Does it satisfy an emotional need?  Do I feel something when I use the product or engage the service?  What is that feeling?

These are just a few of the questions you can ask.  And although the answers may not be able to be plotted on a graph, they can be a huge help in keeping your creative work on the right track.