The Three Faces of Creativity Revisited: Intimacy, Passion, and Commitment

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to use concepts from Sternberg's (1986) triangular theory of love to provide a framework for understanding creative achievement. The combination of intimacy, passion, and commitment are viewed as the major determinants of eminent achievement. These dimensions are discussed in terms of their explanatory value for understanding the creative process. Special attention is paid to Wallas' (1926) description of stages in the creative process. The implications of intimacy, passion, and commitment for developing creativity will also be addressed. The basic assumption of this paper is that the personological approach to creative achievement as exemplified by the research of Roe (1952), MacKinnon (1962,1965), Barron (1963,1969), Helson (1966), Welsh (1975), and Albert (1980a, 1980b, 1983) needs to be reemphasized. This position is clearly not a mainstream position, given the current research focus on creative thinking abilities (Treffinger, 1986). It is clearly recognized that other conceptualizations might have equivalent explanatory power. The ultimate success of the model will be determined by the extent to which it provides to be both conceptually compelling and empirically validated.