The Creativity Suite. Episode 159: Creativitor

Sometimes we need a new word to be able to see something more clearly. Like how Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi popularized the concept of “flow” which made millions of people more aware of this “mental state in which you experience a deep sense of immersion in what you’re doing.”

For the reason of better understanding a seldom talked about – but very important – role, I would like to introduce you to the concept of “Creativitor”.

A creativitor is someone who enables creativity in others.

I learned about this concept from Caroline Norbury, who is the Chief Executive of Creative UK, the independent network for the UK’s creative industries. With over 30 years of experience across community arts, film, television production, and policy advocacy, Caroline has been a leading voice championing the value of creativity to the economy and society.

 In short: Caroline is a creativitor.

 If creativitor were a word in a dictionary, it would be described as follows:

Creativitor (noun) /kriˈeɪvɪtɔr/

Etymology: From “creativity” + suffix “-or” (one who)

Definition: A person who empowers, enables, or facilitates others to express themselves creatively; one who creates conditions for others to explore their creative potential rather than creating directly themselves. A creativitor serves as a catalyst, shepherd, or nurturer of others’ creative expression, often providing permission, resources, and supportive frameworks that unlock creativity in individuals or communities.

In his famous TED talk, Sir Ken Robinson tells the story of how Gillian Lynne’s mother took her daughter to a specialist because she thought Gillian had a learning disability.

The doctor turned on the radio and when the child started to move, the doctor turned to Gillian’s mother and said: “You know Mrs. Lynne, Gillian isn’t sick – she’s a dancer. Take her to a dance school.”

That doctor was a creativitor.

And Gillian Lynne, of course, became a dancer, choreographer, actress, and theatre-television director and an instrumental person behind two of the longest-running shows on Broadway: Cats and The Phantom of the Opera.

But without that doctor being the one who set Gillian free to create, none of that would have happened.

Human beings being creative is one of the most beautiful things in the known universe, for so many reasons. But without people helping people see their creative potential, encouraging them to pursue their creative dreams and making them trust in their creative potential, a lot of people would never become creatives.

Without creativitors, we would have way fewer creators.

Caroline told me: “Imagine if we were able to unlock the creative power in more people. If we could get more people to feel seen, heard and encouraged to express themselves. Imagine children growing up that way, imagine a society with structures and systems built around that.”

 I agree with Caroline: Imagine that.

 Imagine a world with more creativitors.

Who are your creativitors? Who are the people who made you the creative person you are today?

And who could you be a creativitor for?