Time and Timelessness: Creativity in (and out of) the Temporal Dimension

ABSRACT: Although time has been frequently used as a variable or as an implied dimension in creativity research, very few systematic attempts to date have been undertaken to integrate diverse findings and knowledge about the relation of time with creativity. This article proposes a theoretical framework for understanding the various associations between time and creativity in terms of 3 temporal modes: cyclicity, linearity, and timelessness. Cyclical time underlies the periodic and recurring dimensions of creativity, linear time underlies its evolutionary and contextual aspects, and timelessness is related to the deep immersion states of the creative process. This article illustrates the links between creativity and each of the temporal modes with selected findings from the multidisciplinary literature on creativity and discusses implications and further directions for the study of time and creativity.