Difference Between Creativity and Innovation

In the business world, “creativity” and “innovation” are constantly used in brainstorming sessions, official meetings, and company mission statements.

Though it is a fact that sometimes people tend to use these words interchangeably, which is a common habit these days, these two terms deliver different meanings, and sometimes it can be not very clear if people start to assume that they are saying the same things, which in reality they are not.

Key Takeaways

1. Creativity is the ability to generate new and original ideas or concepts.
2. Innovation turns new and original ideas into practical and valuable products or services.
3. Creativity is focused on imagination, while innovation is focused on execution and implementation.

Creativity vs Innovation

The difference between Creativity and Innovation is that creativity refers to something imaginative or new ideas. Innovation refers to introducing something new and unique to existence. Creativity means generating new ideas, while innovation means accomplishing those creative ideas. Creativity doesn’t consume money, but on the other hand, innovation does consume money.

Innovation can be risky, but creativity is not at all risky as it’s just an idea. Creativity is when a potential mind is released to conceive new ideas.

These ideas can demonstrate in any number of ways, but mostly they are the thoughts we are being able to feel, see, smell, touch, etc.

Nonetheless, these creative ideas can be taken as an analysis expression within one’s mind. On the other hand, innovation can be measured thoroughly.

This is about using a way to introduce change into nearly a balanced order. To make an innovation, one will require a certain amount of work to make the idea real.

Comparison Table

Parameter of Comparison	Creativity	Innovation
Definition	Creativity is the capacity to make or think up something uncommon or original.	Innovation is the exercise of creating something new which already has a significant value to others.
Their actions	Creativity acts by delivering unique ideas.	Innovation acts by putting those new ideas into reality.
Measurable	Hard to measure.	Easy to measure.
Liability	Creativity doesn’t carry liability as it is just a thought or idea.	Innovation can cause liability as the idea becomes a reality.
Expression	Not every creativity conforms to innovation.	Every innovation is a result of creativity.

What is Creativity?

For the human species, “creativity” is one of the essential characteristics. It is considered one of the main aspects of making a person successful.

The word “creativity” means complete creation.

It is also about controlling to have the power of the mind for conceiving unique ideas, product plans, experiments of those thoughts, tastes, sensations, etc. For solving problems, “creativity” can be an individual’s expression structure.

“Creativity” is a quality which anyone can possess. For example- in the marketing world, “creativity” is the sole ingredient. In this modern era, new technologies are constantly evolving, developing, and becoming available.

And because of that, companies have to be flexible and keep up to date so that their creativity will allow them to quickly identify new paths in which technology can be applied to help their businesses.

Also, with social media and other currently available interactive forms of marketing, it is getting more critical for companies to be creative.

If employees become more creative, it can inspire them to come up with more exciting thoughts, including improving their overall output.

What is Innovation?

An idea should be reproduced at an economical cost to get called an innovation, and it must also deliver the satisfaction of a specific need.

The term “innovation” contains a reflective application of facts, thoughts, and initiative in collecting better or different values from resources, including all steps by which new ideas are delivered and conformed into valuable products.

It also requires balance and formation. Innovation can happen after changing a common or long-standing process by making it better if one has an existing status quo that can be developed to innovate.

Creativity and innovation are very different, even if they share strong bonds.

In other words, innovation can be created by taking a newly made idea and changing it into something valuable and practical. To convert any theory into action, innovation is the process that is needed.

The most familiar kind of innovation is the evolutionary one, meaning one has to find ways of making additional improvements to products and services.

This innovation has fewer risks, as it is usually not hard to set up demand for these improvements and calculate the possible return on investment. Though it still needs an important and direct approach.

Main Differences Between Creativity and Innovation

1. Creativity is when one dream of new things, while innovation is to make those dreams come true.
2. The term “creativity” has come from the Latin word “Creo”, which means “to create”. On the other hand, the term “innovation” has come from the Latin word “Innovation”, meaning noun for the action of the term innovates.
3. One has to think about new things or uncommon concepts, called “creativity”. The process that will change these concepts into practical usage is called innovation.
4. If an individual has brought a new thing into existence, it can be known as someone who has created it. In other cases, if one has made particular improvements to something which has been existing already, then it is okay to say that the particular individual has made an innovation.
5. There is no chance of having any risk regarding creativity, as it is just a thought. In innovation, risk can occur because it has already become a reality from an idea.

References

1. https://creativityworkshop.com/what-is-creativity.html
2. https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/item.aspx?num=13672