‘We can’t give up our own creativity’: Gerard Puccio on the importance of creativity in today’s world

Founded by creative thinking pioneers Alex F. Osborn and Sidney J. Parnes more than half a century ago, the Center for Applied Imagination at Buffalo State stands as the first educational institution in the world to offer graduate-level courses, a master of science in creativity studies, and-beginning in fall 2026-a doctor of professional studies in creativity and change leadership.

We sat down with Gerard Puccio, chair of the Creativity and Change Leadership Department and leader of the Center for Applied Imagination, to hear why-now more than ever-creativity remains critical to work and life.

Buffalo State University: How has the perception around creativity shifted since Osborn founded CAI?
Gerard Puccio: Osborn was a businessman but recognized that the success of a business or any organization is contingent upon the use of imagination. He believed it was a fundamental workplace skill. His vision was to change educational approaches so that education did more to promote creative thinking than undermine it. In the World Economic Forum job report from January 2025-and this has been the case for nearly a decade and a half-creative thinking is included among the top 10 skills necessary for success in today's workplace. Osborn was building an argument around this; now, 75 years later, the rest of the world has caught up.

BSU: Do you expect this trend to continue?
GP: In that same WEF report, they not only looked at the workplace today, but asked employers to think about the workplace over the next five years and make predictions about what workplace skills will be most important going forward. Creative thinking continued to be in the top 5. Even more than that, creative thinking is the foundation to many of the other identified skills: resiliency, flexibility, and agility; curiosity and lifelong learning; leadership and social influence. So, while creative thinking itself is listed, it's also sort of the glue that holds several items together-it's a thread throughout this list.

BSU: The number one skill on the list is the ability to effectively interact with artificial intelligence and big data. How does creativity factor into one's ability to do that?
GP: AI makes it even more important for humans to understand and direct their own creativity. AI doesn't replace human creativity, but those who are more skillful at creative thinking and facilitating creative thinking are going to be in a stronger position to leverage AI as an assistant. AI relies on prompts; you're directing it, so the more you understand the system of your creative thinking, the more you're going to be able to interact with AI and accomplish a goal together. If you don't know how to manage your own creative thinking, you won't know how to work with AI and get what you need. We have to develop our own creativity to get the most out of AI.

BSU: Some people worry that AI is going to replace the need for creativity. Is this a valid concern?
GP: If you take the perspective that AI is a threat, you build an adversarial relationship with AI and a competitive position. AI does things faster than I can, but it cannot replace my thinking. Highly creative people are aware of what they're imagining, of which of their ideas hold the greatest promise. AI can't do that. It becomes even more important for us to become masters of our own creative thinking and that we become facilitators of creative thinking as we work with AI.

BSU: You recently published a guidebook for the Association of Talent Development about creativity in the workplace. Tell us about it.
GP: ATD asked Pamela Szalay and me to do an issue of TD at Work-a special guide that goes to their members-that would give them the tools and strategies to address the gap in creative thinking in their organizations. The guide, Cultivate Creative Thinking for the Future of Work, is written in a highly engaging, practical fashion and includes six specific, action-oriented strategies that individuals can use in their organizations. It's basically "Creativity 101." It's cool that this major organization responsible for training and development as a profession recognized the importance of creative thinking in the workplace and turned to us at Buffalo State to write the guide.

BSU: Why is a formal education/degree in creativity and change leadership valuable?
GP: Because creative thinking and problem solving are fundamental to success in all occupations, you can use this degree to do whatever you wish to do. In our program, we have a real cross section of fields and industries-teachers, nurses, lawyers, engineers- because what we are teaching is universally applicable, and it helps all professionals, no matter what role they're in, to be more effective at what they do and to develop twenty-first century leadership skills. If you want to stand out, if you want to be different, if you want to lead-this is the degree for you.

BSU: Why is creativity such an important skill in today's world?
GP: We live in a time of rampant change. Change brings about novelty, uncertainty, and anxiety. Creative thinking and using your imagination helps you to respond to and embrace change, to be a victor not a victim, to stay on the cutting edge, and be proactive. It promotes self-actualization and positive mental health; it allows you to grow and flourish. For the sake of our own wellbeing, we can't give up our own creativity.

Photo by Jesse Steffan-Colucci, Buffalo State photographer.