Uploaded November 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Teresa M. Amabile, Harvard Business School
The annual Torrance Lecture is a production of the Torrance Center for Creativity and Talent Development at UGA (Host: Prof. Anna Abraham, Director). Lecture Summary: I will begin this talk at the very beginning, my first encounter with the word “creativity” as a child. After discussing how my fascination with this field of study grew over time, I’ll briefly describe my creativity research program of 40+ years, the main insights it yielded, and the many revisions of my creativity theory over the years. I will highlight a few personal lessons and offer some thoughts on the future of creativity research. About the Speaker: Teresa M. Amabile is an internationally recognized researcher, writer, speaker, and emerita professor at Harvard Business School, most widely known for her pioneering research on creativity, everyday work life, and retirement. Her 45-year program of research on how the work environment can influence creativity and motivation yielded a theory of creativity and innovation; methods for assessing creativity, motivation, and the work environment; and a set of prescriptions for maintaining and stimulating innovation. Her books include (1) Growing Up Creative, (2) Creativity in Context, (3) The Progress Principle: Using Small Wins to Ignite Joy, Engagement, and Creativity at Work, and (4) Retiring: Creating a Life That Works for You. Her honors include being inducted into the Thinkers50 Hall of Fame (2024), being named within the top 50 scholars in business/management by the journal PLOS Biology (2020), receiving an Honorary Doctorate from the BI Norwegian School of Management in Oslo (2019), winning the 2018 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Organizational Behavior Division of the Academy of Management, and receiving the 2017 Distinguished Scholar Award from the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, a division of the American Psychological Association. About the Annual Torrance Lecture: This lecture series is sponsored by the Torrance Center for Creativity and Talent Development at the University of Georgia's Mary Frances Early College of Education. It brings together scholars, professionals, and creative artists to discuss a wide range of topics and themes that are informative about the nature of creativity. It was established in 1985 to honor Dr. E. Paul Torrance, a native Georgian and pioneer in research on the identification and development of creative potential. Note: This lecture was selected to be part of the 2025 Fall Signature Lecture Series of the University of Georgia (UGA).
Music Credit
Can’t Stop Chasing You
Ben Johnson, composer
Music from Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
uppbeat.io/t/ben-johnson/cant-stop-chasing-you
License code: FT1GRNJRXN9SVGE6
The University of Georgia
The Mary Frances Early College of Education
copyright © 2025
Teresa M. Amabile, Harvard Business School
The annual Torrance Lecture is a production of the Torrance Center for Creativity and Talent Development at UGA (Host: Prof. Anna Abraham, Director). Lecture Summary: I will begin this talk at the very beginning, my first encounter with the word “creativity” as a child. After discussing how my fascination with this field of study grew over time, I’ll briefly describe my creativity research program of 40+ years, the main insights it yielded, and the many revisions of my creativity theory over the years. I will highlight a few personal lessons and offer some thoughts on the future of creativity research. About the Speaker: Teresa M. Amabile is an internationally recognized researcher, writer, speaker, and emerita professor at Harvard Business School, most widely known for her pioneering research on creativity, everyday work life, and retirement. Her 45-year program of research on how the work environment can influence creativity and motivation yielded a theory of creativity and innovation; methods for assessing creativity, motivation, and the work environment; and a set of prescriptions for maintaining and stimulating innovation. Her books include (1) Growing Up Creative, (2) Creativity in Context, (3) The Progress Principle: Using Small Wins to Ignite Joy, Engagement, and Creativity at Work, and (4) Retiring: Creating a Life That Works for You. Her honors include being inducted into the Thinkers50 Hall of Fame (2024), being named within the top 50 scholars in business/management by the journal PLOS Biology (2020), receiving an Honorary Doctorate from the BI Norwegian School of Management in Oslo (2019), winning the 2018 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Organizational Behavior Division of the Academy of Management, and receiving the 2017 Distinguished Scholar Award from the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, a division of the American Psychological Association. About the Annual Torrance Lecture: This lecture series is sponsored by the Torrance Center for Creativity and Talent Development at the University of Georgia's Mary Frances Early College of Education. It brings together scholars, professionals, and creative artists to discuss a wide range of topics and themes that are informative about the nature of creativity. It was established in 1985 to honor Dr. E. Paul Torrance, a native Georgian and pioneer in research on the identification and development of creative potential. Note: This lecture was selected to be part of the 2025 Fall Signature Lecture Series of the University of Georgia (UGA).
Music Credit
Can’t Stop Chasing You
Ben Johnson, composer
Music from Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
uppbeat.io/t/ben-johnson/cant-stop-chasing-you
License code: FT1GRNJRXN9SVGE6
The University of Georgia
The Mary Frances Early College of Education
copyright © 2025
