One professor feels lack of creativity in individuals is because of complacency with the status quo and disinterest in change.

Renowned creativity expert Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, professor of psychology at the Peter F. Drucker Graduate School of Management at Claremont Graduate College, lectured on the topic in the Sun Room of the Memorial Union on Thursday evening.

Csikszentmihalyi, who has done more than 40 years of research studying aspects of creativity, spoke in front of an overflowing crowd about the “Creative Person and the Creative Context.”

The lecture was sponsored by the Center For Excellence in the Arts and Humanities. Brenda Daly, director of the English department, said Csikszentmihalyi was asked to lecture at Iowa State so the community could better understand how creativity can be nourished on campus.

“There is not enough creativity,” she said. “We want to encourage it.”

Cheryl Achterberg, dean of the College of Human Sciences, said she agreed.

“The whole idea of the subject of creativity is important in every subject and will benefit all students and faculty,” she said.

Csikszentmihaly said creativity is about risk taking and wanting to do the best. Creativity on campus could be much greater, but many people are content with the happy medium, he said.

“Knowing how to think ahead of the curve is essential,” he said.

The United States is falling behind in creativity and other cultures are catching up, he said. With this kind of economy, if a person is not an innovator, he could be in trouble, Csikszentmihalyi said.