Creativity as a Driving Force of Innovation in the Context of 21st-Century Ukrainian Scientific Thought

The purpose of this article is to examine creativity as a driving force of innovative development and to reveal its influence on the formation of the intellectual and cultural-artistic potential of society in the context of Ukrainian scientific thought of the 21st century. The research methodology is based on an interdisciplinary approach to the study of creativity in Ukrainian scientific thought of the 21st century. The philosophical analysis of scientific thought allows for the integration of concepts into a broad cultural-artistic context. The psychological approach is grounded in theories of personal development through creativity. The semantic approach emphasises meaning and subjective experience, while also explaining how creativity extends beyond ordinary experience to create new opportunities for thought processes. The systemic approach structures existing perspectives on creativity as a driving force of innovative development, considering it as a factor influencing the formation of intellectual and cultural-artistic potential in society and enabling the forecasting of its development prospects. Scientific novelty. The novelty of this study lies in the analysis of Ukrainian scientific thought of the 21st century, where creativity is examined as a driving force of innovative development. The study reveals its impact on the formation of the intellectual and cultural-artistic potential of society and explores creativity as a key factor of social development. Creativity is considered from philosophical, psychological, and economic perspectives, with an emphasis on its role in generating new ideas, adapting to change, and driving innovation processes in the socio-cultural space of the first quarter of the 21st century. Conclusions. In the context of 21st century Ukrainian scientific thought, creativity emerges as a driving force in which intellect and imagination interact to generate not only new ideas and objects but also new ways of perceiving and understanding reality. Creativity, as a driving force of innovation in the formation of intellectual and cultural-artistic potential, has significant potential for transforming both individual and collective experience. It is an active process that can ensure the continuous evolution of values and perspectives and provide forming the basis for the development of new artistic forms. The article analyses various approaches to creativity as a categorical concept definition, its complicated essence, and its connection with freedom of mind, intuition, self-expression, and social mechanisms. Based on the analysis of Ukrainian scientific thinking of the 21st century, the study defines ‘creativity’ as a new developmental force in society, which combines a number of features such as adaptation to new conditions, innovative thinking, and new paradigms in culture, art, and science. The proposed integration of different scientific approaches aims to deepen the understanding of creativity both as an outcome and as a characteristic of personality. The study emphasises the importance of creativity for the development of intellectual capital and social progress.