Conceptions of student creativity have shifted historically as ideas about art and education have changed. The ways people think about art, including those related to creative practice, require continual reconsideration in times of change. Art educators have begun reconsidering a range of art concepts and principles to better support contemporary art education. The idea of creativity also needs to be reconsidered for this time. In this article, the author briefly illustrates the complexity of the challenge to creativity that has been a part of the critique of modernism by providing a few examples. The author stresses that a contemporary reconsideration of creativity must take into account the contexts and purposes of its process and outcomes. As a result, creativity should be thought of as including the following: creativity (1) involves critical reflection, (2) is based on interest, (3) is a learning process, (4) is functional, (5) is a social activity, (6) depends on reproduction, and (7) is a form of leadership. The author discusses each of these characteristics. (Contains 6 figures.)