Creativity' is a term which occurs in academic articles on education and in Australian government curriculum documents. Despite an extensive debate in the 1960s there is a vagueness attendant upon this term and considerable inconsistency in its application. This is a matter for concern because creativity is an important concept in that aspect of culture which we designate as the arts and it is by that token a significant concept in arts education. The writings of three educational theorists have been important in the discussion of 'creativity': White Olford and Elliott. In the field of arts theory and aesthetics the writings of Maitland, Beardsley and Hospers provide a framework for considering the concept. Out of these writings in the fields of educational theory, arts theory and aesthetics six issues relating to creativity arise. These issues are, the locus of creativity, creativity as problem solving, as novelty, as discovery, as inspiration, and creativity and knowledge. Proceeding from a consideration of these issues and of Degenhardt's three criteria of creativity a set of five criteria of creativity are suggested. The implications for arts education of the six issues and the five criteria move consideration of the concept away from notions of creativity as inspiration or discovery and towards a view of creativity which is based on knowledge of the domain in which it occurs. This leads to a rejection of the notion that creativity is something which can be taught and transferred from one domain to another. The consequence of that is an affirmation of knowledge of any particular domain as the focus for creativity within the curriculum.