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We talk a lot about creativity. What is it, exactly? How do we foster it? Who does it best? In last week's Harvard Business Review, social entrepreneur Dan Polleta shifts the conversation by asking, "Why Creativity?" His answer:

I believe that the best creativity comes from a much deeper place than the desire to win. It comes from a desire to contribute to the lives of others, either by introducing something new that improves the quality of their lives or by showing people that something thought to be impossible is in fact possible. When you change people's perceptions about what can be accomplished or achieved, you contribute to their humanity in the richest possible way.

Polleta argues that most contemporary writing about innovation is missing the point, which is to make life better. Is there a place for unbridled creativity, that is - innovation without pragmatism?