The concept of creativity is present in the thinking of all cultures. The idea of bringing new order out of non-order and new form out of the formless is basic to the concept of creativity. Despite the efforts of numerous researchers, defining giftedness or creativity appears to be a timeless problem. Presently there is still no universally accepted definition of giftedness and a real need to adequately define and identify the gifted or creative child is apparent. In 1969, Congress passed a bill to provide better identification methods and educational programs for the gifted child. The identification of the gifted child is all important because it is from such talent that we draw statesmen, writers, technicians, scientists, and future leaders. The present paper reviews some of the attempts at defining giftedness and creativity. The need for considering creativity as a process is discussed and the implication for assessing creativity or giftedness explored. A conceptual model for the identification of the gifted or creative child, that includes the multi-dimensional evaluation of intelligence, creativity test scores and creative production is discussed. (Author)