Through identifying sources and interpreting findings from the fields of medical illustration, psychology, and education, the research described provides the teacher of medical illustration with a framework for promoting in students an active sense of their creative abilities. The need for the study, background information, limitations, and procedures are discussed in chapter 1. Following the review of literature in chapter 2, chapter 3 deals with findings from the literature of medical illustration and surveys the body of facts and opinions on the need for creative ability in illustrators. An overall performance objective, derived from the literature, is presented which states that the professional medical illustrator will demonstrate conceptualization, visualization and abstraction abilities, and will exhibit characteristics of flexibility and versatility in art techniques and adaptability to change in the medical environment. Chapter 4 deals with research findings on creativity: Definitions, steps in the creative process, and creativity in the scientific and artistic occupations. Teaching methods and techniques advocated by educational psychologists and methodologists for the growth of creative artistic production are discussed in chapter 5, and conclusions and recommendations are presented in chapter 6. A bibliography is appended. (SH)