In this book, Chris Bilton, who has worked as a performer, writer, arts worker and academic, challenges the stereotypical opposition between 'creatives' and 'suits'. Creativity, he suggests, is not just about spontaneous discovery and inspiration, it is also a self-conscious, deliberately managed process. Similarly, management is not only shaped by rational processes, it also involves insight, intuition, creativity and risk.

Bilton draws on the work of management theorists and creativity theorists, and on the practical experience of individuals working in creative industries, in his attempt to improve our understanding of the relationship between the management of creativity and creative approaches to management. His work forms part of a wider move to consider the relevance of creative processes and structures in our new, creative economy.