  Formalizing creativity-related concepts has been a long-term goal of
Computational Creativity. To the same end, we explore Formal Learning Theory in
the context of creativity. We provide an introduction to the main concepts of
this framework and a re-interpretation of terms commonly found in creativity
discussions, proposing formal definitions for novelty and transformational
creativity. This formalisation marks the beginning of a research branch we call
Formal Creativity Theory, exploring how learning can be included as preparation
for exploratory behaviour and how learning is a key part of transformational
creative behaviour. By employing these definitions, we argue that, while
novelty is neither necessary nor sufficient for transformational creativity in
general, when using an inspiring set, rather than a sequence of experiences, an
agent actually requires novelty for transformational creativity to occur.
