answer:Usually yes, but not always. There are rare instances where a trained/experienced professional will develop blind-spots and/or erect mental walls that don’t actually exist. While those in the field are far better at refining existing knowledge, those that lack that tend to be better at “thinking outside the box” simply because they never built a box to get into in the first place. Usually the most creative ones are those with a little knowledge of the field their invention is in while having great experience in a somewhat related field. For instance, as a machinist, I’ve occasionally been stumped by something that one of the maintenance guys comes up with a simple-but-workable solution. He may not know an end mill from a face mill or the difference between G00 and G01 but he does know a few things about putting stuff in vices and moving heavy objects, so there is enough overlap in knowledge. It should come as no surprise that most of the truly inventive people are multi-talented, able to use their knowledge of one field to break through the barriers that another field’s training/experience may build. Maybe a plumber has an idea for an artificial heart; after all, the heart is a pump. Or maybe a guy with a wood stove comes up with a way to split wood faster despite lacking a degree in engineering or physics. Lateral thinkers are the true innovators.