I don't see a reason why he can't be a creator. Design it's more a knowledge of relationships, and the more you explore the more you can create.
Assuming you're talking about graphics design (creativity) [r1]: the more you explore design patterns, it's more about knowing the tools, once you know them you can create with them. Programmers are designers, just they're not used to do graphics.
EDIT:r1: Graphics design only, not including accessibility, etc.
It's an interesting tangent- how much crossover is there in the inherent skills of a developer and designer?
I use those terms from a pretty elitist graphic-design view. Of course anyone with a knowledge of tools can 'create' something. But the good graphic designers I know are so much more than their tool set- they are just different breeds of people. After immersing yourself in that world it changes your perspective.
To see the relationship between a designer and developer, you must think of it in terms of relationship and how our cognitive processes work.
I'm not talking about knowing what tool you have to use to create a light/shadow effect, but experience in how certain rules applied to that instrument can create something that has a much more visual impact. I'm not talking only about Photoshop. This applies specially in the mind setting. I can create something with my mind, just the thought, the idea.
When you code, you have your instrument (computer, programming language, etc) you have to apply certain rules to match your design idea. But that's not all. With graphics, you can abstract datas (ie. idea), but programming you can pattern complex datas in a way that graphics can't do (ie. algorithms).
I'm in HCI/UIs and I design more than program, but that doesn't stop me love seeing (read: learning) code.
It's an open question just how many of the skills of both developers and designer are "inherent".
I've certainly noticed that the designers at my company operate on a different design plane than I do. However, that could be because they're designers - this is what they devote their professional life to, just like how I devote mine to programming. Immersing yourself in anything changes your perspective.
I would venture that the "inherent" skills (i.e. skills that can't simply be learned) are those that separate the truly good anything, whether it is a designer, developer, or basketball player. Maybe the term there is "talent"?
Agreed- devoting yourself to anything will adjust your perspective. But I'm not sure that alone can explain super dork programmers or really off-the-wall designers? There's something more fundamental there.
Assuming you're talking about graphics design (creativity) [r1]: the more you explore design patterns, it's more about knowing the tools, once you know them you can create with them. Programmers are designers, just they're not used to do graphics.
EDIT:r1: Graphics design only, not including accessibility, etc.