Creativity

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Statue of the creative Renaissance man Leonardo da Vinci in Tuscany, Italy.

Creativity is the God-given faculty of coming up with new ideas, new music, new inventions and stories, new ways of doing things. It generally involves combining two things together, especially in a novel way.

Openness to experience is important to one's level of creativity.[1]

Along with individual initiative, creativity is one of the two outstanding characteristics of Americans (See: United States and innovation). More patented inventions, such as the telephone and atomic bomb, were invented by Americans than by people of any other country, although sometimes people of other countries have been able to put the finishing touches on them or market them better. For example, the fax machine, Gunpowder, paper, radio, the printing press, the steam engine, and open heart surgery, are examples of creativity originating in Asia, Europe, and Africa.

Unfortunately, many young artists are under the false assumption that alcohol and drugs can be used to enhance their creativity. Poets, writers, composers, painters, musicians, etc. get caught up in this self-defeating misconception. Part of it has to do with the pleasure center of the brain that the drugs impact - making one falsely believe they are more creative due to a temporary increase of dopamine.[2] If people have trouble driving a car on alcohol or other drugs, it stands to reason it might be harder to play an instrument, coordinate a paintbrush, or mold a lump of clay as well. The most celebrated artists of the past, such as Walt Disney, Leonardo Da Vinci, Shakespeare, Bach and Michelangelo achieved their fame without the use of drugs.

Creativity also allows people to be more open to all of God's given opportunities in life, as when one thinks creatively they open themselves up to limitless possibilities and solutions.[3] Besides from that researchers have determined that creativity uses conservative thinking methods as well. According to the researchers “Creativity is our ability to think in new and original ways to solve problems, but not every original solution is considered a creative one." As creativity requires high standards, something liberals are not too fond of.[4]

Similarly to guns, religion, and other conservative things, creativity has been long suppressed by dictatorships such as Nazi Germany, North Korea, among others as people weren't allowed to feel any way contrary to the dictator. This is why they would burn books and other forms of literature that didn't fit the dictator's agenda.

What creativity is

How to increase creativity

See also: Problem solving and Creative problem solving and Intellectual curiosity and Brainstorming and Ideation and Mind map and journaling and Collaboration and Courage and Time management and Stress management and Intellectual humility

To be more creative, a person can: "practice brainstorming, schedule dedicated creative time, meditate to relax your mind, engage in activities like doodling or journaling, change your perspective on problems, explore new experiences, exercise regularly, and consider collaborating with others; essentially, actively engage your mind with different approaches and allow space for new ideas to emerge."[5]

There is research indicating that individuals that are intrinsically motivated tend to be more creative. In addition, there is some research that suggests that prosocial motivation (which is defined as the desire to contribute to the lives of others) may also enhance creative thinking.[6]

Source: How to be more creative
Source: How to be more creative
Source: How to be more imaginative

Creativity skills

According to Investopedia, ideation is the literal action of forming ideas, from their conception to real-world application and implementation."[7]

See also: Problem solving and Creative problem solving and Openness and Intellectual curiosity and Ideation and Brainstorming and Imagination and Problem solving and Social networking and Collaboration and Teamwork skills and Listening skills and Reading and Questioning skills and Observation skills

Intellectual curiosity is a person’s willingness and desire to learn new things and dig deeper than a surface understanding.[8] It also refers to people who seek general knowledge and/or knowledge about deeper questions.[9]

Lateral thinking refers to solving problems through “thinking outside the box” and the use abstract thinking/reasoning.

Below are some skills related to creativity:

Source: List of creativity skills
Source: What skills are needed for creativity?

Articles and resources on creativity:

Slides on creative thinking skills:

Divergent/convergent thinking and creativity

Divergent/convergent thinking, creativity and intelligent problem solving

See also: Intelligence

Creativity and intelligence

The human brain is the most complex physical entity in the universe.[10][11][12]

The abstract for the 2014 journal article for the journal article Intelligence, creativity, and cognitive control: The common and differential involvement of executive functions in intelligence and creativity in the journal Intelligence indicates:

“ Intelligence and creativity are known to be correlated constructs suggesting that they share a common cognitive basis. The present study assessed three specific executive abilities – updating, shifting, and inhibition – and examined their common and differential relations to fluid intelligence and creativity (i.e., divergent thinking ability) within a latent variable model approach. Additionally, it was tested whether the correlation of fluid intelligence and creativity can be explained by a common executive involvement. As expected, fluid intelligence was strongly predicted by updating, but not by shifting or inhibition. Creativity was predicted by updating and inhibition, but not by shifting. Moreover, updating (and the personality factor openness) was found to explain a relevant part of the shared variance between intelligence and creativity. The findings provide direct support for the executive involvement in creative thought and shed further light on the functional relationship between intelligence and creativity.[13] ”

Methods to increase creativity

Psychologist Edward de Bono's lateral thinking technique to increase creativity:

Videos:

Buffalo State College video lectures (International Center for Studies in Creativity):

Increasing one's openness

See also: Change management and Comfort zone and Cognitive flexibility and Neoroplasticity and the ability of individuals to change their personality

Open people are less resistant to change.

Change, such as the changing of the seasons, is constantly occuring around us.

As noted above, openness to experience is important to one's level of creativity.[14]

The personality trait of openness can change in an individual (changing one's environment such as one's culture, interpersonal relations/skills, etc.).[15]. It was once thought that one's personality was fixed, but modern research indicates that one can positively change one's personality (Neoroplasticity and the ability of individuals to change their personality).

The 2023 journal article The reciprocal relationship between openness and creativity: from neurobiology to multicultural environments published in Frontiers in Neurology indicates:

“ Multicultural exposure, when facilitated by a habit of openness, encourages individuals to be curious about and investigate novel perspectives, ideas, and beliefs, even when they are different from their own. The process of gaining a deeper understanding of the nuances that make each culture unique provides new knowledge and inspiration for innovative thinking and problem-solving. Subsequently, individuals are thereby more likely to creatively incorporate various novel cultural influences into their work, which facilitates cognitive flexibility and the generation of new ideas in a positive feedback loop (15, 55). Moreover, exposure to diverse cultural perspectives has been demonstrated to help individuals to better understand and empathize with others, which in turn facilitates interpersonal conflict resolution."[16] ”

As far as the "habit of openness' mentioned above, habits can be changed (See: Habit). In addition, problem solving, empathy, and creativity are skills that can be learned (See: Problem solving and empathy and Books on creativity). For example, empathy involves being curious about other people, active listening, self-awareness, and emotional intelligence (See: Empathy).[17] In addition, travel broadens the mind as does improving the quality of one's personality relationships due to social influence and the fact that some people are openminded than others (Being around more openminded people is better than being around closedminded people if one wishes to increase their opennesss).

Increasing/expanding the personality trait of openness:

The symbiotic relationship between creativity and happiness

See also: Happiness

There is a symbiotic relationship between creativity and happiness (In other words, being happier make you more creative. In addition, being more creative makes one happier.).[18][19][20][21][22]

Creative problem solving

According to Investopedia, ideation is the literal action of forming ideas, from their conception to real-world application and implementation."[23]

See also: Creative problem solving and Ideation amd Brainstorming and Design (Discipline)

Creative problem solving "involves breaking down a problem to understand it, generating ideas to solve the problem and evaluating those ideas to find the most effective solutions. It uses techniques to make the problem solving process engaging and collaborative."[24]

Source: Creative problem solving and intelligence

Examples of creative problem solving

See also: Brainstorming and Mind map amd Scamper technique of brainstorming

Source: Creative problem solving and intelligence
Source: What are examples of creative problem solving?

6 stages of the creative problem solving process (Often referred to as the Osborn-Parnes model)

See also: Problem solving and Innovation

The six stages of creative problem solving, often referred to as the Osborn-Parnes model, are: Objective Finding, Fact Finding, Problem Finding, Idea Finding, Solution Finding, and Acceptance Finding; essentially, defining the problem, gathering information, identifying the core issue, brainstorming ideas, selecting the best solution, and planning for implementation. Explanation of each stage:

1. Objective Finding: Clearly state the goal or desired outcome of the problem-solving process.

2. Fact Finding: Gather all relevant information and data about the problem situation.

3. Problem Finding: Analyze the information to identify the root cause or key issues that need to be addressed.

4. Idea Finding: Generate a wide range of potential solutions through brainstorming or other creative techniques. See also: Ideation

5. Solution Finding: Evaluate the generated ideas, select the most promising solution, and refine it.

6. Acceptance Finding: Develop a plan to implement the chosen solution and address potential obstacles to acceptance.

Creativity and leadership

See also: Leadership

The difference between creativity and innovation

See also: Innovation

According to Business News Daily:

“ Creativity is the spontaneous development of new ideas and out-of-the-box thinking.

Innovation is applied creativity, in which the spark of a new idea is turned into a novel solution or process. Hunter weighs in with his own definition: “Innovation is the implementation or creation of something new that has realized value to others.”

Innovation is realized most vividly in the form of a tool, physical benefit or aid that solves a problem or creates an advantage.[25]

”

Innovation: The United States, Switzerland, Sweden, the United Kingdom and Singapore

See also: United States and innovation

Switzerland, Sweden, the United States, the United Kingdom and Singapore are the world’s most innovative economies in 2023, according to WIPO’s Global Innovation Index (GII), as a group of middle-income economies have emerged over the past decade as the fastest climbers of the ranking.[26][27][28]

Books on creativity

The human brain is the most complex physical entity in the universe.[29][30][31]

See also: Books on creativity

  • Applied Imagination: Principles and Procedures of Creative Thinking by Alex F. Osborn. Charles Scribner's Sons; 3rd Revised edition (January 1, 1979)
  • The Dance of The Possible: A mostly honest and completely irreverent guide to creativity by Scott Berkun. Berkun Media, LLC (March 10, 2017)
  • Design Your Thinking: The Mindsets, Toolsets, and Skill Sets for Creative Problem-Solving by Pavan Soni, Portfolio (October 12, 2020)
  • Creative Confidence: Unleashing the Creative Potential Within Us All by Tom Kelley and David Kelley, ‎Currency; NO-VALUE edition (October 15, 2013)
  • Lateral Thinking: Creativity Step by Step by Edward De Bono, Harper Colophon; Reissue edition (February 24, 2015)
  • Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative by Austin Kleon, Workman Publishing Company; 1st edition (February 28, 2012)
  • Creativity, Inc. by Ed Catmull, Random House; Expanded edition (June 13, 2023)
  • 101 Creative Problem Solving Techniques, by James Higgins; New Management Pub. Co (January 1, 2006)
  • The Creative Problem Solver's Toolbox: A Complete Course in the Art of Creating Solutions to Problems of Any Kind by Richard Fobes; Solutions Through Innovation; 2nd edition (April 14, 2014)
  • Thinkertoys: A Handbook of Creative-Thinking Techniques by Michael Michalko, Ten Speed Press; NO-VALUE edition (June 8, 2006)
  • Creative Problem Solving by Arthur van Gundy, Praeger (January 19, 1987)
  • How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci: Seven Steps to Genius Every Day by Michael J. Gelb, Dell; Revised edition (February 8, 2000)
  • Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, HarperCollins; First Edition (January 1, 1996)
  • Ignore Everybody: and 39 Other Keys to Creativity by Hugh MacLeod. Portfolio; First Edition (June 11, 2009)

Books related to the Creative Problem Association:

  • Optimize the Magic of the Mind by Sidney Jay Parnes. ‎Bearly Ltd (January 1, 1997)
  • Source Book for Creative Problem Solving : A Fifty Year Digest of Proven Innovation Processes. Creative Education Foundation (December 1, 1992)
  • Making the Creative Leap Beyond by H. Tammy Safter and E. Paul Torrance. Creative Education Foundation (January 1, 1999)
  • Impact: Transforming Your Organization by William F. Sturner. Creative Education Foundation (May 5, 1993)

(Books can be ordered at the Creative Education Foundation online store)

See also

External links

Videos on creativity:

Organizations related to creativity:

References

  1. ↑ Openness to experience, plasticity, and creativity: Exploring lower-order, high-order, and interactive effects, Journal of Research in Personality, Volume 43, Issue 6, December 2009, Pages 1087-1090
  2. ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/recovery-life/201007/myth-about-alcohol-drugs-and-creativity
  3. ↑ https://fractalenlightenment.com/29121/life/why-using-too-much-logic-may-be-harmful
  4. ↑ https://www.opencolleges.edu.au/informed/features/creativity-requires-conservative-thinking/
  5. ↑ How to be more creative
  6. ↑ Creativity and imagination
  7. ↑ What Is an Ideation? Definition, How It Works, and Process, Investopedia
  8. ↑ Curious? Wanting to learn more is key to career success
  9. ↑ What Is Intellectual Curiosity? Definition and Importance, Indeed
  10. ↑ The Human Body: God's Masterpiece
  11. ↑ The Enigmatic Human Brain by Wallace G. Smith
  12. ↑ The Most Complex Structure, Creation Moments
  13. ↑ Intelligence, creativity, and cognitive control: The common and differential involvement of executive functions in intelligence and creativity, Intelligence. 2014 Sep;46:73–83. doi: 10.1016/j.intell.2014.05.007
  14. ↑ Openness to experience, plasticity, and creativity: Exploring lower-order, high-order, and interactive effects, Journal of Research in Personality, Volume 43, Issue 6, December 2009, Pages 1087-1090
  15. ↑ The neurobiology of openness as a personality trait, Frontiers in Neurology. 2023; 14: 1235345.Published online 2023 Aug 14. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2023.1235345]
  16. ↑ The reciprocal relationship between openness and creativity: from neurobiology to multicultural environments, Frontiers in Neurology. 2023; 14: 1235348. Published online 2023 Oct 11. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2023.1235348
  17. ↑ Empathic Skills: Definition and Examples
  18. ↑ The Symbiotic Relationship: Creativity and Happiness
  19. ↑ The Unexpected Link Between Creativity and Happiness, Ideascale website
  20. ↑ Does Happiness Affect Your Creativity?
  21. ↑ Being Creative Makes You Happier: The Positive Effect of Creativity on Subjective Well-Being, Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Jul; 18(14): 7244. Published online 2021 Jul 6. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18147244
  22. ↑ Studies Show Why Creativity and Happiness are Linked
  23. ↑ What Is an Ideation? Definition, How It Works, and Process, Investopedia
  24. ↑ Problem solving
  25. ↑ Creativity Is Not Innovation (But You Need Both), Business News Daily, 2024
  26. ↑ The U.S. Is (Again) Among the World's Top Innovators, U.S. News and World Report, 2023
  27. ↑ Global Innovation Index 2023: Switzerland, Sweden and the U.S. lead the Global Innovation Ranking; Innovation Robust but Startup Funding Increasingly Uncertain
  28. ↑ World's Most Innovative Countries, Statista website, 2023
  29. ↑ The Human Body: God's Masterpiece
  30. ↑ The Enigmatic Human Brain by Wallace G. Smith
  31. ↑ The Most Complex Structure, Creation Moments
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