What is Creativity?
- Cassidy Finley
- Nov 21, 2019
- 2 min read
Updated: Dec 2, 2019
Written by: Psychology Today
An act of creativity can be grand and inspiring, such as creating a beautiful painting or designing an innovative new product. But an idea need not be artistic or world-changing to count as creative. Life requires daily acts of ingenuity and novel workarounds; in this sense, almost everyone possesses some amount of creativity.
Research shows that creative thinking involves making new connections between different regions of the brain, which is accomplished by cultivating divergent thinking skills and deliberately exposing oneself to new experiences and to learning. While research psychologists are interested in tapping innovative thinking, clinical psychologists sometimes encourage patients to use artistic expression as a way to confront difficult feelings.
It is in everyone's interest to nurture creative impulses, regardless of one's day job. How can someone go about shaking up the way they think? Creativity is associated with many factors—including conducive environments, ideal collaborators, personality traits, spirituality, and just a hint of serendipity. Finding the right combination of these isn't always easy, but the outcomes are well worth it.
How to Be More Creative
Many people feel that they have no or very limited creative ability—even some who work in creative fields—and it's true that certain individuals are more creative than others. Fortunately, however, creativity can be acquired and honed at any age or experience level.
Innovation is not some divine gift; it’s actually the skilled application of knowledge in new and exciting ways. It requires changing up one's normal routine, stepping outside of typical comfort zones, and paying attention to the present moment.
When learning new information, taking a break—either by sleeping or simply enjoying a distraction—is another way of allowing the unconscious mind to process the data in novel and surprising ways. This often lays the groundwork for a creative insight or breakthrough.
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