What is a creative person?

Culture

Creativity, which is defined as the creation of something new and useful, has historically been considered a process of divine inspiration. A new study has revealed a less puzzling picture: creativity can not only be measured but also significantly improved.

At the University of Sydney, for example, researchers have developed a “thinking cap” device that aims to promote creativity by acting electrically on brain.

Charles Limb, an American hearing specialist, saxophonist and associate professor at Johns Hopkins University, began exploring the neurobiological basis of creativity by studying brain function brains of jazz musicians. He and his colleague Dr. Allen Brown of the National Institutes of Health in the US compared brain scans of performers who played from memory and those who improvised.

The study found that areas of the brain that regulate inhibition and self-control turn off during improvisation. Self-expression and self-regulation, on the contrary, are connected, while sensory perception increases.

In other words, musicians have become so good at playing that when they improvise, they enter a kind of automatic expressive state. You just have to get to the point where you're completely relaxed and forget everything you've learned before.

In a sense, it is impossible to force a person to become creative, but you can improve your ability to enter a creative state of mind by studying your environment and the skills you have.

Creative personality traits

Charles Limb's work has been part of the study of creativity in other studies, which have found that creativity is more than just talent and a high level of intelligence. Personality traits such as lack of conformity, curiosity and persistence also lead to creativity.

The ability to generate new ideas and narrow down options is also an essential part of the creative method, says Andrew Martin, a psychologist and professor at the University of Sydney. Good problem solvers will identify the goal and question before breaking them down, then research, sift, distribute, form ideas, and often even retreat before finally will come to their goal.

Social context and circumstances also matter. Over the past 35 years, Teresa Amabile, a professor at Harvard Business School, has found enough evidence to debunk the myth of lonely geniuses.

Innovative thinking is as much or more related to a person's motivation and factors such as experience or innate creativity. Intrinsic motivation, or “passion to do something,” is particularly important and is often influenced by our social, school, or work environment.

A team of scientists led by Amabile found out the factors that increase creativity in organizations, and they were: positive competition and independence, strong group support and healthy relations with managers and employers. Time and funding are also important, provided that other factors are taken into account. Sometimes deadlines can also stimulate innovation, as long as there's a good reason behind it.

On the other hand, workplace political struggles, arbitrary deadlines, and restrictions often stifle creativity.

The researchers found that people did the most creative work when they had the opportunity to talk to others about the task they were trying to solve.

Tips for developing creative thinking:

1. Follow your passion

2. Become a master of your craft and gain experience