In his 1996 book, Creativity: The Work and Lives of 91 Eminent People, psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, said that “Of all human activities, creativity comes closest to providing the fulfillment we all hope to get in our lives.”
He reasons that creativity is one of the central tenets of our lives. “Most of the things that are interesting, important, and human are the result of creativity,” he writes.
But what of the person who doesn’t believe they’re creative? I think of Allen, a friend of mine, who has never considered himself creative – even when you explain there are two types of creativity: 1) aesthetic/artistic, or 2) solution finding/problem solving. In his mind, Allen is a master implementer, not a creator. He is brilliant at doing what someone else tells him to do, but he doesn't believe he could ever be able to create the idea to implement.
His belief matches what many people think, that a person’s creativity is a natural extension of their personality, a talent they’ve unconsciously nurtured since birth. My friend Greg is the opposite of Allen. Greg is one of the most creative people I know, who once told me that “(Creativity) is like breathing to me.”
So can a person really improve their creativity? For every Allen and Greg, I think of Marilyn. I believe she’s an extraordinary artist, but she only believes she’s become an artist through intense hard work, discipline and consistency. Her opinion is that some of the world’s greatest artists had to learn how to hold a brush, mix paints, apply it with different strokes to a canvas. They’ve taught themselves the relevant skills, and only through practice and diligence have they improved and excelled at their creativity.
Over the past month, I’ve studied a variety of sources – 19 in all – listing the most common and important attributes of the creative individual. As I expected, there was a lot of overlap, but not much order. In fact, some of the traits seemed to be opposite of one another. It wasn’t until I read Csikszentmihalyi’s attributes did an ‘organization’ become more clear: that indeed the creative person is a dual personality. Sometimes some of this, sometimes some of that.
Two things fascinate me. One, that Carl Jung felt an individual’s personality was one or the other (e.g., extroversion vs. introversion, judging vs. perceiving). But research from a variety of sources suggests the creative person exhibits both traits, sometimes at the same time.
Two, that many of the red traits listed below are similar to the strategic thinker, but the green traits are not. In other words, the best creative thinkers are strategic, but that the best strategic thinkers aren’t necessarily creative.
Here’s where I finally netted out in ‘organizing’ the attributes of the creative individual.
Intelligent Not necessarily a person who ranks high in testing but well-read, with interests in a wide array of topics, a broad life history.
but Child-like Explores ideas for their own sake. Happy to rip apart what’s known to start again. Values play and daydreaming.
Extroverted A large network of colleagues, friends and acquaintances. Likes to engage and share ideas with others.
but Introverted Insular, can be perceived as a loner. Reflective, with a high ability to concentrate for long periods of time. No problem being or working alone.
Rigid Able to self-start, keeps their nose to the grindstone, never lets up until the problem is solved. Perseverent.
but Flexible Open to new experiences. Switches from one perspective to another. Juggles several theories at once. Embraces ambiguity.
Grounded Motivated and organized. Accepts problems as inevitable. Accepts every solution can be improved.
but Fantastic Spirited, adventurous. A visionary. Follows their whims and expresses their impulses, often recklessly. More interested in mystery than knowledge.
Conservative Consistent. Prefers making decisions based on facts vs. emotions. Protective of their ideas when necessary. Considered.
but Risk-Taking Revels being different; allows them to take risks others wouldn’t. Will toss out their ideas. Shrugs off mistakes, believing them to be both natural and necessary.
Blind Can become focused with a laser-like intensity, often leading to tunnel vision. Can ignore reality when it suits.
but Sensitive Sees things others do not. Makes connections between disparate concepts. Relies as much on their intuition as the facts.
Convergent Good at defining the problem, understanding it. An analytic mind, a good judge of ideas, theirs and others.
but Divergent Creates a wide volume of ideas which are original, unique, different and unusual. Can suspend judgment.
Optimistic Enthusiastic and passionate. Can excite others to their way of thinking. Persuasive and a good communicator.
but Pessimistic A natural cynic. Skeptical and curious. Questions information, especially assumptions. Highly critical of themselves.
