| Creativity isn't mysterious or unique. It is a trait that | | | | treat, such as a marshmallow, rather than only one if |
| every person has to some degree. Creativity has little | | | | they waited some undetermined time. The children |
| to do with IQ. It is simply the deliberate use of our | | | | who could only wait 30 seconds before eating the |
| ordinary thinking processes. These thinking approaches | | | | marshmallow were found years later to have more |
| can be taught and therefore any person can move | | | | behavioral problems and average SAT scores that |
| from their present level of creative ability to a much | | | | were 210 points less than the students who could wait |
| higher one. | | | | the entire 15 minutes. When Mischel taught the children |
| Creativity can also be unlearned. In 1968, George Land | | | | a creative thinking technique to imagine that the |
| studied the creativity of a group of 1600 children over | | | | marshmallow is only a picture surrounded by an |
| time by administering a test used by NASA to select | | | | imaginary frame, he dramatically improved their |
| innovative engineers and scientists. 98% of children at | | | | self-control and increased the time that they could |
| 5 years old would have been selected. At 10 years old, | | | | delay gratification. |
| only 30% of these same children would have been | | | | Freedom from Stimulus |
| chosen. At 15 years old, the percentage dropped to a | | | | Although this sounds complicated, it simply means the |
| mere 12%. The same test was given to 280,000 adults | | | | ability to break free from assumptions about a specific |
| and only 2% would have been selected. What is going | | | | situation. Creative thinkers are rule breakers. They do |
| on? | | | | things that others say can't be done. Neuroscientists |
| The power of place and the impact of one's | | | | have determined that the brains of creative thinkers |
| environment - in part 3 of this series - will highlight | | | | are wired to be open to novel encounters and seeing |
| some of the reasons that creativity is affected. Let's | | | | things in a different way, instead of taking the neural |
| first look, however, at the characteristics of creative | | | | path of least resistance. When the stated rules of a |
| people to understand their dominant attributes. | | | | situation interfere with a developing creative idea, the |
| Researchers have determined that broad interests, | | | | creative person will simply ignore or bend the rules to |
| attraction to complexity, curiosity, intuition, tolerance for | | | | suit their needs. Additionally when faced with an |
| ambiguity, perseverance, self-confidence, intrinsic | | | | ambiguous situation or when there are no rules, they |
| motivation, and freedom from stimulus contribute to | | | | do not assume that any rules exist. People who are |
| creative thinking. | | | | less creative will make-up non-existent rules in order to |
| Tolerance of Ambiguity | | | | eliminate the fear of being wrong. Fear greatly restricts |
| The tolerance of ambiguity is the most important | | | | creative thinking. |
| personal quality of a creative person, according to | | | | Motivation |
| professors and researchers John Dacey and Kathleen | | | | Motivation encompasses what to do, whether to do it, |
| Lennon. Ambiguity is the ability to see a situation or | | | | how to do it and when to do it, according to Teresa |
| issue in various shades of gray, instead of in black and | | | | Amabile, a leading creativity researcher. People |
| white, remain open-minded about the approach or | | | | become motivated to work on something when they |
| solution, and sometimes even enjoy the process. A | | | | find it interesting, involving, exciting, satisfying, and |
| creative person would take a longer time to respond | | | | personally challenging. Creative people are driven by |
| emotionally-boredom, excitement, fear, terror-to a | | | | curiosity and the enjoyment of searching for new |
| situation than the average person. This tendency to | | | | insights. Their work becomes a labor of love and is |
| find the unknown or unfamiliar interesting or exciting | | | | self-motivating. Job satisfaction studies show that |
| rather than stress producing, increases their ability to | | | | people will be most creative and most satisfied in their |
| think and react creatively. | | | | jobs and perform better when they are primarily |
| Perseverance and Delay of Gratification | | | | intrinsically motivated. |
| This ability to be comfortable in the unknown is helped | | | | It used to be thought that external forces could not |
| by being perseverant and being able to delay | | | | positively or negatively impact intrinsic motivation. |
| gratification. Creative people can maintain a clear | | | | However recent research by Amabile shows that |
| sense of purpose through obstacles and frustration | | | | people's perceptions and emotions can affect their |
| that other might find overwhelming. Their | | | | motivation. |
| self-confidence allows them to be able to go against | | | | Many techniques can be learned to increase creative |
| what others are doing to continue on the path they | | | | ability, forming new neural pathways in our brain. The |
| believe is correct. In order to reap higher pleasures and | | | | pressures or support of place and the environment |
| gains in the long run, they can tolerate long time frames | | | | (the second "P")-work, family, school, peers-however, |
| and delay the gratification of the reward. | | | | will have a large impact on the ability of the individual to |
| In the 1970's a Stanford psychology professor, Walter | | | | practice creative thinking strategies until they become |
| Mischel, observed the effects on nursery school | | | | second nature. More on these outside influences will be |
| students when told they could have two of a chosen | | | | discussed in part 3 of this series. |