Nurturing Creativity

Is it possible to teach or enhance creativity? Or is it a skill that some are born with or an innate ability that if properly nurtured only matures in some but not others?

Research psychologists with an interest in creativity seek empirically based answers to these questions. They research how people cultivate skills in order to produce novel and original ideas, develop innovative solutions to life’s toughest problems, or simply live more creative, fulfilling, and meaningful lives. (see Psychology of Creativity.)

Yet these researchers differ on how creativity seems natural to some, yet such a struggle if not a deficit in others. And some only study eminent creativity or world-changing creativity, while others specialize in personal creativity for all.

Some believe it’s the environment that greatly influences creativity, others investigate genetics, and some focus on personality traits. For more information see social psychology and creativity and identifying creative people. Still others research specific forms of thinking and cognition and how it relates to the brain’s anatomy.

At this point, most researchers of this topic agree that creativity is extremely complex, and probably a unique combination of all these factors – and more. Most researchers believe, however, that all individuals have an ability to express themselves – and their lives – creatively.

Some develop theories on how individuals are able to reignite or nurture creative thinking, a skill that most people believe they lack or has lessened over time.

Creative Behaviors

Robert Epstein, PhD, has developed a theory based exclusively on behavior and skill building. Called the Generativity Theory of Creativity, Epstein proposes that novel behavior is based on the “dynamic interactions among previously established behaviors.”

Additionally this University of California, San Diego psychology professor and researcher believes that creative competencies or skill sets determine creative expression, and everyone has the ability to develop these behaviors.

Through his research presented in the Creativity Research Journal in “Measuring and Training Creativity Competencies: Validation of a New Test,” Epstein has identified four competencies that individuals must acquire to stimulate creative expression:

Epstein states that by strengthening these four areas, any individual can become more creative. He has developed games and exercises for this type of strengthening. In the American Psychological Association (APA) article “The Science of Creativity,” it stated that some of these games and exercises were part of creativity training for 74 employees of the city of Orange County, Calif. The article, appearing on the APA website, reported that eight months after the training, these employees increased new ideas by 55%.

And these new ideas increased revenue for the city by $600,000, and reduced costs by about $3.5 million. This clearly exemplifies the importance of developing creativity that has direct and immediate payoffs.

Yet Epstein maintains that because society doesn’t place a premium on the teaching of creative skills or competencies, few learn them, leaving most to erroneously believe that some special creativity gene exists.

“There’s not really any evidence that one person is inherently more creative than another,” Epstein states in the APA article. For more information see creativity in education.

Everyday Creativity

Another prominent creativity researcher and proponent of creativity for all, Ruth Richards of Saybrook University and Harvard Medical School, coined the term “everyday creativity”.

Richards has studied creativity for over 35 years, and in her many research articles and best-selling books on the topic, she maintains that every person must use creativity everyday in order to survive – and thrive.

“Our creativity may involve anything from making breakfast to solving a major conflict with one’s boss,” she writes in a chapter on everyday creativity for “The Cambridge Handbook of Creativity.”

Researchers who focus on everyday creativity, or ways to nurture or bring out the creativity in everyone, label this “little-c creativity,” or “mini-c creativity.”

Richards’ research points to how individuals employ creativity even when they don’t recognize that it’s a creative act, and even describe themselves as uncreative types.

Everyday individuals must solve a multitude of problems, from opening the refrigerator and finding that there’s no milk or eggs for breakfast, to problems that often seem out of an individual’s control, such as living with a chronic illness or how to cope with a divorce, or the death of a spouse.

Those who have developed ways to creatively think their way out of problems and situations – especially those without definitive answers -manage challenges and change better than others, coping better, and essentially live happier and more productive lives.

Creativity for Health

In other studies, Richards has shown how using purposeful, creative types of activities for individuals also has significant benefits that go beyond happiness, improving physical health as well.

Her discussion in “The Cambridge Handbook of Creativity,” Richards describes an experiment of using expressive writing that actually affected T-cell function, indices of immune functioning and competence.

Researchers asked a group of college students to write or journal about a traumatic or troubling experiences, such as starting college, conflicts with parents or significant others, death, divorce, and other types of experienced trauma. They wrote over the course of four days for 20 minutes a day.

They compared this group against a control group of students who they asked to write simply about neutral events.

Immediately following the journaling, the writers of trauma felt anxious, troubled, and some reported feelings of depression. However, these feelings didn’t last. Six weeks after the experiment, they reported more feelings of happiness or psychological well-being than the control group, and they made fewer visits to the college health center.

And their white blood cells, or T-cells, cells important for fighting infections, were more robust and overall stronger than the control group’s.

“At best, this is about resilience-where the capacity to face, address, integrate, and transform one’s worst fears and darkest moments can, going forward, lead to new strengths and empowerment. One can even learn to gain pleasure from such mastery.”

Richards writes that this type of catharsis could be generalized to include participating on blogs, Facebook and other types of social networking.

In short, psychological researchers such as Epstein and Richards believe that everyone has the ability to think creatively, and everyone has the ability to nurture and enhance their creativity.

Those who are interested in how to help everyone create individually rewarding, more productive, interesting, and healthier lives should consider a career in the field of the psychology of creativity.

Classes in psychology are essential, and many programs in Positive Psychology, Social Psychology, Media Psychology, and Cognitive Psychology all include specialties in creativity. Creativity certificates and endorsements are also available at some schools.

For more information, request information from schools offering degrees in psychology.