Another component of creativity in individuals is the self-perception of being creative. Despite multiple mediums of communication, increased competition and a dynamic marketplace environment, many people do not consider themselves creative. Unless an individual has been trained in creativity or creative fields such as performing arts, creative writing,
advertising, film, media or visual design, the self-perception of one’s level of creative ability is relatively low.
During my years of teaching creative thinking, I found that at the
beginning of almost every semester when students were asked to raise their hand if they considered themselves creative, many hesitated. The same held true for corporate creativity workshops I conducted for companies. In many companies creativity is still associated with the work of artists, not of a typical office worker.
This lack of self-confidence associated with creative thinking skills reflects the understanding and knowledge of psychologists of the early twentieth century, when experts believed that creativity was an inherent ability. Psychologists believed that one is either born with creative thinking skills or not. Much of the early research was conducted by studying highly creative individuals. The test subjects demonstrated similarities in several personality dimensions, which led to their establishing specific creative traits such as playfulness, intelligence, originality, nonconformity, self- confidence, skepticism, memory, humor, flexibility and adaptability.
During the last few decades, additional traits have been identified that demonstrate the flexibility and empathy characteristics of creative thinkers.
Identified abilities include thinking outside the box, being energetic and
passionate, as well as having the yin and yang balance of being both introverted and extroverted, masculine and feminine, and rebellious and traditional.
Everyone’s life circumstances surrounding creativity and self-perception of creative ability are unique. Some people have the advantage of
environments and relationships that nurture creative thinking. Others may have shed the inherent skills of creative thinking for more traditional and structured social behaviors due to circumstances that did not support or value creativity. The good news is that not being born into an environment that hones creative thinking skills does not automatically make one a less effective creative thinker. It just means that the skill may be less natural or intuitive, buried under layers of inhibited self-perception and social and environmental habits.
One of the most important findings I have experienced in my own creativity teaching is this:
The major factor that distinguishes creative from noncreative individuals is that creative individuals believe they are creative!
The mind is a powerful tool, but it is also a tool that needs training. The perception toward being creative or not being creative can be controlled by personal habits and self-perception. By giving yourself the freedom and opportunity to create, one becomes creative.
Former student Sarah Hamilton is quick to acknowledge that she did not consider herself creative or a creative thinker prior to the course. According to Sarah, creativity was the antithesis of what she thought she was or could ever be. She considered herself analytical, skeptical and realistic. Yet during the course she realized that she wanted to be creative. After numerous
exercises, assignments and sometimes-frustrating experiences, Sarah discovered that her creativity started to flow and that her skills became
more honed. Succeeding more frequently at assignments and receiving very positive feedback on her work from the professor and her peers, Sarah’s self-esteem increased. She played with ideas more often and jotted them down, carried an idea book with her everywhere she went and began to draw after sitting in on a drawing class. With this new confidence, Sarah began to believe that she could, in fact, be creative.
Former student Veronica Marquez points out that she “used to cringe at the word creative.” According to Marquez, creativity was word she
associated with the unattainable world of artists, designers and
photographers—not business people. Taking a course in creative thinking changed all of that. Veronica learned several skills that allowed her to build creative confidence. The ability to think expansively, to discover many possible routes to tackle the same challenge, and to be connected to what she loves has fundamentally contributed to her development and growth, both personally and professionally. These newly gained skills helped Veronica land a job at a creative agency in New York, where she now includes creative thinking and problem solving as part of her daily routine.
To better understand why individuals may not have enough confidence in their own creative thinking skills, it helps to look back into the childhood years. As a person matures and becomes more socially conscious, one adopts behaviors that feel appropriate for one’s environment and will be accepted by peers. For example, if you ask a kindergarten class how many of them are artists, they will all raise their hands. Ask the same question of sixth graders and maybe one-third will respond. Ask a group of high school seniors and only a few will admit to it.
What happens to people as they grow up? They become more self- conscious and develop social awareness of others, key factors that inhibit creativity. Rather than express curiosity, they censor their questions. They
learn to fear criticism and tend to keep ideas and creativity to themselves.
While some creative habits may still be explored, they are usually personal and not shared. For instance, many people keep journals for writing or sketching, but they never share them with others. When was the last time you invited a friend to read your diary?
This leads to a very important tenet of this book. There is no judgment here: Only encouragement and tools that will help reintroduce you to important and life-enhancing skills so that you may embark on your own creative journey. If you are reading this book in a class, you will have company on your exploration. It is important to remain open-minded, not only toward your own creativity, but also towards the exploration of others.
This mindfulness will become a benefit to you, as you will begin to see that your own openness connects you to new and fresh ideas.