Many people ask themselves if they are truly creative. Sometimes this feeling appears at work, when ideas don’t really want to come. Other times, you may feel full of inspiration and creativity in a completely different context, such as cooking, gardening or within a non-profit organization.
What often explains this variation is not your personality per se, but rather the degree of openness and curiosity in that particular situation, and whether you experience enough security, trust and inspiration to want to explore.
Personality and creativity
Research shows that there is no single “creative personality type”. Rather, there are certain personality traits that are more connected to creativity than others, of which “openness to new experiences” is the clearest. This trait, which is measured in the five-factor model (also known as the Big Five), is about how curious you are about the unknown, how imaginative you think and how eager you are to try new things.
But people with low openness can also be creative, just in a different way. An analytical, meticulous person may not be able to come up with ten crazy ideas in five minutes, but they may well come up with a profound improvement that solves a real problem brilliantly. Creativity can be fast and free, or slow and methodical.
Brainstorming and step-by-step logic
One of the more tangible differences between different ways of being creative is our relationship to “brainstorming.” Some people thrive best when one thought logically leads to the next. They want a line of reasoning that can be followed, a clear flow and context. Others like to jump freely between associations. A thought about a hammer can lead to the moon, a flower, or a childhood memory in a matter of seconds.
The problem isn’t that we’re different, but rather how we work together. The person who likes brainstorming can feel cramped in an environment that demands logical reasoning. The person who prefers structure can feel left out when discussions suddenly bounce between topics without direction. In both cases, people risk believing that they themselves are not creative, when in fact it is a matter of the way creativity is expressed that is different and may not be given space in that particular environment.
Collaboration as the key to creativity
If we want to create creative teams, creative conversations and creative results, we need to start by accepting that people think differently. One is not better than the other. On the contrary – when these differences are allowed to interact in a safe way, nuances and ideas arise that neither person could have created on their own.
Curiosity about how others think, trust that different perspectives can lead to new solutions, and acceptance of different ways of expressing creativity are three cornerstones of every creative environment. Ultimately, it may not be a question of your personality at all, but whether you are allowed to be part of a conversation where both your and others’ creativity have space.
Personal creativity is built with training
Your own creativity is also not dependent on what personality you have, but on whether you actually start using it. Creativity is a muscle, not an innate state. There are methods, techniques, and ways of working that can help you get started. You don’t have to “be creative” to use a creative method. But once you start using them, you’ll soon find that you are anyway.
Learning creative methods is a way to get past personal insecurities. Instead of asking yourself “am I a creative person?” the question becomes “how can I start generating ideas?” With the right method in the right context and with the right kind of people around you, you’ll soon find your own path to creativity, whether you prefer step-by-step or free-thinking leaps.
