Creativity Is a Process, Not an Event

In 1666, one of the most influential scientists in history was walking through a garden when he was struck by the light of creative ingenuity that would change the world.

While standing under the shade of an apple, Sir Isaac Newton saw an apple fall to the ground. "Why should that apple always be so beautiful and straight to the ground," Newton wondered. “Why should it not go to the side, or to the top, but always to the center of the earth? Certainly, the reason is, that the earth is pulling. There must be some drawing power in the story. ”

And then, the idea of ​​gravity was born.

The story of the fallen apple has become one of the most enduring and artistic examples of the creative period. It is a symbol of the inspired wisdom that fills your brain with those “eureka times” when creative conditions are right.

What many people forget, however, is that Newton worked on his theories about gravity for almost two decades until, in 1687, he published his first book, The Principia: Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy. The falling apple was just the beginning of an imaginary train that spanned decades.

The memory of Sir Isaac Newton’s Life by William Stukeley

A famous page describing Newton's apple incident in William Stukeley's Memoirs of Sir Isaac Newton's Life.

Newton is not the only one who has struggled with positive thinking for years. Old thinking is a process for all of us. In this article, I will share the science of creative thinking, discuss what conditions drive art and what prevents it, and give practical tips for creating more.

Old Thinking: Fate or Development?

Old thinking requires our brain to make connections between seemingly unrelated ideas. Is this our inborn capacity or are we developing in practice? Let's look at the study to find out.

In the 1960's, an archaeologist named George Land conducted a study of 1,600 five-year-olds and 98 percent of children received a “very creative” list. Dr. Land also reviewed each study during a five-year promotion. While similar children are 10 years old, only 30 percent get points in the most creative grade. This figure has dropped to 12 percent in 15 years and only 2 percent in 25 years. As children grow up to become adults, they have the potential for self-discipline. In the words of Drs. Land, "inactivity is learned."

Similar trends have been discovered by other researchers. For example, one study of 272,599 students found that although IQ scores had increased since 1990, creative thinking scores had declined.

This is not to say that art is 100 percent read. Genetics play a role. According to psychology professor Barbara Kerr, “about 22 percent of [artistic] variations are due to genetic influences.” This discovery was made by studying the differences in creative thinking between groups of twins.

All you can say, “I'm not just a creative person” is a weak excuse to avoid creative thinking. Indeed, some people are recommended for being more creative than others. However, almost everyone is born with some creative ability and most of our creative thinking skills are trained.

Now that we know that art is a skill that can be developed, let’s talk about why - and how - practice and learning have an impact on your creative product.

Old Wisdom and Thinking

What does it take to release your creative energy?

As I said in my Threshold Theory article, being at a high percentage of intelligence has nothing to do with having good art. Instead, you just have to be smart (not a professional) and work hard, deliberately practice and hire your employees.

As long as you meet the limits of ingenuity, then the best creative work is in your reach. According to researchers in a 2013 study, "we found evidence that when it comes to intelligence, personality traits begin to predict intelligence."

Threshold Theory (Old Thought)

The Mind of Growing Up

What exactly are the “personality traits” that researchers refer to when it comes to developing creative thinking?

One of the most important things is how you look at your talents internally. Specifically, your artistic skills are largely determined by whether you are looking at a creative process with a planned mind or a growing mind.

The differences between the two concepts are described in detail in Carol Dweck's excellent book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success (audiobook).

The basic premise is that when we use a consistent mind we look at jobs as if our talents and abilities are fixed and unchanging. In mental development, however, we believe that our skills can be developed with effort and practice. Interestingly, we can easily take pride in one side or the other depending on how we speak and commend our efforts.

Here is a brief summary of Dweck's words:

“The whole self-confidence movement has mistakenly taught us that praising wisdom, talent, skills will boost self-esteem, self-esteem, and everything else that will follow. But we got it back. People who are praised for their talent now worry about doing the following, about taking hard work, and not looking talented, tarnishing that reputation. So instead, they will stick to their comfort zone and really protect themselves when they encounter obstacles.

So, what should we praise? The effort, the strategies, the stubbornness and perseverance, the strength that people show, the resilience they show in spite of obstacles, that goes back when things go wrong and knows what to try next. So I think a big part of promoting mental growth in the workplace is bringing those principles to the process, providing feedback, rewarding the people who participate in the process, not just a successful outcome. ”

- Carol Dweck