While conducting a workshop on scientific creativity in Vienna this year with a horde of bright PhD students from the biological sciences, I got them to tell me right at the outset what they understood by the concept of creativity, and what made some people more creative than others. Here are some excerpts.
What is creativity?
"the ability to make or assemble to generate new things or ideas"
"having ideas that are not obvious"
"come up with ideas that did not arrive instantly"
"think outside the box"
"using arts & imagination to explain aspects of life in a nicer colorful way"
"expression of yourself without words"
"the process of imagining something that is not known yet"
"creating something new by crossmodal associations"
"finding out about the unknown unknowns"
"coming up with crazy ideas"
"the process by which you can let go of protocols, rules and textbooks and put a bit of yourself in what you do"
"innovating with purpose"
"the ability to think differently"
"making new connections"
"the ability to develop new meaningful ideas"
"address questions in one's own personal way, different from others"
"break in automatisms"
"finding possibilities where no one else can"
"novel, alternative and more fun ways to perform a certain task"
"capacity to create or invent unplanned surprising stuff.
" a surreal understanding on things
Highly creative people ...
"are observant"
"are not rigid"
"show freedom of thinking without boundaries"
"able to use their imagination"
"not socially constrained"
"are the way they are because of their genes"
"are the way they are because of their experiences and background"
"have stronger coupling of different brain regions"
"are smart"
"have textbook knowledge"
"feel less pressure from other people"
"play with their thoughts"
"have the ability to let go"
"show acceptance of different views"
"have the ability to entertain several points of view at once"
"have freedom and confidence"
"have broad backgrounds"
"are willing to try new things and change"
"have unchained minds"
"are crazy"
"have enthusiasm"
"are fearless"
"are allowed to do what they love"
"have talent and need training"
"practice"
"are active people"
"take LSD"
"have wild imaginations that can run and are unbound by reality"
"show less inhibition"
"are free spirited and open-minded"
" are true to themselves and own their individuality"
VERDICT: Folk psychology meets Scientific psychology! For most part at least.
What is creativity?
"the ability to make or assemble to generate new things or ideas"
"having ideas that are not obvious"
"come up with ideas that did not arrive instantly"
"think outside the box"
"using arts & imagination to explain aspects of life in a nicer colorful way"
"expression of yourself without words"
"the process of imagining something that is not known yet"
"creating something new by crossmodal associations"
"finding out about the unknown unknowns"
"coming up with crazy ideas"
"the process by which you can let go of protocols, rules and textbooks and put a bit of yourself in what you do"
"innovating with purpose"
"the ability to think differently"
"making new connections"
"the ability to develop new meaningful ideas"
"address questions in one's own personal way, different from others"
"break in automatisms"
"finding possibilities where no one else can"
"novel, alternative and more fun ways to perform a certain task"
"capacity to create or invent unplanned surprising stuff.
" a surreal understanding on things
Highly creative people ...
"are observant"
"are not rigid"
"show freedom of thinking without boundaries"
"able to use their imagination"
"not socially constrained"
"are the way they are because of their genes"
"are the way they are because of their experiences and background"
"have stronger coupling of different brain regions"
"are smart"
"have textbook knowledge"
"feel less pressure from other people"
"play with their thoughts"
"have the ability to let go"
"show acceptance of different views"
"have the ability to entertain several points of view at once"
"have freedom and confidence"
"have broad backgrounds"
"are willing to try new things and change"
"have unchained minds"
"are crazy"
"have enthusiasm"
"are fearless"
"are allowed to do what they love"
"have talent and need training"
"practice"
"are active people"
"take LSD"
"have wild imaginations that can run and are unbound by reality"
"show less inhibition"
"are free spirited and open-minded"
" are true to themselves and own their individuality"
VERDICT: Folk psychology meets Scientific psychology! For most part at least.
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