Can Creativity Be Taught?

An interesting article about an evergreen question: Can creativity be taught?

Here’s the rub. The question isn’t answered in this article from FastCompany, but all the same, author Evie Nagy coaxes some interesting responses from those identified by the magazine as the “Most Creative People in Business” (whatever that means).

Here’s some of the key insights.

A creative person’s creativity is self-taught (33%) …

… using their own curiosity and an innate desire to create. Another quarter of respondents cited their parents. No surprise, one’s boss or supervisor was the least inspirational, a meagre 4%. There’s an interesting article here on managing creativity in others … and yourself for another day.

The most common time for creative breakthroughs was late at night (29%).

Followed by the morning (at 20%), the insight is that people are more creative when they are not at work – or at least, at work when they’re more likely to be alone. Again, no surprise that the combined scores of meal time, drinking or office brainstorm sessions were less than 10% of the overall total. This is consistent with research from the University of Amsterdam which says places of mental quiet – such as the shower, the toilet, sleeping and public transport – are also more conducive places for creative thought.

The most important quality of a creative person is their willingness to kill their own idea (35%) …

… followed by fellow collaborators (29%). Both underscore the well-known adage that “Creativity isn’t a talent as much as an attitude.” (Donald MacKinnon was the first to use the phrase in his research “The Nature and Nurture of Creative Talent,” published in 1962.)

So what’s this tell those of us who aren’t the “Most Creative People in Business”

(Whatever that means.)

Know thyself.

All people can be creative, but it’s not going to be in the same way the person who sits next to you. Be sensitive to what makes you creative. Use that when you need inspiration to strike. If that means naps, daydreaming, alcohol, pot or teddy bears help inspire your ideas, so be it.

Your work space is probably the least creative space.

Your space is there for your , not for your open mind state. Look for ways to break-out of the closed mind during the working hours. Or, simply know that your best brainstorming may come between 5 and 9. Decide how you might spark it further, or at different times of day. If nothing else, do your brainstorming outside of the office.

Two heads are better than one.

Brainstorms should not be thought of as ‘office meetings.’ Think of them as a melding of the right type of minds in discussion. Collaboration with people who are not part of your regular clique can help you break out of traditional perspectives.

Engage the irrelevant.

Inspiration doesn’t come from what’s in front of you. It comes from finding connections with things outside of the normal path. Whether you look for ways to break the patterns, look for new experiences, or tap into your unconscious, the next best idea is more likely to come to you when engaged with something untraditional.

Some other thoughts

Like any skill, you have to want to be taught. Be very careful forcing anyone to learn anything.

To teach anybody anything, you have to know how they want to be taught. Those days of teaching everybody the same way is over, thank God.

Also, I’d be curious to hear what people who do not consider themselves creative think. Even people who fall into this catregory can and are creative. They just “do” creativity in their own way. It would make for an interesting perspective.

Do you think creativity can be taught?  Any other insights about engaging your creativity more effectively?  Please feel free to add your thoughts and comments below.