Creative Mind: The Characteristics of the Creative Person

Creative thinkers combine ideas and information in ways that form new solutions, ideas, processes, or products. “The hallmark of creative people is their mental flexibility,” says creativity expert Roger von Oech. “Like race car drivers who shift in and out of different gears depending on where they are on the course, creative people are able to shift in and out of different types of thinking depending on the needs of the situation at hand.” Look at table below to see some primary characteristics of creative people. Underneath all these qualities lie a desire to learn, a drive to question, and a commitment to keep an open mind.  

CHARACTERISTIC	EXAMPLE
Willingness to take risks	Taking a difficult, high-level course
Tendency to break away from limitations	Entering a marathon race
Tendency to seek new challenges & experiences	Taking on an internship in a high-pressure workplace
Broad range of interests	Investing new moves on basketball court and playing guitar at an open-mike night
Ability to make new things out of available materials	Making curtains out of bedsheets
Tendency to question norms & assumptions	Adopting a child of different ethnic background than the family’s
Willingness to deviate from popular opinion	Working for a small, relatively unknown political party
Curiosity and inquisitiveness	Wanting to know how a computer program works

Source: Adapted from T. Z. Tardif and R. J. Sternberg, “What Do We Know About Creativity?” in The Nature of Creativity, ed. R.J. Sternberg (London: Cambridge University Press, 1988).

Try some or all of the following strategies to boost your creative abilities.

Be curious. The more information and ideas you gather as you think, the more perspective you have to build a creative idea or solution. Collect information and ideas from reading materials, people, the Internet, anywhere – and record them on smartphone or in writing. Branch out and cultivate new interests. Seek out new experiences and take in the ideas and perspectives that you encounter.

Shift your perspective. At first, a problem may look like: “The house isn’t quiet when I study.” If you take a wider look, you may discover hidden causes or effects of the problem, such as “I haven’t chosen the best time of day to study” or “I haven’t let my housemates know that I need quiet.” Question your assumptions; ask people you trust for their perspectives; read in order to discover new ways of looking at situation.

Don’t get hooked on finding the one right answer. There can be lots of “right answers” to any question. The more possibilities you generate, the better your chance of finding the best one. Also, don’t stop the process when you think you have the best answer – keep going until you are out of stream. You never know what may come up in those last gasps of creative energy.

Break the rules sometimes. All kinds of creative breakthroughs have occurred because someone questioned a rule or an assumption. Women and members of minorities can vote and hold jobs because someone questioned a rule – a law – many years ago. Even the rules of logic don’t always hold – following strict logic may cause you to miss analogies or ignore your hunches. At one time in the not-so-distant past, for example, it made no logical sense that two people could talk to one another while in different cities – and now the telephone is a fact of life (Just thinking, how logical it was for you to read my blog from you smartphone or laptop from the invisible World Wide Web in the year 1800).

Ask “what if” questions. Set up hypothetical environments in which new ideas can grow. “What if I knew I couldn’t fail?” “What if I had unlimited money or time or energy?” See what idea, however outrageous, comes from a “what if” question – and then think about how to make it happen. Don’t necessarily make it happen, but – think. Just by asking the question “what if” you can boost your creative ability.

Take risks and, when necessary, embrace failure. Even though failure is always a possibility, taking risks is the only way to make your highest goals reachable. If you insist on playing it safe, you may miss out on the path – often paved with failures – leading to the best possible solution or situation.

Lord, Give Us Today Our Daily Idea(s)

References and Suggested Readings:

1. Roger von Oech, A Kick in the Seat of the Pants (1986)

2. Roger von Oech, A Whack on the Side of the Head (1998)

3. J.R. Hayes, Cognitive Psychology: Thinking and Creating (1978)

Characteristics of a Creative Person #5: Stay Flexible at All Times

“The creative person is flexible – he is able to change as the situation changes,

to break habits, to face indecision and changes in conditions without undue stress.

He is not threatened by the unexpected as rigid, inflexible people are”

(Frank Goble)

New ideas sometimes need to change direction, shape, size and composition along their developmental path. None of that upsets the creative person. Although it’s more convenient for new ideas to work perfectly the moment they’re conceived, that rarely happens. A creative person will nurse a new idea along and make whatever investment in it that’s required.

Part of remaining flexible is the willingness to abandon an idea if it proves unworthy of further development. Forcing a square peg through a round hole for the sake of pride is not the kind of attitude you’ll find in a truly creative person. Creative people don’t think in terms of failure, but in terms of learning from every experience. To the creative person a failed idea represents knowledge gained.

Creative people stay flexible at all times

Lord, Give Us Today Our Daily Idea(s)

*I recommend you to read Danny Cox and John Hoover’s Seize the Day (Book-mart Press, 1994), “Step Two: Developing Strengths” page 77-118.

Characteristics of a Creative Person #4: Develop Comparisons to Illustrate Points

“I shut my eyes in order to see” (Paul Gauguin)

It is not enough to simply speak in terms of numbers when portraying the probable outcome of a new idea. There’s always more to an outcome than numbers. A creative person will adopt a metaphor or two to help others best get the complete picture.

An increase of 100 percent, for example, is like doubling a hundred ringgit. Doubling a hundred ringgit is like printing a hundred ringgit with banknote printer. Etc. In personal terms, learning a new word every day and using it in a sentence three or more times is like earning and advanced degree in English language. Studying a new language (as English is not my first language) means introducing an entirely new nation and society to your life. The creative person finds lots of comparisons and similarities to use in communicating ideas.

Creative people develop comparisons to illustrate points or ideas

Lord, Give Us Today Our Daily Idea(s)

*I recommend you to read Danny Cox and John Hoover’s Seize the Day (Book-mart Press, 1994), “Step Two: Developing Strengths” page 77-118.

Characteristics of a Creative Person #3: Eager to Test New Ideas

“To swear off making mistakes is very easy.

All you have to do is swear off having ideas”

(Leo Burnett)

Even before a new idea is completely finished, refined, formulated, etc. it can be put before others for feedback and evaluation. A creative person does this because the input of others will no doubt have a beneficial effect on the quality of the idea as it reaches maturity. Keeping a new idea under wraps until it is unveiled as new policy excludes most of what’s good about the creative process.

Not only do people resent new ideas being forced upon them without the opportunity to participate in the development of the idea, it’s possible that there was a better idea available that nobody got the opportunity to promote. Perhaps the new idea, once it’s launched, proves to be a failure. The liabilities and vulnerabilities of the new idea could have been exposed in a less embarrassing development process that encouraged input from others. Creative people put new ideas out for maximum scrutiny as soon as possible in order to tune up the program.

A creative person is eager to test new ideas

Lord, Give Us Today Our Daily Idea(s)

*I recommend you to read Danny Cox and John Hoover’s Seize the Day (Book-mart Press, 1994), “Step Two: Developing Strengths” page 77-118.

Characteristics of a Creative Person #2: Open to as Many Alternatives as Possible

“The best way to get a good idea is to get a lots of ideas”

(Linus Pauling)

People who are closed off to new ideas and suggestions don’t make many friends. They also don’t make good bosses, employees, spouses, parents, teachers, ministers, youth workers, etc. Creative people are never threatened by new ideas. On the contrary, they encourage new ideas and outlooks. A creative person appropriates time to hear and absorb new and off-beat solutions.

Listening and considering the new and the unorthodox doesn’t mean that you must act irresponsibly and do weird things just to call yourself creative and inquisitive. You might end up adopting very little of what you hear and learn. However, being open to the earth-shattering proposal when and if it comes is how you make opportunity in life. As you know, people can’t actually manufacture opportunities. Making opportunity in life refers to the manner of living that remains open and ready to great new ideas when they emerge. Being vigilant and prepared is impossible when your eyes, ears and mind are closed.

Creative people are open to as many alternatives as possible

Lord, Give Us Today Our Daily Idea(s)

*I recommend you to read Danny Cox and John Hoover’s Seize the Day (Book-mart Press, 1994), “Step Two: Developing Strengths” page 77-118.

Characteristics of a Creative Person #1: Have a Curiosity and a Childlike Sense of Wonder

“Cultivate your garden. Do not depend upon teachers to educate you…

follow your own bent, pursue your curiosity bravely,

express yourself, make your own harmony” (Will Durant)

There’s a lot of talk these days about reconnecting with the child within us. Whether you agree with the psychological objectives of such a plan, it can’t be argued that children have healthy curiosities. Through a child’s eyes, the world is a fascinating place, constantly full of new discoveries and revelations. In our adult attempt to stay on the grow, what could be better than to re-establish the type of enthusiasm with which a child experiences the world?

With curiosity you are inspired to search for hidden strengths and abilities. With curiosity you are motivated to look beyond your present circumstances for any reason. Thanks God for people like Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, Madame Curie, Walt Disney, Albert Einstein and so many others were curious people with a childlike sense of wonder.

If you’ve allowed yourself to become cynical and closed off over the years, it’s time to re-stimulate your curiosity factor. Reading more, travelling, initiating discussions with interesting people you admire and purposefully getting involved in new and unusual activities and hobbies are just a few ways to get you inquisitive juices flowing again. Peter F. Drunker, world’s top management guru, once suggested that you walk away from your situation, bend over and look back between your legs. He contends that once you look at situation backwards and upside down, you’ll have a more functional perspective.

Creative people have a curiosity and a childlike sense of wonder

Lord, Give Us Today Our Daily Idea(s)

*I recommend you to read Danny Cox and John Hoover’s Seize the Day (Book-mart Press, 1994), “Step Two: Developing Strengths” page 77-118.

5 Most Prominent Characteristics of Creative People

“Do you see a man skilled [and creative] in his work?

He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure men”

(Proverbs 22:29, bracket mine)

Studies of creative achievers have identified a number of characteristics they share. The following characteristics are among the most prominent. CLICK PICTURE TO ENLARGE and feel free to copy too :)  

Here is my another blog: http://wordspeakstoday.blogspot.com/

Lord, Give Us Today Our Daily Idea(s)

Characteristics of Creative Person

Conan O’Brien expresses himself for Fast Company’s Most Creative People issue (June 2011). 

This is funny!

Creative people are idealistic, energetic, confident, independent, thorough, adventurous, child-like, possesses a sense of humour, are perseverance and spontaneous and are risk-takers. Do you possess any one (or more) of these characteristic? If you do, then you are a creative person.

Creative people are independent thinkers. They can work by themselves and are not afraid of what people may say. They transcend accepted patterns of thinking. They do not conform to rules and regulations that restrict their freedom to think and act. They do not follow the crowd. People who are creative are full of energy. They possess a certain characteristic zest and a habit for spontaneous action. Creativity requires energy. Energetic people have the power and stamina to create new ideas, new things and new journeys.

Creative people are more likely to engage in adventurous and stimulating acts such as kayaking, mountain climbing, going places in rural areas or working overseas. They trod the unbeaten path. They have a strong curiosity and urge to understand the world around them and to try almost everything. Hence their wide interests and unusual hobbies. A sense of self-confidence is central to creativity. One cannot create if one is not confident of one’s abilities and capabilities. Self-confidence is not only inborn but it may also be developed through experience and exercise.

People who are creative are also playful and child-like. They have no prejudices and are not tainted by adult notions of what is proper and not proper. They are still full of wonder and are not afraid of criticism and comment. They are not bound by convention. Creative people are non-conformists to some extent. A sense of humour is another attribute of creative people. Humour may lead to great discoveries, invention and artistic creation. A fanciful, playful and excitable state of mind is an important feature of creative thinking and creative thinkers. Developing the ability to see the humorous side of life is a prerequisite to creativity.

A strong sense of perseverance, persistence and unwillingness to give up is another characteristic of creative people. They do not give up so easily or so readily. They will try again and again. Each failure is viewed as a learning experience. Creative people also risk-takers. Risk is everywhere. We take risk while driving to work, while playing games and when giving an opinion. If we do not try out new ideas and take risk, how do we know it will work or not? The greatest failure is not to attempt a new idea at all. The world’s greatest inventors, discoverers and pioneers are all risk-takers. Because they have independent mind and high-confidence in themselves, they are more willing to take creative risk than the average person. They dare to differ, to make changes and to deviate from the usual.

Are the characteristics enumerated above innate or are they acquired? The answer is – both. We are born with creative characteristics and we can learn to be creative too. Creative abilities exist in varying degrees in everyone of us. It is a matter of getting these abilities to surface and make them work for you. Creativity is within every one of us. It not the exclusive possession of a select few*.

Lord, Give Us Today Our Daily Idea(s)

*These characteristic are taken from Leo Ann Mean’s On Creativity: Awaken the Creative Mind (Chapter 2: Creative Person). Use and modified without permission. That’s what creative people do.