In 2012, Adobe released findings of a study Creativity and Education: Why It Matters, which showed that 88% of U.S. professionals believe creative thinking is critical for problem solving and career success. The study further showed that the vast majority of professionals believe creativity is not a personality trait, but can be learned.
Broadly Defining Creativity
Perhaps it’s important to start by defining creativity. When there are no correct solutions and no answers to a situation, we engage in the “creative” process to develop new and unique ideas. Why can’t we apply this to all of life? Well, we can.
The Creative Process
Think about an instance when you had to create something. Hold that one in your mind while I share my favorite one from teaching at The Marvegos.®. Avery here is mixing colors with a deep thoughtfulness, arriving at six uniquely blended colors which she used to interpret landscapes in a non-representational way. She needed to adapt and problem solve as she painted each layer and saw the result.
Every creative process requires that one:
- set a goal
- make connections between incongruent parts
- adapt to change
- problem solve
- engage your intuition
- learn from our mistakes