Psychology of creativity

Creativity is defined as the tendency to generate or organize ideas, alternatives, or possibilities that may be useful in solving problems, communicating with others, and entertaining ourselves and others. When I think about creativity, it naturally comes to my mind some unusual way of behaving, which no way could be considered as abnormal, on the contrary, it is always interesting, different, and unexpected way of thinking, solving problems, seeing world. More over, we say that person is creative when he or she has some unique talent, and is somehow special. Speaking about psychological view, creativity is very interesting and important phenomenon in our lives. So, what are the reasons for creativity’s need? Of course, geneticists would argue with me, but sometimes it looks that people have inherent need for novelties. That’s why man began to create in very old times. We need only to think how much civilization has developed, and it becomes obviously that man perhaps has unlimited resources of creativity. On the other hand, creativity sometimes is very simple expression of our daily life. Every day human being needs to solve problems.Like this, need for comfort, better conditions for living made us to create so many incredible technologies. Now it is normal for us to have perfect connection with people in other continent every second, fly or swim all over the world without any efforts or time waste, and I suppose there is no need to speak about amazing world wide internet, without which, it seems, human will not be able to function at all. That is a fact, creativity holds world and doesn’t let us to stop moving further. Let’s say, everything has started when ancient man struck the fire from stones, and now the ideas about robots, telepathic communication, incredible machines are not so strange. Still, this kind of creativity is, of course, very useful, but it is, collective one because it is up for everybody’s convenience. Now I would like to cite one author’s words about creativity:"Creative" refers to novel products of value, as in "The airplane was a creative invention.", "Creative" also refers to the person who produces the work, as in, „Picasso was creative.", "Creativity," then refers both to the capacity to produce works, and to the activity of generating products“. As a matter of fact, I understand creativity as the biggest gift for the person. For me very interesting view of creativity is developed by the one of the most famous psychologists Jung. He states that personality is developing through all over life. Till middle adulthood person is trying his potentials, collects knowledge as mach as it is possible, and is trying to find what he is and what he can do, or, let’s say, to create. Jung, in his theory of personality, argues that the main goal for complete personality is the process of individualization, which can be reached only in the second part of our lives. So, exactly at this time people are completely ready for creativity and genius, because they are not stopped by any inhibitions of imperfect personality. This view is close to E. Erickson’s stages’ of psychological development, where he talks about generativity-versus-stagnation stage at middle adulthood, when the person may become most productive. Here appears question of nature-nurture, because some individuals look as artists, talents from the childhood, some are without any imagination, and can not achieve success in any art area. It is one of issue psychology tries to solve- is creativity can be inherent, or we all have potential for it, just we need to develop it through lives. I would like to list the main features that are attributed to creative person:

1. Creative individuals have a great deal of energy, but they are also often quiet and at rest.
2. Creative individuals tend to be smart, yet also naive at the same time.
3. Creative individuals have a combination of playfulness and discipline, or responsibility and irresponsibility.
4. Creative individuals alternate between imagination and fantas, and rooted sense of reality.
5. Creative people seem to harbor opposite tendencies on the continuum between extroversion and introversion.
6. Creative individuals are also remarkable humble and proud at the same time.
7. Creative individuals to a certain extent escape rigid gender role stereotyping and have a tendency toward androgyny.
8. Generally, creative people are thought to be rebellious and independent.
9. Most creative persons are very passionate about their work, yet they can be extremely objective about it as well.
10. The openness and sensitivity of creative individuals often exposes them to suffering pain yet also a great deal of enjoyment.

As we can see, creative people are really very exceptional ones. But those characteristics can be attributed to individuals whom we are usually calling artists, scientists, writers. There is opinion that some of them are a lit a bit mad. Such a personalities as Einstein, Salvador Dali, da Vinci are called either schizophrenics or creative geniuses. That's way, we can diagnose for the either, narcissism or perfectionism, depression or anxiety. But won't be able to overlook that creative persons are even too wise, brave, optimistic, and realistic. Still, creativity I understand not only like specific talent, or extraordinary inventions. Psychologists must be creative not lesser. Making interpretations about ones behavior or minds require a lot of creativity. And for conclusion, I would like to say, that maybe many of you won’t agree with me, but I think creativity (and doesn’t matter, is it ability to create some remarkable roles, paintings, inventions, theories, or ability to solve problems in novel way, and use imagination for interpreting every days events) is something like a gift. If we are able to use it, we won’t be afraid of disapproval or negative evaluations, we certainly will be able to improve our skills, talents- or creativity. That is the main point of being creative.