How can we deliberately develop and access creativity?

Kai Ingolf Paak Henriksen

Senior Project Advisor: Stephen Sellers

Abstract
Creative thinking is beneficial to all fields of work and allows individuals to innovate and create
unique and original ideas. Creativity training can enhance one’s creative traits to allow long term
effects in divergent thinking and problem solving. In this paper I define creativity, explain
different methods individuals can use to enhance their creative abilities including creativity
training, as well as proven methods to test one’s creativity. This thesis draws on research done by
creativity specialists as well as teachers and creative inspiration researchers. Although most
research differs on the definition of creativity, it does agree that creativity training works and has
long term effects on creative traits like divergent thinking and problem solving. There are also
proven methods to enhance creative thinking during product creation that don’t involve training
but do have positive effects. These conclusions indicate that creativity training works and is
beneficial for long term enhancement of creative traits. Although this is true, training is not the
only method individuals can access to enhance those traits; there are faster ways to do this for
short term results. Commented [1]: delete?

12th Grade Humanities

Animas High School
5 March 2018
1
 Part I: Introduction

Nothing is more frustrating than sitting down at a blank canvas with an urge to create art but Commented [2]: use quote from source VII pg 2 here?
(Everyone has potential to be creative and it can be
developed)
coming up empty handed after contemplating what to draw. Creativity can be elusive at the worst
Commented [3]: how can I make this hook more
engaging?
of times and the lack of understanding around this topic created incentive to track down the key

to deliberately evoking this feeling. Even defining creativity can prove to be a difficult task due

to the diversity of definitions throughout research articles written on this topic and the fact that

creativity is defined differently in Eastern and Western cultures in the world. Developing

creative traits can lead to an easier time thinking of original and authentic ideas that are more

meaningful to an individual. Research has shown that positive long term effects can be observed

in problem solving, divergent thinking, and other creative traits as a result of creativity training.

Part II: Historical Context

Creativity is a very broad and nebulous phenomenon that can be interpreted in different and

conflicting ways throughout the world. Defining traits of creativity can be anything from

“...introspection, independence, nonconformity” (Wilson 71), to “...(a) divergent thinking (e.g.,

fluency, flexibility, originality, elaboration…(b) problem solving (e.g., production of original

solution to novel problems…(c) performance (e.g., generation of creative products…(d) attitudes

and behavior (e.g., reactions to creative ideas, creative efforts initiated” (Scott et al. 367), or “a Commented [4]: this should be a block quotes

four-criterion construct that includes novelty, utility, aesthetics, and authenticity” (Kharkhurin

340) which is the definition this thesis is acknowledging because it encompasses defining

creative traits from both Eastern and Western culture.

2
The definition of creativity is not consistent throughout the world. Eastern and Western cultures

have vastly different views about the criteria for something to be considered creative: “...A

defining feature of the Western concept of creativity-novelty-is not necessarily embraced by the

Eastern one...originality in thinking is largely adopted within Western ideals and less pervasive

in the Eastern frame of thought” (Kharkhurin 340). In Western culture, creative emphasis is put

on novelty and radical modification of norms whereas eastern cultures put more effort into

incorporating new methods into their art while still acknowledging and integrating aesthetic

traditions from the past. With this information in mind, one must create a definition that

incorporates traits from both sides of the world in order to define creativity in a way that is

agreed upon by the majority of professionals and audience members alike. Creativity is therefore

presented in this thesis as a “four-criterion construct that includes novelty, aesthetics, and

authenticity” (Kharkhurin 340). Commented [5]: direct quote 2x..... i would paraphrase
this

Defining and having a thorough understanding of creativity is a key step to elevating your

creative abilities through training. Informing individuals about the essence of creativity and

strategies for thinking creatively is necessary for success in the training. One must also have a

substantial understanding of the “critical components of creative thought” (Scott et al.) in order

to achieve the best overall experience during training (Scott et al.). Because the topic of

creativity is so indistinct and abstract, a deeper understanding of the concept greatly aids

individuals throughout the course of the training. Without an understanding of creative thought,

an individual undergoing creativity training would not fully grasp what it is they are trying to

improve and thus would not fully digest the positive aspects of the training.

3
Convergent and especially divergent thinking are significant elements of creativity and are the

focus of many research articles covering it. “Goff and Torrance’s (2002) divergent thinking

procedure identifies originality as “the ability to produce ideas that are generally not produced,

or ideas that are totally new and unique” (p.6). People are considered to be creative if they

produce ideas that are different from those of others. Solutions that deviate from a standard set of

possible answers are regarded as creative.” (Kharkhurin 341). “Many scholars emphasize the

need for an additional ability, convergent thinking: that is, the cognitive process of deriving the

single best, or most correct, answer to a problem or question [22-24]. Convergent thinking

emphasizes accuracy and logic, and applies conventional search, recognition, and decision-

making strategies” (Ritter Ferguson 2). Divergent thinking is the more creative trait in this case Commented [6]: block quote

but convergent thinking can also be considered creative because it is “required in tasks where

seemingly unrelated concepts have to be related” (Ritter Ferguson 2). It must also be recognized Commented [7]: its about forming links and
connections between ideas? Perhaps include an
analitical sentence
that divergent thinking is only one trait of creativity and does not encompass the entire

phenomenon.

Because creativity is a loosely defined subject, it is often confused with inspiration and

motivation, however this is not the case; inspiration and creativity are distinct sensations that

each play a separate role in the creative process. “In addition to intellectual and personality

characteristics, a third element is necessary to complete the creative process: the urge to create”

(Wilson 71). Creative performance usually follows an episode of inspiration. “Inspiration is a

motivational state that compels individuals to bring ideas into fruition” (Oleynick et al. 1) and is

a response to creative stimuli. When an individual views a creative product or wonderous natural

4
event like a sunset, it prompts inspiration which motivates the individual to bring their own

creative ideas into reality. The creative ideas with which they do this are not derived from the

feeling of inspiration but from other sources in an individual’s life. “...creative inspiration is a

response to (not the cause of) creative ideas...claiming that creativity comes from inspiration

would not aid scientific understanding… scientists have already developed a variety of scientific

constructs and theories to explain the origins of creative ideas, which include situational,

dispositional, self-regulatory, cognitive, historical, and neurological processes” (Oleynick et al. Commented [8]: bloack quote

3, 4). Furthermore, an individual cannot be deliberately instigated by an individual. “...one does

not feel directly responsible for becoming inspired; rather, a stimulus object such as a person,

and idea, or a work of art evokes and sustains the inspiration episode” (Oleynick et al. 2). It is

important to understand the difference between the roles of creativity and inspiration in the

creative process because it generates less confusion regarding the subject.

Although possessing advanced creative traits in a specific field may allow you to excel in that

area, that does not necessarily mean that those skills transfer to other disciplines. If this were the

case it would mean creative chemists could also be creative artists, creative musicians could use

those skills to accel in creative writing and poetry, and creative chefs could be innovative

architects. While this is not the case, there is a possibility that creative domain generality may be

evident to some extent. “Creativity researchers are not in complete agreement on the question of

how much domain generality there may be, and the best bet is probably on a hierarchical model

of some kind (with some abilities contributing modestly to creativity across domains, others only

to creativity with a given domain, and others only on specific tasks within a domain, such as

poetry within the larger domain of creative writing” (Baer McKool 6). There is also a range of Commented [9]: block quote

5
creativity that can be present in products. This relates to an argument made by Cropley and

Cropley (2008): “Creativity is not something that products either have or do not have, but, there

are both levels and kinds of creativity” (qtd. in Kharkhurin 349). Just because an individual is a

creative chemist, that does not mean they are unable to become a creative artist, although their

chemistry will likely show a higher level (or different kind) of creativity than their art. As

Sternberg et al argue, “Different products can express creativity to a greater or lesser extent”

(qtd. in Kharkhurin 349). Be that as it may, everyone has the potential to be creative in any field

they choose. “Time and engagement in challenging learning become necessary for developing

relevant competencies and investments in competencies can facilitate creative work...a sense of

competence or increased involvement with a task in combination with intrinsic motivation may

increase creativity” (Rostan 263). If you are willing to put the work in to achieve competence in Commented [10]: block quote.....

a skill, you will eventually gain a higher sense of creativity in that field if you are truly

committed to it.

Part III: Research and Analysis

According to research, there are only a few reliable ways to judge creativity of a product and an

individual that have been proven to work. The first method is receiving judgement from experts

in the field which can be “used in any field; for example, it can be used for judging creativity of

(a) students’ research designs or theories in science, (b) their artistic creations and their musical

compositions, or (c) the poems, stories, and essays that they write” (Baer McKool 2). The most

knowledgeable people in any field are experts which is why “The most valid assessment of the

creativity of an idea or creation in any field is the collective judgment of recognized experts in

that field” (Baer McKool 2). One thing to consider when using this method is the experts must

6
“work independently and do not influence one another’s judgements in any way” (Baer McKool

4). Another thing to consider about this method is the experts judge the actual creativity of

products and not the skill or creative traits of the participants. While this technique is a proven

method of creative assessment, “Amabile found that while experts tended to agree in their

judgements of creativity, these creativity ratings were not the same as judgements of such

attributes as technical goodness…neatness...or expression” (Baer McKool 5). One potential

disadvantage of this method is “it is very resource intensive: assembling groups of expert judges

is not simple and it may be expensive. And one cannot replace expert judges with novices (such

as by having students judge one another’s work) unless the students themselves have a high level

of expertise” (Baer McKool 10). However, if one does have access to experts in the field in Commented [11]: block quote... you have a lot of
these, it might be beneficial to paraphrase more and
use your own words.
which they require creative judgement, this is an effective approach.

Aside from legitimate creativity training, there are many other techniques and methods one can
use in order to stimulate their creativity and enhance creative traits. The first technique is finding
an activity that you are passionate about. Runco argues that “...creative solutions are not found
Commented [12]: A lot of your first points have to do
with things aside from creativity training even though its
something you've been referencing from part one and
two. I am curious how this would flow if you kept
everything about creativity training first and then added
this part about other methods once creativity training
was analyzed.

unless the individual is motivated to apply his or her skills” (qtd. In Rostan 262). Evoking one’s

creativity and motivation is much easier if they find something that they sincerely enjoy doing. If

one is invested in their work, that investment and enjoyment become a significant intrinsic

motivator which allows them to more easily gain competence in the activity. Rubenson and

Runco state “Time and engagement in challenging learning become necessary for developing

relevant competencies and investments in competencies can facilitate creative work” (qtd. in

Rostan 263).

7
 Passion and the activities one pursues can dictate how much motivation and creativity

the individual will likely be able to kindle while working and learning. Extrinsic and intrinsic

motivators affect motivation and creativity in very different ways and can either be very helpful

or very harmful. Extrinsic motivators are anything from prizes, rewards, or praise for completing

tasks. After experimenting with “conditions that make extrinsic constraints salient (such as Commented [13]: anything outside oneself?

offering rewards for completing a task or leading subjects to expect that their work would be

evaluated)” Amabile found that extrinsic motivators “...lead to generally lower creative

performance” (qtd. in Baer McKool 6). Intrinsic motivators are things like an individual’s Commented [14]: I like how many quotes you have, it
shows that there is a lot of evidence, but it feels like
this is just a lot of quotes mashed together without your
passion for their work or the satisfaction they get once they finish a project. Intrinsic motivators writing inbetween! I highly recoomend paraphrasing
instead of using direct quotes
are much more beneficial than extrinsic motivators because they are more innate and induce less

stress in the individual performing the task.

Another technique to increase motivation and creativity as well as decreasing anxiety

during work is refraining from placing responsibility for becoming inspired and thinking of

creative ideas on oneself. In a Ted Talk titled Your Elusive Creative Genius by Elizabeth Gilbert, Commented [15]: reword

“She observes that with an external focus, the responsibility is placed on the deity, daemon or

other source of inspiration. With an internal focus, the artist becomes responsible for any success

or failure and therefore the stakes are higher. This sense of responsibility causes anxiety and

dread and is probably often the source of writer's block and procrastination in artists... Gilbert

encourages her audience to consider that they ‘have’ a genius rather than that they must ‘be’ a

genius.” (qtd. in Deurzen-Smith 87). The purpose of this article is to discover methods to Commented [16]: this is confusing...
Commented [17]: the way the quote is.
deliberately develop and access creativity, however, sometimes instead of struggling to think of

these creative ideas, a better strategy is to relax and wait for them to come to you. Salvador Dali

utilized a method connected to this idea of external focus to gain inspiration for his art. Bernard

8
Ewell from the Dali Park West Gallery describes “...how the artist would sit with a mixing bowl

on his lap and a large spoon in his hand. He would wait to fall asleep, at which point the spoon

would hit the bowl waking him. This routine would continue on a loop until he felt inspired by

his imagination which would run rampant in such hypnagogic states” (qtd. in Deurzen-Smith

82). The reason this worked for Dali is because “there is a link between inspiration and sleep, Commented [18]: block quotes.. need to be formatted
differently
specifically hypnagogia, the transitional state between waking and sleeping...This inspiration

may then essentially be a result of inhibitions being removed, allowing us to engage with our

imagination in a more primitive, non-judgemental manner” (Deurzen-Smith 82). Commented [19]: block
Commented [20]: so it the method to sleep more? its
During relaxation, our minds think differently than in states of deep contemplation. May kinda unclear...

delves deeper into this idea and states, “In passing from mental effort to mental relaxation, we

shift our perception from high power to low power, widening the field of consciousness in which

unifying patterns...may be recognized. Without relaxation, wondering and contemplating are lost,

which limits our intake system and interferes with the inductive phase of the creative process”

(qtd. in Wilson 70). When in doubt while pondering about creative ideas, relaxation is a much Commented [21]: BLAOCK QUOTEEEEEEEEEE

better alternative than focusing internally and putting pressure on yourself to think creatively and

become inspired. However this does not mean complete denial of responsibility for one's

inspiration. “[inspiration] is often seen as a denial of responsibility. It is taken to either extreme:

total freedom where the muse must strike or else no work is done and the artist holds no role

other than that of a vessel, or total responsibility where the artist must master herself and own her

genius regardless of the potential for narcissism or self-destructive anxiety. Both extremes are

unhelpful, unrealistic, and unbalanced” (Deurzen-Smith 88). It is important to keep an open mind Commented [22]: u already kno what it is

about becoming creatively inspired and keep a balance of internal and external focus in the

creative process. Although “There is a beauty and a utility in allowing oneself to be inspired, to

9
take in something of the universe that cannot be explained, quantified or owned. There is also a

necessity and meaningful self-actualization in exercising one’s creative muscles and mastering

the mind in order to allow greater productivity” (Deurzen-Smith 88). Keeping this balance is the

key to maintaining efficiency in creating work and also maintaining the quality of your creative

ideas.

It has also been discovered that the environment and mood that one works in makes a

difference in creative thinking. “...environment is undoubtedly linked to creativity and to our

ability to engage with the act of being creatively inspired. This means that special care should be

taken to ensure that the environment one works in is conductive to this engagement...It ideally

means taking care to assess how the artist is currently engaging with that environment and how

they are making meaning in it” (Deurzen-Smith 81). Being in nature has been proven to be a top Commented [23]: block

ranked source of inspiration in a study of 500 people performed by Blick Art Materials. It has

also been shown to generally increase your mood and according to Ritter and Ferguson “a

positive mood appears to be associated to improvements in divergent thinking, but not

convergent thinking (although this is not as clear)”(3). Additionally, De Dreu, Bass, and Commented [24]: check to see if this quote is cited
correctly
Nijstad’s research “suggests that the arousal level (activating vs. deactivating) should be Commented [25]: are these people pros? who are
they, what do they do, how do I know they are
cerdible?
considered in the mood creativity link, as activating moods influence creative fluency and

originality because of enhanced cognitive flexibility when mood is positive and because of

enhanced persistence when mood is negative” (qtd. in Ritter Ferguson 3). When experiencing Commented [26]: block

creative block it may be very beneficial to change environments or take a walk in nature to

stimulate your creative mindset and heighten your mood. Another method to elevate your mood

and enhance your creativity is listening to happy music. A study was done by Ritter and

Ferguson who found that “The quantity of divergent ideas was larger for the group that listened

10
to the happy music prior to the creativity task. The authors interpreted this to mean that being in

a positive mood facilitates flexible thinking and consequently leads to the production of

unconventional or atypical ideas” (Ritter Ferguson 3). The authors found that listening to happy

music as opposed to silence during work increases one’s performance on divergent thinking but

not convergent thinking. They concluded that “The increase in divergent but not convergent

thinking after listening to happy music may be explained by the fact that the convergent tasks

rely less on fluency and flexibility, but on finding one correct answer” (Ritter Ferguson 10).

A similar study was performed which had the goal of enhancing both divergent and

convergent thinking using two different methods. The researcher hypothesized that “Squeezing a Commented [27]: lo caps?

malleable ball would increase divergent creativity by catalyzing multiple or alternative ideas,

whereas squeezing a hard ball would increase convergent creativity by facilitating only a single

correct response” (Kim 328). It turns out that their hypothesis was correct and squeezing

different balls did affect the participant’s divergent and convergent thinking skills when put to

the test. The explanation behind this is “Squeezing a soft ball gives people the bodily experience Commented [28]: lo caps?

of various malleable shapes, and this experience might encourage them to think outside the box

and be more flexible in coming up with diverse ideas, in that it facilitates the process of

producing ideational variations. Squeezing a hard ball might facilitate the process of selecting

ideas for further elaboration” (Kim 332).

The last technique to enhance creative traits without training is flexible thinking when

experiencing artistic block or a lack of ideas. “...when getting stuck in a rut, it can be helpful to,

instead of digging deeper, dig elsewhere...a flexible thinking style can be beneficial” (Ritter

Ferguson 10). It is also important to point out that this method works for all fields of creativity

and is not exclusive to writers or artists. Kim experimented with an interesting idea on this topic

11
when she “found that participants generated more original responses on the TTCT [Torrance

Test of Creative Thinking] after they were primed by a childlike mindset (i.e., “Think like a 7-

year-old”), rather than an adult mindset” (331). This is because children tend to think of more Commented [29]: this could be so powerful if you
rewrote it your own way! analysing it , creatin it
creative ideas since their minds aren’t as critical and judgemental as adults. They are more

exploratory and playful with their ideas and this method of thinking actually worked for her

study and allowed the participants to think of more original ideas. Although all of these methods

have been proven to work and some have proven very effective, Scott et al. states that “...training

has been a prefered, if not the favored, approach for enhancing creativity” (361). Commented [30]: very nice

Creativity training has been proven to be effective in long term enhancement of creative

traits which can be assessed using a variety of tests. One technicality that makes each training

different from the next is that “Differences in the framework used to understand the creative act Commented [31]: lo cpas

influence the kind of training strategies applied” (Scott et al. 362). Training can also be tailored

to enhance traits in specific domains like poetry for instance. Training like this focuses on Commented [32]: example? hows this work

creative traits that are complementary to the skill one is working towards instead of focusing on

traits that would cover a broader spectrum.

One of the most effective training programs that covers the most areas of creativity is the

Purdue Creative Thinking program. The program consists of audio tapes and printed exercises

that go with each tape. “The exercises for each program consist of printed directions, problems,

or questions which are designed to provide practice in originality, flexibility, fluency, and

elaboration in thinking” (Feldhusen et al. 85). This program was tested using multiple grade

levels of elementary schoolers and it was found that the program worked overall. The results

concluded that “Performance of pupils in the experimental group was superior to that of control Commented [33]: lo caps

pupils on verbal and nonverbal originality and language achievement” (Feldhusen et al. 87). The

12
training was proven to enhance creative traits and fluency, but the researchers went on to conduct

a 14 week test to determine which section of the training program was most effective. They were

looking for evidence of a single element or combinations of the presentations, stories and

exercises being more effective than others. The researchers used control groups again and gave

each class a different part of the training each week for a 14 week period. They found that “The Commented [34]: lo caps

results of the testing indicated that pupils in the groups receiving the instructional materials made

highly significant gains on all creativity scores derived from the MTCT [Minnesota Tests of

Creative Thinking]” (Feldhusen et al. 90). Similar results have been found in other studies which

lead to the conclusion that instructional practice and “...typically more structured techniques, can

therefore be expected to have a relatively powerful impact on [creative] performance” (Scott et

al. 377-378). Overall, evidence has strongly shown that cognitive abilities involved in creative

thinking are susceptible to influence by systematic instructional efforts involved in training

(Feldhusen et al.).

Part IV: Conclusions

The most significant conclusion to come from this article is creativity training works and

its participants are capable of retaining the newly gained skills over long periods of time without

additional practice (Scott et al.). After undergoing creativity training, one will find that

generating multiple unique and original solutions to a problem (divergent thinking) and problem

solving will come much easier. This is beneficial because creating original work that is

meaningful to you increases your motivation to actually bring that work into reality which means

enhanced creativity traits can lead to better productivity (Wilson).

13
 Possessing enhanced creative traits is becoming more beneficial as copyright laws

progress and are more enforced in the modern world. Companies have started whose sole

purpose is to find products that have copied or used portions of existing media or inventions and

sue because of it. Since “The most dramatic results can happen when ideas are combined” Commented [35]: lo caps

(Ferguson, 2015), individuals creating new content must be careful about how they go about

being influenced by existing content. This is where possessing enhanced creative traits can be so

powerful. By having the ability to produce a wider range of unique and original ideas,

individuals who have been involved in creativity training have an upper hand when innovating

existing ideas because they have more capability to change those ideas in ways that copyright

laws won’t affect them. After all “We’re all building with the same materials” (Ferguson, 2015)

and copying and innovating existing ideas is how humanity progresses and prospers. Creativity

training has been proven to develop and enhance creative traits which can be very influential

towards the progression of tools such as technology and media in the modern world. Commented [36]: move this towards the top of the
conclusion
Commented [37]: to finsih, i would circle back to why
creativity is important and how it changes the
world/improves lives
Commented [38]: strong work tho bud!!!!!
Works Cited

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Assessment Technique.” Handbook of Research on Assessment Technologies, Methods, and

Applications in Higher Education, doi:10.4018/9781605666679.ch004.

Feldhusen, John F., et al. “Developing Creative Thinking: The Purdue Creativity

Program*.”The Journal of Creative Behavior, vol. 4, no. 2, 1970, pp. 85–90.,

doi:10.1002/j.2162-6057.1970.tb00847.x.

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 Ferguson, Kirby. “Everything Is a Remix Remastered (2015 HD).” Everythingisaremix,

YouTube, 16 May 2015, www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJPERZDfyWc.

Kharkhurin, Anatoliy V. "Creativity.4In1: Four-Criterion Construct of Creativity."

Creativity Research Journal, vol. 26, no. 3, Jul-Sep2014, pp. 338-352. EBSCOhost,

doi:10.1080/10400419.2014.929424.

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Challenges and Opportunities.” Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, vol. 8, 2014,

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Rostan, Susan M. "Studio Learning: Motivation, Competence, and the Development of

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doi:10.1207/s15326934crj1604_1.

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 WILSON, FRANK. "Thomas Wolfe and the Process of Artistic Creation." Thomas Wolfe

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