WHAT MAKES PEOPLE CREATIVE

When you start to explore the literature around the definition of creativity, or what it means to be creative, the lists and references go on and on. In this post I wanted to share a few key characteristics of what we might deam a creative approach or disposition. In my last post I shared the idea of developing a creative council in the classroom to learn about key role models and why they were/are so influential in their fields. With a better sense of the characteristics of creative people we can form better perspectives on our own work and speak more confidently about what makes up ‘being creative”.
What makes people creative?
Tenacity – grit, determination, resilience, call it what you like but some people don’t allow bumps in the road get in the way of the journey.
Courage – it is not just bumps in the road but sometimes the traffic is against you. Creative people are often risk takers and go against the common paradigm.
Inventiveness – to be able to explore new connections and combinations, to continually push what is possible.
Leadership – some people are moths others are flames.
Impact – some individuals either through their established position or their authority have had greater impact in their fields than others.
Vision – not just being able to project what is ahead in a field of study or development or art, but to bring that horizon closer much quicker than others.
Passion – an unquenchable fuel.
I am not saying that this is an exhaustive list in fact I would welcome your additions and amendments. The complexity of defining these characteristics means that many individuals would display some of these dispositions more strongly than others. Some were natural leaders whereas others showed greater courage as they worked alone. We each show these tendencies in different measure, making up the unique definitions of creative people and what creativity is.