Do You Have These Creativity Traits?

Imaginative people share certain specific traits, behaviors and characteristics.?Knowing and applying these 10 traits will boost your own creativity and imagination.

Creative people are the lifeblood of progress in our world.?Einstein said, “Without creative personalities able to think and judge independently, the upward development of society is as unthinkable as the development of the individual personality without the nourishing soil of the community.” Who are these “creative” people whose imaginations spark groundbreaking inventions, technology breakthroughs, unique artistic excellence and quantum leaps in all areas in science, engineering, business and the arts? What special characteristics do they share and how can we develop or hone those traits to boost our own innate creativity? Everyone has the capacity for being more creative, but not all choose to fire-up their ingenious neurons for improved performance. We can expand our innovative thinking by knowing what these (common denominator) creative traits are and then apply those characteristics and behaviors at work, home and elsewhere.

After working with and studying creative people over the last 25 years, I have come up with a composite of the traits and activities commonly associated with highly creative people in any field of work.

ONE: They Come Up With Many Ideas Quickly For Random Requests Creative people come up with lots of ideas!?They are speed demons with their imaginations spewing forth mild-to-wild ideas. Granted, most of their ideas will not be blockbusters, but they make a habit of hatching lots of ideas in a brief period of time. Psychologists call this process of coming up with ideas, concepts, solutions or approaches “ideation.”?Some creative people produce almost unlimited ideas and, surprisingly, they seldom get blocked in their thinking modes.?If they do have a dry spell of “locked-up” thinking, they know how to reinvigorate their creative juices.?Imaginative people often record their ideas and later revisit them because one bad or average idea might trigger a really good one.

TWO: They Are Flexible in Their Thinking Styles Creative people have diverse thought patterns and styles. They can examine situations and ideas from a wide spectrum of perspectives, even dropping cherished beliefs, rules and habits in the quest for fundamental thinking breakthroughs.?They are truly 360 degree thinkers and problem-solvers. This is the opposite of closed, narrow-minded (or “tunnel”) thinking that severely limits the wide expanse of options, variations and alternatives to the original idea. “Extreme creative thinking” is more complex than just developing many ideas at once or seeing the various offshoots of an idea––it’s coming up with radically new ideas with different characteristics based on complex or unusual synthesis of multiple components. Imaginative people use “kaleidoscopic thinking” by taking data, situations, phenomena, and assumptions and then mixing, twisting, shaping or otherwise manipulating them to see dramatically new patterns. You will find these bright, sharp minds giving unpredictable or unexpected answers or interpretations in a most unique context to questions or situations.?

THREE: They Tend to Be Sensitive, Emotional and Intuitive Not all creative people are temperamental eccentrics.?But, many mental giants tend to be both cerebral and visceral who enjoy flights of fancy and feel unrestrained in expressing wild, outrageous and even silly ideas. They are intuitive, trusting their gut feelings by listening to their “inner voice.”?Many are free, unrestrained spirits, not concerned with having their behavior fit into a traditional corporate mold and set of rigid standards. Spontaneity being one of their traits, they tend to be impatient with people who are obsessively analytical, critical, highly controlled or cautious in nature. They flourish around people who become excited about their ideas and want to move forward with them. They don’t mind people who see flaws in their thinking, as long as these “devil’s advocates” eventually become balanced “angel advocates.” Creative people often flaunt novelty and fight for their individuality in a sea of conforming commonality. They make greater use of their unconscious minds to generate realistic images, visualizations and affirmations of future scenarios involving their ideas.?Their emotion comes from their depth of calling and intensity of what they often perceive as a righteous cause or noble mission. Because they feel strongly drawn in the direction of their creative talents, this generates a sense of urgency with them.?While many creative people feel impulsive, they are not usually rash, reckless or brash, but rather they tend to be strongly “gut-oriented.”

FOUR: They See Things “Differently” Creative people are observant and sensitive to what is around them.?They have an extraordinary sense of visual, auditory or kinesthetic mental imagery.?Their ability to vividly see concepts or situations differently often obliges flirtation with absurdity, humiliation and ostracism from their rigid-thinking, more closed-minded and status-quo-loving peers.?The more they deviate from conventional thinking, the greater the risk of isolation for them, even persecution from those who are resistant to any change. Many of their best results come from seeing the “obvious” ideas, inventions and solutions that are easily missed or dismissed by most other people.?They are able to “connect the dots” before most people can even see the jumble of dots. Creative people tinker with possibilities before selecting the best idea or approach. They do not automatically accept current rules, assumptions or facts.?Some pride themselves on being righteous rule-breakers, others simply pass over conventional wisdom, knowing it has past its time of usefulness. Forward-thinking engineers and scientists, for example, find that instead of looking for small incremental improvements, they strive to reinvent a process or come up with a fascinating and valuable new way of approaching a problem or potential opportunity.?Creatives often chase after the famed “quantum leaps” of discovery and achievement that yield spectacular results.

FIVE: They Are Motivated By the Nature of the Job and its Intrinsic Satisfaction Rather Than By Money, Prestige or Power Self motivation––being excited by the sheer enjoyment, satisfaction and challenge of the work itself and a belief in the importance of their ideas––is paramount to innovators, creative problem-solvers and artists of all kinds. Knowledge, talent and brainpower are important, but enthusiasm and a drive to excel in exciting, new ways energizes these remarkable individuals. They are totally committed and passionate about their work.?It is more than a “labor of love”––it involves a strong sense of urgency to create for a good reason. These people must have a sense of purpose and worthwhile meaning to their work. So many of these creatives describe their incredible love of innovating as having to do with some overpowering inner drive to constantly top themselves.?As one innovator remarked when asked what his greatest achievement was replied, “My next one!” What demotivates them is repetitious, uninteresting “maintenance” work that is not challenging to their imagination, sense of adventure and mission they are on.

SIX: They Push Themselves to the Limits Pilots who test the incredibly fast and agile military fighters and space vehicles use the term “pushing the envelope,” meaning that they strive to get maximum performance from man and machine (the perimeter of the envelope defining the absolute design and operational limits of both). Creative people also strive to work at the upper limits of their “competence envelope,” pushing themselves in areas unexplored by others––pushing their mental and emotional abilities to the limit in an often unattainable attempt to quench their thirst for new frontiers of knowledge, achievement and extraordinary creation.?These are forward-moving pioneers, not “settlers or squatters” who usually endure long hours, persevere through countless failures, weather the criticism and cynicism of others to break through barriers and limits others thought impossible.?They are not bothered by long corridors or blind alleys or unknown passages. Instead, they relish the joy of exploration, even sudden stops, starts or reversals that ultimately lead to sudden flashes of valuable discoveries.

SEVEN They Love Diverse Knowledge and Unique Experiences Creative people are always searching for and gathering information from numerous, interesting sources unrelated to their primary field of work.?They are “information junkies” with an all-consuming thirst for knowledge. Voracious readers of diverse publications and books and being skilled internet surfers of all types of stories, they absorb facts about science, the humanities, art, the military, sports, politics, engineering, psychology, music and much more. Then, they meticulously synthesize what they digest in clever, often brilliant ways. They are never satisfied with how much they know and how much they’ve accomplished.?Surprisingly, these human mental powerhouses often feel dissatisfied and inadequate because of what they don’t know.?They want to experience everything that they possibly can. Many creative people are devoted amateur (or part-time professional) musicians. Others regularly go to art galleries, museums, comedy clubs, bookstores, seminars, poetry sessions, toy and gadget shops. Any source that can generate enlightening ideas and stimulating experiences for them is welcomed. Creative people will not hesitate to cross boundaries.?Tell them it is not their job or responsibility or that the “other department” is working on it, and they will find a way to get engaged. They usually bypass formal or unspoken rules and organizational norms to get the information and cooperation that they need for the projects they love.

EIGHT: They Persevere in the Darkness of Skepticism and Criticism Dogmatic and persistent would describe creative entrepreneurs, inventors and innovators who persevere despite intense obstacles they face to their ideas, creations and inventions. Their perseverance is not stubbornness or stupidity, but enormously strong will, determination and a diehard insulation against self-doubt. Gifted people have a deep-seated belief in their innovations, sometimes bordering on obsession. They build immunity to the apathy or outright hostility directed at them and their ideas. Courage is one of their most salient characteristics because highly creative people often stand far outside the norms, beliefs and values of a static society that builds various antibodies to change.?Because they confidently ward off the caustic remarks or resentful behaviors of others and because they believe in their mission, they are emboldened to try new approaches when all others scoff at them.

NINE: They Are Not Afraid of Taking Major Risks or Fearful of Failure Inventor Charles F. Kettering wisely said, “Virtually nothing comes out right the first time.?Failures, repeated failures are finger posts on the road to achievement. The only time you don’t fail is the last time you try something, and it works. One fails forward to success.” Creative types love change and challenge. They see “failures” as necessary stepping stones leading to eventual success. The school of hard knocks––“paying your dues”––is an accelerated curriculum as far as they are concerned and their egos can take numerous reverses. Setbacks, failures and risk-taking are painful, of course, but not as traumatic to creative types as they would be to others. While some are blatant risk-takers and pride themselves on shocking others or taunting the traditional establishment as contrarians and rebels, a majority are not reckless, careless risk-takers. They have a healthy respect for the timing of a concept or project, and methodically collect important information, weigh options, and then take what they consider to be calculated, “acceptable” risks.?The difference, however, is that their version of acceptable risks is typically far beyond the average fear threshold of the faint-of-heart.

TEN: They See Themselves As Different, Playful and Humorous Creative people both know and feel their creative spirit and resourcefulness. They never doubt their imagination, brainpower or inventiveness.?In addition, they see themselves as “different.” Some are vulnerable to the hurt of repeated stinging ostracism or rejection by their peers or bosses. You may hear them lament that they feel they don’t belong or comfortably fit in with the group at work or that people do not understand them. Long-term isolation and lack of acceptance, appreciation or recognition of their special talents will often cause a person to withdraw and eventually believe that he or she is somehow “dysfunctional.”?That’s why it is vital for those managing creative people to help them belong and be a contributing and valued part of the team. Creative people love to exercise their cerebral skills and talents in a caring and trusting environment.?They cherish the feeling of worth that comes from spirited innovation. Without such a supportive climate (especially with the companionship of other creative “soul-mates”), they can feel underutilized and depressed.

They are often quite uninhibited in not just their thinking, but their behavior and this transfers into their sense of child-like fun and playfulness.?Many enjoy quick banter, sharp exchanges of wit and good-natured teasing of their friends and colleagues.?They can be cut-ups and practical jokers who revel in the occasional enjoyment of the funny and absurd.?Playing and acting silly, at times, is often a healthy, innocent release for the strenuous mental effort and organizational stress they often experience in their challenging quests to overachieve and deal with red tape, foolish rules and a burdensome bureaucracy and political infighting common in every organization.

Deciding that You Can and Will Be More Creative

One of the biggest obstacles holding anyone back from being creative is the belief that they cannot call upon their inborn creativity.?Everyone can become more creative in whatever they choose to do. Creativity is a learned process and skill to be developed.?They key is to visualize and believe that you are creative and then learn more about how to tap into that ability.?Granted, most of us will likely never achieve the imaginative heights of Edison, Picasso, Michangelo or Einstein, but we can––and should ––advance along the exciting path of expanded imagination as it leads us into a life so much more interesting and meaningful that we might have ever thought possible.