What is the nature of creativity? Is creativity born or trained? What are the basic attributes of inventors and creative researchers? Since the beginning of time whenever a problem arises solutions to these problems have been answered in some way due to creativity. Whether it be how do get a message to a loved one on the other side of the state, to how can I get more production out of my team at work?
So what is creativity, where does it come from, and what makes a person more creative than another? Creativity is defined as the tendency to generate or recognize ideas, alternatives, or possibilities that may be useful in solving problems, communicating with others, and entertaining ourselves and others. Is creativity just a product of higher serotonin levels, or is it learned through behavior? I believe that creativity is more of a biological characteristic than one that can be learned.
It is well documented that the school of thought on the subject of creativity that both nature and nurture play roles in the outcome of someone’s level of creativity. A person born of parents who are creative tends to that way as well. Jeremy Summers asserts, a study from scientists at the University of Vienna found that higher serotonin levels in the brain increases the connectivity in certain areas of the brain’s posterior cingulate cortex, the center for awareness and internally directed thought that sits on top of the corpus callosum.
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This research confirms a study by Cornell University,that found that individuals who are artistically creative have a specific genetic characteristic that may enhance their creative ability. The brain, which is divided into two hemispheres, is connected by a bundle of fibers known as the corpus callosum. Researchers have discovered that the connectivity between the brain’s two halves directly determine creative ability. The Cornell University team found that creative people, such as writers, artists and musicians, tend to have a smaller corpus callosum, which could enhance their creative ability by allowing each half of their brain to develop ideas more thoroughly.
On the Nature side of the argument you are born to be more creative due to brain structure, and different serotonin levels. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that performs a lot of tasks. It regulates mood, sleep, and even helps with blood clotting. If someone were to have a somewhat different brain structure with different levels of serotonin, then wouldn’t they present with some sort of psychological problem? A 2007 study found that people with depression often have low levels of serotonin. Serotonin deficiency has also been linked to anxiety and insomnia.
Minor disagreements about the role serotonin plays in mental health have occurred. Some researchers in older studies have questioned whether an increase or decrease in serotonin can affect depression. Newer research claims it does. For example, a 2016 animal study examined mice lacking serotonin autoreceptors that inhibited serotonin secretion. Without these autoreceptors, the mice had higher levels of serotonin available in their brains. Researchers found these mice exhibited less anxiety and depression-related behaviors.
In camp nurture Robert Epstein, PhD, has developed a theory based exclusively on behavior and skill building. Called the Generativity Theory of Creativity, he has identified four competencies that individuals must acquire to stimulate creative expression: Capturing, individuals known for their creativity carry with them notebooks, laptops, and recorders for capturing sudden insights and discoveries. This includes keeping a notebook or recorder next to them on a bedside table for recording dreams. Challenging, individuals that seek out unanswered questions, or problems tend to think more creatively.
Broadening, people who are endlessly curious, but more than that these individuals read, explore, and want to experience things outside of their comfort zone. Surrounding, creative individuals will frequently change the décor of their surroundings, or seek out new friends with whom they have little in common. Epstein states that any individual that does this will become more creative. Yes everyone can learn to become more creative, but how much more creative will this make someone? If people have different baselines of creativity will this affect those people more or is it just for those wishing to learn how to get to a certain level?
An actual study should be purposed on Epstein’s theory or model, because the ideas he presents seems to be saying that the more you experience and the more you keep with you, or remember, the more connections you can make to become more creative. The span of a person’s life would tell us so many things especially if we had a good sample size throughout the life of he experiment. We could see if people are more creative as children vs. adults, we could look to see if people are able to become more creative as they age or if the effects of learned creativeness are limited. All the life choices a person makes in terms of diet, exercise, the amount of sleep they get, all the way down to their personality traits could and probably do have an effect on creativeness.
A longitudinal study about their general feelings and thoughts about how creative they think they are, while also administer the Torrance test of creative thinking. These test will allow us to see Perceived creativity showed links to openness to experience and extraversion, whereas tested figural creativity was associated with intelligence and also with openness. Multivariate behavioral genetic analyses indicated that the heritability of tested figural creativity could be accounted for by the genetic component of intelligence and openness, whereas a substantial genetic component in perceived creativity could not be explained.
The one third of the subjects would have no introduction methods that involve improving overall levels of creativity, while another third would be introduced to Epstein’s theory of creative behavior, and then lastly the final third would have serotonin levels monitored. In cases of low levels natural ways ( exercise sunlight and sleep) and artificial( SSRIs) would be used to keep serotonin in the optimal range for creativity. This study will most likely never happen, for several reasons. Firstly to get a sample size that will yield significant data throughout the life of the study is probably very small.
Longitudinal research problems, notably in confounding aging and period effects, delayed results, achieving continuity in funding and research direction, and cumulative attrition. With that being said It is still one of the best methods of gathering data in making claims as to where creativity comes from? This study would show what affects the ability of serotonin has on creativity, whether creativity can be learned or if a person is born that way.
