When we think of creativity, we think of the arts. Painters, dancers, actors, and authors. All of these people make a living by creating. However, we sometimes forget that creativity is actually a lot more prominent in our daily lives. From choosing which angle to take that photo to what clothes you are planning to wear, many of our actions involve thinking outside the box, even if they seem to use less of the innovative part of your brain.
There are quite a few ways to measure your level of creativity. The first is using the Creativity Quotient (CQ). Its approach is similar to that of an IQ test; however, many researchers find this method unsuccessful as it is impossible to have a definite right or wrong answer for creativity. Another way some researchers measure it is through psychometrics; it uses a Creative Achievement Questionnaire (CAQ) to evaluate the successes of that individual. Nevertheless, this requires a comparison of one's achievements with others, which is not an accurate way of assessing creativity. Similarly, the social-personality approach tries to measure an individual’s creativity based on factors such as their outgoingness. This, again, isn’t the best way, as environmental influences can affect personality immensely.
So, needless to say, we don’t know much about measuring how creative someone is. However, we know a bit more about how creativity works in our brains. There are about 86 billion neurons in our human brains. This incomprehensible number justifies our cognitive abilities. Roughly half of the neurons sense the environment, while another group reacts to it. In most animal brains, there is a hard-wired path between the two. In our human brains, though, there are a lot more paths connecting the two, way more than what we need to perform vital daily tasks. These tangled networks of neurons generate random, unsolicited thoughts, like thinking about putting chocolate on a pickle.
Creative thinking also comes from our ability to imagine the future. We humans have the cognitive ability to think ahead about the results and consequences of a situation. The brain region responsible is the hippocampus, which is also involved in recalling the past. A recent fMRI study by the Dana Foundation found that inducing creative performance boosted both activities in the left anterior hippocampus and in a large set of cortical regions collectively known as the default network. The default network is strongly associated with episodic memory. This means that our ability to remember also supports our ability to imagine and create.
Creativity is not only about making something original, but also reasonable to the situation. Research by Prof. Simone Shamay-Tsoory from the Department of Psychology at the University of Haifa in collaboration with Dr. Ayelet Eran from the Rambam Medical Center showed that for a creative idea to be produced, the brain utilizes contradictory networks. The researchers found that the administrative control region – a more "conservative" region that works with social norms and rules operates with the hippocampus. The stronger the two regions work in parallel, the even greater the level of originality of the answer. Generally, researchers believe that the administrative control region picks ideas from a pool of random and further expands on them. Being creative is just the way in which your brain generates and explores these thoughts.
No worries if you brain sometimes get stuck, you’re not the only one. You just need the right environment to stimulate those ideas. In Steven Kotler’s new book, The Art of Impossible, he talks about ways to induce "aha moments" to stimulate creativity, and researchers have found that improving your mood is the best way to do so. Right before people have generated an idea, the part of the brain, called the anterior cingulate cortex, or ACC lights up on the MRI. This means that when we are in a good mood, "the ACC is more sensitive to odd thoughts and strange hunches," Kotler writes. There are a lot of things you can do to improve your mood, such as practicing gratitude, meditation, exercises or just developing your relationship with other people.
Creativity can help you in your daily life and it also has a positive effect on your health. Studies have shown that engaging in creative activities can actually increase neuroplasticity and boost cognitive function, leading to improved memory and problem-solving skills. In fact, it can even slow down the age-related decline in brain function. Physically, it has even been shown to boost the immune system and reduce the risks of chronic diseases. This is due to the fact that creative activities stimulate the production of endorphins as they provide a sense of purpose and fulfillment. Not only that, being creative can also improve your mental health by boosting your self-esteem, and reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression found by the study published in the "Journal of Psychiatric Research". Having a good mood enhances your creativity, and being creative ameliorates your mood, a never-ending cycle!
So maybe it is time to do something to stimulate that hippocampus. There are a wide range of things that can help you be more creative, but if none come to mind, you can always just pick up a paintbrush.
Resources:
Zetlin, Minda. "Boost Your Mood and More with These Neuroscience-Backed Creativity Hacks." Inc., 30 November 2021, https://www.inc.com/minda-zetlin/creativity-boosts-neuroscience-mood-boosters-steven-kotler.html.
"The Science of Creativity." YouTube, uploaded by Big Think, 27 July 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CwyqtwtMHM.
"Boosting Creativity with a Zap to the Brain." ScienceDaily, 19 November 2015, https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/11/151119104105.htm.
Crawford, Hayley. "The Creative Brain." Dana Foundation, 14 August 2017, https://dana.org/article/the-creative-brain/.
Yeo, Nicholas. "How Do We Measure Creativity?" Psychreg, 9 February 2021, https://www.psychreg.org/how-do-we-measure-creativity/.
Marobella, Mark. "The Importance of Creativity and Its Positive Effect on Your Brain Health." LinkedIn, 7 December 2020, https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/importance-creativity-positive-effect-your-brain-health-marobella.