I regularly receive questions from all over the world about creativity. What is it?

Can it
be trained? Who needs it? How do you build a culture of creativity…?

Here are the Top 10 Questions About Creativity.

1. What is Creativity?

Creativity is the capacity to develop ideas to solve problems and take advantage of
opportunities.

Creativity is NOT art, it is NOT design and is NOT the sole preserve of geniuses.

Creativity is a capacity – it is something that we can all learn to use more effectively. It
allows us to develop ideas to solve problems in different ways and capture opportunities.

2. What is Innovation?

Innovation is the application of creativity to produce a new concept, product, service or

process delivering something new and better to the world.

When we innovate, we work with the creative ideas we have developed and put them
into practice.

Innovation is NOT just about making new gadgets and fancy widgets. We can be
innovative in New Product Design, but in many other ways too. New concepts, like how
to lead and motivate people at work, as well as new services and processes.

3. How Are They Related?

Innovation relies on creativity. You cannot innovate without first developing some ideas.
Creativity is the source of innovation.

Every improvement at work starts with an idea.

4. What Jobs Require Creativity?

Every job requires creativity. Every trade, occupation or role will need new ideas to solve
problems and maximize opportunities.

But, its not just jobs now, but in the future too. The World Economic Forum Future of
Jobs report suggests that the top 3 skills needed in 2020 will be complex problem
solving, critical thinking and creativity.

5. Why Do Organisations Need Creativity?

In a range of studies running for more than a decade, The Accenture Institute for High
Performance found that the highest performing companies in the world encourage staff
at every level to solve problems to make things new and better.

According to the PwC Workforce of the Future survey, Three-quarters or more of people
around the world are happy to say they have soft skills with adaptability, problem-
solving, creativity and innovation, and collaboration skills scoring highest. This seems to
be good news as these skills will be in high demand as humans work alongside
technology, including automation and AI, in the future. The report asks - but are people
really as readily adaptable as they claim?

The good news from the survey was that three-quarters of people said they were ‘ready
to learn new skills or completely re-train in order to remain employable in the future’ and
it seems that people are generally happy to take learning into their own hands with
seventy-four percent of people globally agreeing it is their own responsibility to update
their skills rather than relying on an employer.

Critically, the report adds - the good news for CEOs is that the soft skills they’re looking
for – including problem-solving, creativity and innovation, leadership, and adaptability –
are the most frequently claimed skills by the survey participants

6. Is Creativity a Strategic Priority?

In PwC’s 20th CEO survey they were asked about which skills were important and which
were hard to find. Soft skills were in high demand: problem-solving, creativity and
innovation, leadership and adaptability were identified as today’s skills battleground.

Why? Because creative ideas drive not only winning new products, services and
processes, but winning business models and strategies too.

7. Can Creativity be Trained?

Research studies have shown that creativity can be trained.

Scott, Leritz & Mumford (2004) found that creativity training programmes produced
improvements on everything from attitudes towards the importance of creativity at work
through to improvements in job performance.

8. What is the Best Way to Train People to be Creative?

Training colleagues to be more creative is like teaching people to ride a horse or swing a
golf club – you need to learn it by doing, not through reading a book.

I train leaders and colleagues to be more creative by sharing my 5 key principles for
creativity and innovation, identifying a real challenge and then working on the challenge
in diverse groups whilst applying some powerful, but simple creative problem-solving
tools and techniques.
We learn approaches like The Kipling Method to gain insight, Picturestorming to develop
“The Big Idea”, Attribute Listing to work up creative details and Dot Voting to help
sensitively and rapidly evaluate options.

The key is to learn the right behaviors, the right tools and gain the confidence to have a
try.

9. What Are the Biggest Barriers to Creativity at Work?

At the level of the individual the biggest barrier is that many people do not see
themselves as creative – they are, and they have much to contribute.

In teams, the barrier is often a failure to embrace diversity, create a supportive

atmosphere and the day-to-day know-how of what approaches to use during a team
brainstorming session.

In organizations, there are many cultural issues that can undermine creativity. Often
organizations need to genuinely value creativity and innovation, to encourage wider
collaboration and be more open to intelligent risk-taking.

10. How Do You Build a Culture of Creativity?

Creativity provides the ideas that allow for innovation. So how do we build a culture of
creativity?

This requires matching bottom-up processes with top-down processes.

Top-down processes are the formal practices that help to form the culture. Mission,
vision, values, etc.,

Organisations are normally very good at including creativity and innovation in their
mission, vision and values but do not match these top-down approaches with bottom-up,
grass roots creativity development.

To match the mission and vision from the top, individuals and teams need to be
supported and trained to develop their creativity skills. In a recent research report, we
have highlighted 25 ways that governments (and companies) can develop the culture,
leadership and supporting practices that will build a creative climate. The key is to
understand that it is a mix of different strategies that will develop a creative organization
– there is no single quick-fix.

Dr Mark Batey is a creativity, innovation and leadership specialist at The University of

Manchester.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcoNScbRsBk&t=111s
 Questions to Ask Creative Individuals

Composed by Students in Psychology 344 - Spring 2010

1. Do you think that creativity involves putting your heart and soul into your
work? Or is it more like letting your mind flow freely to witness the
surprising results of your actions?
2. What in your personal life has influenced you to choose your career?
3. What do you do to keep yourself motivated and interested in your work?
4. Were you ever discouraged? If so, how did it it affect your creativity?
5. If you had to start over, would you choose a different path in your career?
6. What is your favorite color? Does this color describe your as a person?
Please explain.
7. What is the best advice that you have been given?

Composed by Students in Psychology 344 - Fall 2009

1. What is creativity to you? Do you consider yourself to be creative? Why or

why not?
2. Do you criticise your own work? Explain.
3. What kind of jobs did you have before your career took off?
4. If you could interview a person (past or present), who would that person be?
Please explain your choice.
5. If you were our President, what would your first order of business be?
6. How would you like to be remembered?

Composed by Students in Psychology 344 - Spring 2009

1. Do you think that you would be able to teach what you do?
2. What inspires you?
3. What do you do to get into your creative zone?
4. What is your favorite accomplishment?
5. Do you ever create hidden meanings or messages in your work? Explain.
6. Do you enjoy sharing your work with others or do you prefer to go
unnoticed? Why?
7. Do you pay attention to others' strong reactions to your work? Does that
affect what you create?
8. Who do you define as a visionary?
9. If your creative work were edible, what would it taste like?

Composed by Students in Psychology 344 - Fall 2008

1. People regard you as a creative person. Do you agree? Please explain your
answer.
2. Looking at what you have created in the past, would you change anything
today? Why or why not?
3. Have you ever doubted your talent? If so, how did you work through your
doubt?
4. Have you ever felt enlightened by an event in the past that has given you a
new perspective on life? Please explain.
5. If you and I were to trade places, tell me one thing about yourself that I
should know.
6. If you could choose a theme song for the rest of your life, what would it be?
7. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be? Please explain
your choice.
8. If your creative works had an odor, what do you think they would smell
like? Why?
9. If you could change one aspect of our society through your work, what
would it be?
10.How do want people to remember you?

Composed by Students in Psychology 344 - Spring 2008

1. Do you think that creativity is part of human nature or is it something that

must be nurtured and learned? Please explain your answer.
2. What made you decide to follow a creative career choice (though possibly
risky) rather than something more stable?
3. What is your inspiration? How has personal experience influenced your
creativity?
4. What is your favorite creation? Please explain why you selected this one.
5. What do you wish to accomplish with your art?
6. How do you know when a piece or project is finished and needs no
additonal work?
7. Have you ever been faced with negative feedback? How was this reflected
in your work, if at all?
8. What impact do you think that commercialism and the media has had on
your work? Is this good or bad?
9. Are you a fan of cartoons? If so, what is your favorite one?
10.What is playing in your CD player/Ipod right now?
11.If you had to be any of these things, which would you like to be?
a) a member of the opposite sex, b) a clock, c) a pair of shoes, d) a duck
Please explain your choice.
12.If you only had 24 hours to live, how would you spend your day?

Composed by Students in Psychology 344 - Fall 2007

1. When was the first time that you remember realizing that you are a creative
person?
2. When did you know that this was what you wanted to do with your life?
How did you get started?
3. What traits, if any, do you think that creative people have as compared to
people who are not creative?
4. Do believe that your training has influenced what you create?
5. Have you ever felt that your personal expectations have limited your
creativity? If so, how have you dealt with this?
6. Have other people supported or inspired you? Please explain.
7. How have you dealt with any criticism you have gotten because of your
creative endeavors?
8. Do you ever feel that you have to censor your creativity because you don't
want to offend anyone?
9. Do you do anything special to get your "creative juices" flowing? Please
explain.
10.Does your work convey a specific emotion or message?
11.If you could be any object, what would you be? Why?
12.What are your words of wisdom for someone starting out in your field?

Composed by Students in Psychology 344 - Spring 2007

1. How would you define creativity? Please explain how you go about
deciding that something is creative.
2. How or why were you drawn to this career instead of to a job that might
offer more stability and security?
3. At what age or time in your life did you realize that you were creative?
4. Who is the most creative person that you have ever known?
5. How did you choose your creative outlet? What inspires you?
6. What kind of things do you do to get your "creative juices" flowing?
7. What obstacles, if any, have you had to deal with in your life or career?
What are the biggest challenges you have had in the realm of your art?
8. Do you create your works for yourself or to share with others?
9. What is the ultimate message in your creative expressions?
10.What advise could you give me?

Composed by Students in Psychology 344 - Fall 2006

1. How do you define creativity?

2. Do you believe that each person has the capacity to be creative? Why?
3. How did you find your creative niche?
4. Do you think creativity is innate or learned? Explain.
5. Who or what experiences have inspired your work?
6. Have you always wanted to do what you are doing? If not, what made you
decide to start?
7. Does spirituality and culture play a role in your creativity? Explain.
8. How important is education to your creative process?
9. How do you deal with creativity blocks?
10.What part of you do you share in your creative endeavors?
11.Have you had to overcome obstacles (physical, financial, social, etc.) in
your creative world? Explain.
12.Do you believe that it is important to be accepted by others as being creative
or is just doing what you love to do enough to justify your work? Explain.

Composed by Students in Psychology 344 - Spring 2006

1. What inspires you to be creative?

2. Can you see your finished product before you start it?
3. Is there anything special that you do to get into a creative mindset?
4. What message, if any, do you try to put into your work?
5. Do you ever find yourself unable to express your creativity to the fullest?
What kinds of things inhibit you?
6. Do you ever find youself limited by the materials that you have available?
7. Who is your greatest influence?
8. Do you feel that you chose your "passion," or did it chose you?
9. Is there a particular place where you feel most creative?
10.If you hadn't chosen your field, what would your alternate field have been?
11.How much emphasis do you place on education? What do you think we
should be getting out of a class like The Psychology of Creativity?

Composed by Students in Psychology 344 - Fall 2005

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1. What is your definition of creativity?

2. Who do you think is creative? Please explain why.
3. Was the way you express your creatvity now always your ambition? If so,
when did you know for sure?
4. When embarking upon a project, do you preplan your entire endeavor or do
you simply follow where your inspiration takes you?
5. What do you think keeps your imagination from conforming to mainstream
society? Please explain.
6. What do you intend to achieve through your work?
7. Who or what has helped you to persevere and not quit?
8. Do you ever do something special to prepare for expressing your creativity?
Please explain.
9. Are you ever afraid or concerned about being judged by others or worried
about how your creativity is perceived?
10.What is your best advice for someone interested in your field?
 Composed by Students in Psychology 344 - Spring 2005

1. Thinking about your own creative works or those of others, what is your
own definition of creativity?
2. Do you think that creativity comes naturally to people - or do you think
creativity is a skill that people must develop?
3. If you were no longer able to use the medium that you are now working in,
how else would you express your creativity?
4. Who or what inspires your creative urges?
5. How do you usually get your "creative juices" flowing?
6. What is your greatest accomplishment to date?
7. How would you like to be regarded or remembered?
8. Are your favorite creative works generally those best regarded by others?
9. Do you think your creative endeavors isolate you or connect you with other
people?
10.What has been your greatst sacrifice that you have made for your craft?
11.What words of inspiration were given to you that you would like to pass
along to others?

Composed by Students in Psychology 344 - Fall 2004

1. What is your definition of creativity?

2. Do you think creativity is something that a person is born with - or do you
think creativity is developed?
3. At what point in your life did you realize that you have creative talent?
4. Have you ever felt that your creative endeavors motivate other people to
become interested in your field? Explain.
5. What (or who) has been your biggest inspiration in keeping your creativity
energy going?
6. How (and when) did you come to feel that you are successful in your
creative endeavors?
7. What do you intend to achieve through your creative works?
8. If you had the opportunity, what creative person (living or dead) would you
like to work with? Why?
9. Do you have skills that you wish to develop or talents you wish to perfect?
Explain.
10.Think back to your childhood. What did you hope to become as an adult?
11.How have the life events you have experienced influenced your creative
style and ability?
12.If you knew that you had only one last opportunity to express yourself
creatively, what message would you want to convey to others?

Composed by Students in Psychology 344 - Spring 2004

1. What is your definition of creativity?

2. When did you realize that you had a gift?
3. Who or what has been your greatest inspiration in life? Explain.
4. What sort of lasting impression do you hope your work will have on other
people?
5. Do you have a passion for what you do? Do you find it easy to "create?"
Explain.
6. Are there any other creative channels you use to express your creativity?
7. How do you balance your personal life and your creative endeavors?
8. With respect to your creative activities, what has been the greatest obtacle
that you have had to overcome?
9. Do you have any special rituals that you do in order to achieve your creative
goals?
10.What do you do when you experience a mental block to your creative
endeavors?
11.Have you helped or mentored anyone else?
12.Is there anything that you haven't done yet that you feel compelled to
achieve in the future? Explain.

Composed by Students in Psychology 344 - Fall 2003

1. What is your definition of creativity?

2. Do you think there is a driving force that inspires you? Explain.
3. What do you consider to be your greatest accomplishment? Why?
4. What is your typical day like?
5. How much of your own life is reflected in your work?
6. Do you have family members that share your creativity? If so, please
describe one of their creative products that you especially appreciate.
7. What was your childhood like? Do you think your experiences in childhood
have influenced your present creative endeavors?
8. Were there any obstacles that you had to overcome in order for you to
succeed? Explain.
9. Which of your accomplishments would you want to be remembered for?
10.What advice could you give to someone starting out in your field?

Composed by Students in Psychology 344 - Spring 2003

1. Who or what has inspired/influenced/empowered you?

2. Do you endeavor to convey your emotions through your creativity? If so,
explain how you do this.
3. Does your creative energy come from internal or external sources? Explain.
4. Which of your creations gives you the most pride/satisfaction?
5. Is there a certain place you go for inspiration? Please describe.
6. How do you think you differ from other creative people in your genre?
7. Has your creativity changed stylistically as you have matured? If it has
changed, please explain how.
8. When do you feel most energized?
9. What other person(s) do you consider to be creative and why?
10.What advice would you give to people following in your footsteps?

Composed by Students in Psychology 344 - Fall 2002

1. What distinguishes you from other artists in your genre?

2. What piece of work are you most proud? Why?
3. Do you create with the intent to send a message? If so, how important is it
that your audience understands the message?
4. What is your prime motivation to be unique?
5. Do you learn more about who you are through your creative endeavors?
6. Has any type of substance helped to enhance your creativity? If so, which
one?
7. Who or what are your main influences and insiprations?
8. How do you feel when others are critical about what you have created?
9. If you have experienced creative blocks, how have you overcome them?
10.What is the relationship in your life between creativity and
sufgfering/depression?

Composed by Students in Psychology 344 - Spring 2002

1. Do you consider yourself a creative person? What other creative avenues

have you explored?
2. How do you think one can expand ones creative mind and abilities?
3. Does your creativity reflect events in your life or your own personality?
4. Do the opinions of other people influenc or change what you create?
5. Does your motivation come from yourself or from others?
6. Why did you decide to take this path? What was your inspiration?
7. When and how did you discover your talent? Does creativity come naturally
or do you have to work on it?
8. What do you do in a normal day that contributes to your creative work?
9. What creative individuals do you admire?
10.What advice would you give to other people who are motivated to become
more creative?

Composed by Students in Psychology 344 - Fall 2001

1. When and how did you discover that you were a creative person?
2. How do you get your inspirations?
3. Why did you choose this medium for expressing your creativity?
4. Does your creative work come easily or do you struggle with your ideas?
What obstacles (if any) do you experience when you are creating? If you do
face obstacles, how do you get past them?
5. Please describe how you feel when you are creating something.
6. Do you always like the end result of your creative process?
7. Is there a creative work of another person that is your favorite? If there is,
please describe it. Why is it your favorite?
8. What person (living or dead) would you like to spend a day with? Why?
9. What would you most like to be remembered for?

Composed by Students in Psychology 344 - Spring 2001

1. What does creativity mean to you?

2. Do you think that people are born with creativity or do they learn it?
3. From where does your creativity stem (your emotions, your personal
experience, etc.)?
4. When you begin to create, do you have a finished product in mind?
5. When you have finished creating, do you modify what you have created?
6. Do you identify with your creative product?
7. What kind of impact do you hope to achieve through your creative efforts?
8. Who (or what) do you consider to be the greatest influence in your work?
9. Do you have periods of great creativity or does your creativity flow
continuously?
10.What do you do to enhance your creativity?

Composed by Students in Psychology 344 - Fall 2000

1. How is your idea derived - in a momment, from a voice, during an out-of-

body experience? Or does the idea come when something or someone else is
influencing you?
2. How do you make the leap from an idea in your head to the action you
produce?
3. How do you feel about the way your creativity is being experienced by
others? How do you react to criticism or praise? What emotions are
involved?
4. Do you use creativity to escape?
5. Do you have to be in a certain mood in order to create?
6. Do you see yourself in your work? Do you think others see you in your
work?
7. Does too much information make creativity fail?
8. What do you do when you experience a creative block?
9. Do you use creativity to express your life style? Your dreams?
10.How do other people perceive you?

Composed by Students in Psychology 444 - Fall 1998

1. How do you define creativity?

2. Do you consider yourself to be a creative person?
3. Do you consider yourself to be a spiritual person? If so, how does your
spirituality affect your creative work?
4. What are your motivations for creating? Is approval from others one of
them? Why or why not?
5. What are your reasons for sharing your work with others via the World
Wide Web?
6. Do you consider yourself to be different from other people? If so, how does
this affect you?
7. Did other people accept your work at first or did it take some effort on your
part to be recognized by others?
8. Which creative people do you admire? Why?
9. Please describe your state of mind when you are creating something.
10.How would you describe your personality?
11.Do you think that their is a link between birth order (or being an only child)
and creativity in adulthood?
12.Certain creative people (for example, Van Gogh and Wagner) have been
thought to have had psychological problems, although not everybody agrees
with this. Do you think that there is any link between psychological
problems and creativity?

Composed by Students in Psychology 444 - Spring 1998

1. Do you perceive yourself as creative? Do you think your own perception

and evaluation of your creative endeavors are influenced by the views of
other people? What role do you think the culture that you live in plays in
your creative efforts?
2. What motivates your creative ideas and creative activity? What role do you
think emotions play in your creative process?
3. Do you think that creativity is a result of genetics or learned abilities? Do
you remember any significant life events that may have played a role in your
creative development?
4. When engaged in a creative activity, do you usually have specific goals? Do
you aim your creative efforts at certain groups of people? Do you have any
concerns that people may see your work differently from the way you regard
it?
5. As a creative individual, do you believe that you perceive the world
differently from other people? Do you think that any "unusal" thought
processes are involved when you create something?
6. What effect (if any) do you think your childhood has had on the creativity
you display as an adult? What are your earliest memories involving your
own creative expression?
7. Do you think there is a connection between your spiritual or religious self
and your own creativity? Do your dreams play a role in your creative
process?
8. Do you believe that creativity and genius go hand in hand? What do you
think about the commonly-held notion that creativity is linked to madness?
9. What is your standard for evaluating your own creative work and the works
of other people? Do you think that monetary rewards can be compatible
with creativity in general? Are monetary rewards relevant to your own
work?
10.What benefits or problems might we expect with the cloning of highly
creative individuals? Please finish this sentence: "It would be best if ____%
of the world's population were highly creative because ...."

Composed by Students in Psychology 444 - Fall 1997

1. What environmental factors do you consider to be helpful (or limiting) to

your creative process?
2. How much of your creative ability do you think is innate? Or is your
creativity a skill that you have developed?
3. Do you view your creative ability/process as unusual or unique?
4. Is there something that you do to put yourself into a creative state of mind?
If so, what?
5. How much of your creativity do you think is motivated by outside
considerations, such as approval of others? How much is motivated by your
"inner being?"
 6. Have your personal experiences (or situations) influenced your creative
abilities? How?
7. How does your creative process/production benefit you? For example, does
it support you financially?
8. What is your creative goal and how attainable do you think it is?
9. When did you realize that you wanted to express your creativity? Was it
encouraged by others (e.g., parents)?
10.How do you go about evaluating your creative product?
11.Are you creative in more than one area? What is/are the other area(s)?
12.What other interests do you have?

20 questions on creativity and

leadership

Why are people interested in creativity?

Are they looking for options?

Do leaders need to be creative?

Does creativity make a leader more effective or does it enable them to

make connections that others may not see?

Is creativity about making connections and thinking out of the box?

Do constraints drive people to be creative?

Or does it derive from the urge to explore the unknown?

Should leaders explore the unknown?

Do effective leaders investigate what they don’t know?

Does the unknown contain clues about what should happen next?

How can a leader connect the dots between what’s over the horizon
and the here and now?

Does he or she have a strong vision for the organization?

Are there a core set of values that drives this company’s work?

What does this have to do with creativity?

Does knowing who you are and where you are going give you the
freedom to explore options?

Will the exploration of options make my company more creative?

Or is it in seeing the big picture and connecting the dots?

Or is it in the conversion of the impressions of the future to something

of value?

Is making something of value for someone the ultimate result of

thinking creatively?

If a leader isn’t creating, what is he or she doing?