the Creative personality Paradoxical traits acc. to M. Csikszentamihaly

You shouldn’t engage an ‘Einstein’ and then refuse his request for a 6-meter blackboard.

The complexity of the creative mind Tendencies of thought and action that in most people are segregated are often found in one creative individual.. Traits such as:

A great deal of energy & Often quiet and at rest They have their energy under their own control –are not governed by calendar or clock. Quick in focusing when needed and consider rhythm of activity followed by idle- ness or reflection important for success of their work. This is no biorhythm, but learned by trial and error and different from normal office hours ?!

smart & naieve Above 120 the IQ cannot be correlated with creativity. Creative persons are able to use well two opposite ways of thinking: convergent (= intelligent -IQ) and divergent, involving fluency in creating ideas & originality in picking unusual Associations. They move & translate easily between imagination and practical reality. And they need space.

playful & disciplined The combination of playfulness and discipline is not joking but about exploring ideas. This finding and discarding of ideas may look irresponsible to the convergent eye. But it ensures never to take the first idea, they know from experience that it’s the worst idea. Discipline is about the quality of doggedness, endurance and perseverance to look for more alternatives. They need management’s trust.

fantasy & reality Creative persons alternate easily between imagination and practical reality. In a way art and science are great forms of escape not into never-neverland, but into new worlds or paradigms, just as true and realistic as everyday life. Novel ideas have a tendency to look very ‘ logical’ afterwards. The process needs time.

extravert & introvert Usually people tend to be one or the other, research indicates that extraversion and introversion (acc. to Jung highly distinctive) are one of the most stable personality traits that differentiate people from each other and that can reliably be measured. Creative individuals seem to express both traits at the same time. One must generally be alone to write, paint or experiment in a laboratory. Yet over and over again, the importance of seeing people, and getting to know another person’s work and mind are stressed by creative individuals. Create the opportunity for exchange and avoid secrecy.

humble & proud It is remarkable to find that famous people can be modest, even shy. It is the respect for the domain they work in and the giants who contributed. Moreover they usually are appreciative of the part luck played in their achievement. The duality expresses itself also in the contrast between ambition and selflessness, or competition and cooperation.

masculine & feminine In all cultures men are brought up to be ‘masculine’ and repress ‘feminine’ aspects and women are expected to do the opposite. Research shows that creative individuals somehow escape this rigid gender stereotyping. This form of ‘psychological androgyny’ refers to a person’s ability to be at the same time aggressive and nurturant, sensitive and rigid, dominant and submissive, regardless of gender. Beware of stereotyping: they may not fit the ‘HR format’.

rebellious & traditional Creative people are generally thought to be rebellious and independent. However, to develop something new one must have internalized the domain, so it is difficult to see how a person can be creative without being both traditional and conservative and also rebellious and iconoclastic. Being only traditional leaves the domain/paradigm unchanged; whereas rebelliousness creates the new with respect for the old. Appearances may be deceptive, don’t force office rules on them.

passionate & objective The energy created by this conflict between attachment and detachment is seen by many as an important aspect of their work. Why? Without the passion, we soon lose interest in the task. Yet without objectivity the work is not very good and lacks credibility. No artist is satisfied with the first version... There is a delicate balance between pressure and objectivity, create the organization ‘around’ this.

vulnerable & enjoyment The openness and sensitivity often exposes them to suffering and pain yet also a great deal of enjoyment. Divergent thinking is often regarded as deviant. “Inventors have a low threshold of pain.” things bother them.. Being at the forefront of a discipline makes you exposed and vulnerable. Eminence invites criticism and attack. Still the most outstanding trait in creative individuals is the ability to enjoy the process of creation for its own sake. The reward seems to be in the creative search. Celebrate success and provide protection from outsiders.

The reward is the love for creating ”Wisdom knows that all things will pass; that suffering is a part of life; that life is a meaningful spiritual journey; that renouncing love for power, wealth and fame is a destructive choice based on fear; that love is the mystery we learn a little more about each time we risk pain by opening our heart to something or someone; and that change is inevitable.”.... Jean Shinoda Bolen

"Unclose your mind. You are not a prisoner. You are a bird in flight, searching the skies for dreams." Haruki Murakami (Hard-boiled wonderland and THE END OF THE WORLD) For more on creativity go to /creativitykickoff.html