An individual’s creativity comes from the pure talent and personal skills, which does not always mean that it cannot be bettered. It is a process that is not scalable or measurable in any way, even when many studies have been done to define what creativity is. Here are 10 Scientifically Proven Facts about Creativity that may sound absurd or untrue, but are in fact, very much real.
10 Scientifically Proven Facts About Creativity
Creative people are more willing
People who are creative in nature are said to be more willing to do things and take up tasks. Creative people are generally okay with the idea of deviating from norms in order to create something new. This ability gives them another advantage of being spontaneous and taking up new challenges. They are more willing to do the things that other people might hesitate on and finish them with precision.
Meditation, Travelling, and Vodka boosts creativity
It is proven through various studies that a calm mind works well in any situation. Meditation helps in reaching that level of calmness. It soothes the brain and clears out unnecessary thoughts and ideas that may block or interfere with the creative process. Traveling helps in finding out about new places, thus exposing you to various other cultures, people, foods, aesthetics, etc. This brings in new, fresh ideas. There was a study that proved that a small amount of alcohol, that is one or two glasses at the most can help boost creativity. The study was done with different groups of individuals who were given alcohol in carrying quantities, and they were judged on their problem-solving skills. The people who had a small amount of alcohol were comparatively more creative in their problem-solving techniques as compared to the other individuals, even the ones that had not consumed any alcohol.
Everyone is Ordinarily Creative
Creativity does not always refer to painting a huge masterpiece or writing a best-selling novel etc. Some humans are more creative than others in the simplest things in life. It is said that every individual requires some level of ordinary creativity to go through with their normal, everyday tasks. It can simply include doing household chores in an effective way, such as cooking a meal and simultaneously making a list of groceries that need to be restocked, or simply cleaning your room and arranging things in a way that is more accessible to you, etc. All of these, the smallest of tasks require creativity.
Treating Creativity as a Process and not a Goal results in a better outcome
People are proven to be more creative when they treat doing the task as a process of doing it, instead of rushing through it to get to an end. For instance, someone recording a song at a deadline to win a competition may sound rushed, and might not make any sense. While this may end up resulting in a song, it would not be as good as a song the same individual could have made with more time. Creativity requires time and may seem bland or boring if it comes out rushed and on a time limit.
Napping Boosts Creativity
It is scientifically proven that napping regularly for short intervals of time helps boost the creative process. What it does is, that our minds are at their calmest state when we are asleep, and as we rest, the mind refreshes in that while. This helps with connecting things together, finding out the relation between two things, reviewing and reviving old thoughts and ideas, etc. Hence, there are many scenes in shows and movies about characters falling asleep and being woken up by ideas.
Incorporating Outer Elements brings about Inner Thoughts
There are certain rules and set norms in the world that we are living in today. Something is only labelled as creative when it is crossing or breaking these unsaid boundaries and rules. Hence, creativity requires one to have a strong sense of perception as it not only helps with taking in new ideas but also registering the pattern of already existing ideas. It is difficult to think out of the box if you are unaware of what the box is. It is important for the mind to register knowledge from the outside, and then work with it ahead.
Knowing More than One Language is Beneficial from a Creative standpoint
Bilingual or multilingual people are said to be more creative as compared to people who only know one language. This is because knowing more than one language means knowing the culture of more than one group of people. New cultures expose individuals to opening up their minds, and not restrict their thoughts to just certain issues. It opens up their minds to new experiences and they are not hesitant to do so.
Motivation helps with Creativity
All things, creative or not, require some amount of inner motivation to do. Even if it is the smallest of things, such as getting up from your bed, or taking a shower. These things can be achieved by motivation from within, but there are certain things where an outside force is necessary. This can be anyone, from friends, family, etc. By someone just saying the words “Be more creative”, you can start having some new thoughts. The brain accepts the word as a command and hence enhances the thinking process, resulting in newer, creative thoughts and ideas.
Creative People have Slow Nerves
This simply suggests that people who are more creative tend to be slow thinkers and take in information slowly. This does not always denote that all creative people are slow thinkers or that all slow thinkers are innovative. It was just found that creative people tend to have a slower thinking process. This study makes sense as creative people tend to absorb information better and process it well.
Dopamine increases Creativity
Several neurologists believe that dopamine boosts creativity. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter located in the brain. Positive reinforcement and motivational says are supposed to boost up the dopamine in our brain. This then affects creativity and increases it.
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