creative by us

Greater Good Science Center • Magazine • In Action • In Education

Mind & Body Articles & More

Ten habits of highly creative people, scott barry kaufman and carolyn gregoire explore how to develop creativity as a habit and a style of engaging with the world..

What exactly is creativity? So many of us assume that creativity is something we had as a child but we lost, or something allocated to rarified individuals that we can only admire from afar.

But science has shown that, in many ways, we are all wired to create. The key is recognizing that creativity is multifaceted—on the level of the brain, personality, and the creative process—and can be displayed in many different ways, from the deeply personal experience of uncovering a new idea or experience to expressing ourselves through words, photos, fashion, and other everyday creations, to the work of renowned artists that transcends the ages.

Neuroscientists who study creativity have found that creativity does not involve a single brain region or even a single side of the brain, as the “right brain” myth of creativity suggests; instead, it draws on the whole brain. This complex process consists of many interacting cognitive systems (both conscious and unconscious) and emotions, with different brain regions recruited to handle each task and to work together as a team to get the job done.

The discovery of the “default network” of the brain—the part of the brain at work when we are not purposefully engaged in other tasks—is one of the most important recent discoveries in neuroscience. The default network enables us to construct personal meaning from our experiences, imagine other perspectives and scenarios, comprehend stories, and reflect on mental and emotional states—both our own and those of others.  It should come as no surprise then that the activity of this network—as we like to call it, the “imagination network”—also informs our most creative ideas.

The “executive attention” network of the brain is also crucial to creativity, however. Executive control processes support creative thinking by helping us deliberately plan future actions, remember to use various creative tactics, keep track of which strategies we’ve already tried, and reject the most obvious ideas. They also help us focus our imagination, blocking out external distractions and allowing us to tune into our inner experiences.

When we generate new ideas, these networks—along with the salience network, which is responsible for motivation—engage in a complex dance. Researchers have observed this cognitive tango in action through the brain scans of people engaged in their personal creative processes. Initially, their brain states resemble a state of flow or complete absorption in the task. The imagination and salience networks are highly active, while the more focused executive domain is relatively quiet. However, as creative people further hone and refine their work, the executive attention network becomes increasingly more active.

Creative people are particularly good at exercising flexibility in activating and deactivating these brain networks that in most people tend to be at odds with each other. In doing so, they’re able to juggle seemingly contradictory modes of thought—cognitive and emotional, deliberate and spontaneous. Even on a neurological level, creativity is messy.

So, what can we do to augment this cognitive flexibility? In our book, Wired to Create , we explore how to develop creativity as a habit, a way of life, and a style of engaging with the world. We present many paradoxes—mindfulness and mind wandering, openness and sensitivity, solitude and collaboration, play and seriousness, and intuition and reason—that contribute to the creative process. We encourage people to embrace their paradoxes and complexities and open up to a deeper level of self-understanding and self-expression. It is precisely this ability to hold the self in all of its dimensional beauty that is the very core of creative achievement and creative fulfillment.

Here are the some of the habits of mind we recommend to foster more creativity in your life.

1. Imaginative play

Observing children in imaginative play reveals a wellspring of natural-born creativity. When engaged in pretend play, children take on multiple perspectives and playfully manipulate emotions and ideas.

As adults, cultivating a childlike sense of play can revolutionize the way we work.

Research shows that hybrid forms of work and play may actually provide the most optimal context for learning and creativity, for both children and adults, and that play and intrinsic joy are intimately connected, creating a synergy that naturally leads to greater inspiration, effort, and creative growth.

Passion often stems from an experience or a relationship that moved us somehow and can lead to inspiration. It is often the emotional fuel that starts one down a creative path, but it’s only a start. People who fulfill their creative dreams over the long haul balance the excitement about the future with realistic strategies for getting closer to their goals; inspiration with hard work; and dreaming with doing.

When someone advises you to “Follow your passion,” use caution: aside from being one of the most common clichés out there, it’s not very helpful advice. You must look for passion that is in harmony with your authentic self and is compatible with your other activities. Passion to prove yourself to others will probably not result in creativity, as it relies on your avoiding challenges that would otherwise lead to growth. So, while you should be open to what inspires you, don’t follow passion blindly. Make sure it truly resonates with you and your skills.

3. Daydreaming

Creative people know, despite what their parents and teachers might have told them, that daydreaming is anything but a waste of time. A review of the latest science of daydreaming has shown that mind wandering offers very personal rewards, including creative incubation, self-awareness, future planning, reflection on the meaning of one’s experiences, and even compassion.

Idle though it may seem, the act of mind wandering is often anything but mindless; it can lead to improvements in creative thinking. So, the next time you’re working hard on a creative project or work assignment that requires intense focus and creative chops, try taking a five-minute daydreaming break every hour. Try engaging in a simple activity that will allow your mind to wander, like walking, doodling, or cleaning, and see how it affects your ideas and thinking.

4. Solitude

The metaphorical “room of one’s own” is a basic need for many creative people. Now, science has reinforced what the work habits of countless artists have demonstrated: Time for solitary reflection truly feeds the creative mind.

Neuroscientists have discovered that solitary, inwardly focused reflection employs a different brain network than outwardly focused attention. When our mental focus is directed towards the outside world, the executive attention network is activated, while the imagination network is typically suppressed. This is why our best ideas don’t tend to arise when our attention is fully engaged on the outside world.

It’s important to make time for solitude, to give yourself space to reflect, make new connections, and find meaning. Unfortunately, solitude is widely undervalued in society, leading many people to shy away from alone time. We tend to view time spent alone as time wasted or as an indication of an antisocial or melancholy personality. But the ability to enjoy and make productive use of our own company can trigger creativity by helping us tap into our thoughts and our own inner worlds. So, don’t avoid it…embrace it!

5. Intuition

Intuition arises from unconscious, or spontaneous, information-processing systems, and it plays an important role in how we think, reason, create, and behave socially. Over the past thirty years, cognitive scientists have made huge strides in demystifying the power of the unconscious mind, leading to the recognition of a dual-process theory of human cognition—or the “fast and slow brain” theory. Intuition is part of the fast brain system.

The fast brain is structurally more sophisticated than the slow brain. It helps us assimilate new information into our existing knowledge structures, and aids us in complex pattern recognition and in making unconventional connections that lead to more original ideas and solutions. The fast brain plays the largest role when generating creative ideas, while the more deliberate slow brain play a larger role when exploring those ideas and playing around with them, to determine their uses and applications. Both the fast brain and slow brain have a role to play.

6. Openness to experience

Openness to experience—the drive for cognitive exploration of one’s inner and outer worlds—is the single strongest and most consistent personality trait that predicts creative achievement. Openness can be intellectual, characterized by a searching for truth and the drive to engage with ideas; aesthetic, characterized by the drive to explore fantasy and art and experience emotional absorption in beauty; or affective, characterized by exploring the depths of human emotion.

Research has found that the desire to learn and discover seems to have significantly more bearing on the quality of creative work than intellect alone. So, if you want to boost your creativity, try out a new creative outlet or a totally different medium of expression, or take a new route home from work, or seek out a new group of people with different interests or values that you might learn from. Openness to new experiences can help increase your integrative complexity—the capacity to recognize new patterns and find links among seemingly unrelated pieces of information.

7. Mindfulness

While the capacity to observe the present moment without distraction or judgment is a vital skill for anyone who seeks joy and fulfillment in life, it’s particularly important for creative thinkers.

A large body of research has associated mindfulness —both as a practice and as a personality trait—with many cognitive and psychological benefits like improved task concentration and sustained attention, empathy and compassion, introspection, self-regulation, enhanced memory and improved learning, and positive affect and emotional wellbeing. Many of these are central to creativity.

However, for optimum cognitive flexibility and creativity, it’s best to achieve a balance of mindfulness and mind wandering. Some forms of mindfulness may actually work against creativity—specifically, those that encourage one to let go of thinking rather than accepting thoughts in a more open manner. Interestingly, open-monitoring meditation, which emphasizes tuning into one’s subjective experience, has been found to increase both the activation and the functional connectivity of the imagination network. So, try practicing an open-monitoring or nondirective form of meditation, and allow for constructive mind-wandering while also boosting attention.

8. Sensitivity

If we think of creativity as “connecting the dots” in some way, then sensitive people—those who have a heightened sensitivity to their surroundings and also an intensified experience of sensory input, like for sound, lighting, and scent—experience a world in which there are both more dots and more opportunities for connection.

Sensitivity can be both a blessing and a curse—leading to a greater intensity of experience as well as emotional overwhelm. Journalist Andrea Bartz wrote in Psychology Today that “those who learn to dial down the relentless swooping and cresting of emotion that is the almost invariable accompaniment to extreme sensitivity are able to transform raw perception into keen perceptiveness.”

So, rather than trying to harden yourself, you may want to harness your sensitivity into artistic expression.

9. Turning adversity to advantage

Experiences of loss, struggle, suffering, and defeat can be powerful catalysts for personal growth, creativity, and deep transformation. It is often through suffering that we learn compassion, from loss that we learn understanding, and from overcoming struggles that we come to discover our own strength and beauty.

Adverse events can force us to reexamine our beliefs and life projects, and therein lie their power and creative potential. After the experience of adversity, the mind is actively dismantling old belief systems that no longer hold up and creating new structures of meaning and identity. To make meaning of difficult experiences, try expressive writing , which research has found can lessen symptoms of post-traumatic stress and depression, while improving some cognitive functions, like working memory.

Interestingly, research has also found that extreme positive events—in particular, those that evoke feelings of awe, wonder, inspiration, and connection to something greater than the self—can also encourage creativity. Positive emotions build a person’s psychological resources, broadening attention, inspiring new thoughts and behaviors, and stimulating creative thinking. So, if you’re looking for a creative boost, treat all of life’s meaningful moments—the good and the bad—as potential sources of inspiration and motivation.

10. Thinking differently

Creative people are united by their unwillingness to abide by conventional ways of thinking and doing things. In choosing to do things differently, they accept the possibility of uncertainty and failure—but it is precisely this risk that opens up the possibility of true innovation.

The secret to creative greatness appears to be doing things differently even when that means failing. Especially during idea-generation phases, trial-and-error is essential for innovation. Dean Keith Simonton, who studies creativity, found that the quality of creative ideas is a positive function of quantity: The more ideas creators generate, the greater chances they will produce an eventual masterpiece. Doing things differently means you will probably do things badly or wrong; so expect that and don’t let caution get in the way of creativity.

Will following all of these routes to creativity mean you will become a creative genius? Not necessarily. But, when the artist is alive in any person, whatever his kind of work may be, he becomes an inventive, searching, daring, self-expressive creature. If we learn to embrace our own messy, creative selves, we give others permission to do the same. We help create a world that is more welcoming of the creative spirit, and we make it possible to find a greater connection with others and with ourselves in the process.

About the Authors

Scott barry kaufman.

Scott Barry Kaufman, Ph.D., is scientific director of The Imagination Institute in the Positive Psychology Center at the University of Pennsylvania. He conducts research on the measurement and development of imagination, creativity, and play, and teaches the popular undergraduate course Introduction to Positive Psychology. Kaufman is author of Ungifted: Intelligence Redefined and co-author of the book Wired to Create: Unraveling the Mysteries of the Creative Mind (with Carolyn Gregoire).Follow on Twitter @sbkaufman .

Carolyn Gregoire

You may also enjoy.

This article — and everything on this site — is funded by readers like you.

Become a subscribing member today. Help us continue to bring “the science of a meaningful life” to you and to millions around the globe.

• Bipolar Disorder
• Therapy Center
• When To See a Therapist
• Types of Therapy
• Best Online Therapy
• Best Couples Therapy
• Best Family Therapy
• Managing Stress
• Sleep and Dreaming
• Understanding Emotions
• Self-Improvement
• Healthy Relationships
• Student Resources
• Personality Types
• Verywell Mind Insights
• 2023 Verywell Mind 25
• Mental Health in the Classroom
• Editorial Process
• Meet Our Review Board
• Crisis Support

How to Boost Creativity

Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

Amy Morin, LCSW, is a psychotherapist and international bestselling author. Her books, including "13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do," have been translated into more than 40 languages. Her TEDx talk,  "The Secret of Becoming Mentally Strong," is one of the most viewed talks of all time.

Creativity is the ability to come up with or recognize ideas to solve problems, communicate with others, or entertain.

Creativity is all about finding new ways of solving problems and approaching situations. This isn't a skill restricted to artists, musicians, writers, or "right-brained" thinkers; it is a useful skill for people from all walks of life . If you've ever wanted to boost your creativity , these tips can help.

Commit Yourself to Creativity

The first step to increasing creativity is to devote yourself to developing your creative abilities. Do not put off your efforts. Set goals, enlist the help of others, and put aside time each day to develop your skills. For example, if you are interested in painting, schedule time regularly to learn and practice your skills.

Boost Creativity by Becoming an Expert

One of the best ways to develop creativity is to become an expert in this area. By having a rich understanding of the topic, you will be better able to think of novel or innovative solutions to problems. One way to develop expertise is by reading about creative people and listening to them speak.

Reward Your Curiosity

One common roadblock to developing creativity is the sense that curiosity is an indulgence. Rather than reprimanding yourself for following an internet rabbit hole, reward yourself when you are curious about something. Give yourself the opportunity and the time to explore new topics.

Rewarding yourself is important, but developing intrinsic motivation is also crucial. Sometimes, the true reward of creativity is the process itself, not the product.

Take Risks to Build Creativity

When it comes to building your creative skills, you must be willing to take risks to advance your abilities. Although your efforts may not lead to success every time, you will still be boosting your creative talents and building skills that will serve you well in the future.

For example, sharing your work in a creative writing course might feel intimidating. But the critique you receive from classmates and teachers can be invaluable.

Build Your Confidence

Insecurity in your abilities can suppress creativity, which is why it is important to build confidence. Note your progress, commend your efforts, and always be on the lookout for ways to reward your creativity.

Make Time for Creativity

You won't be able to develop your creative talents if you don't make time for them. Schedule some time each week to concentrate on some type of creative project.

Making time for creativity might involve saying no to some things that are draining your available time, or even choosing to let go of things in your schedule that are not bringing you joy. Sometimes, it might even involve asking others to help with tasks or take care of childcare and other household duties so you have some free time for your creative pursuits.

Overcome a Negative Attitude

Focus on eliminating negative thoughts or self-criticisms that may impair your ability to develop strong creative skills. Recognize these as roadblocks and work to overcome them.

When you find yourself dwelling on negative thinking, make an active effort to challenge those faulty ideas and replace them with more realistic or positive ones.

Fight Fear of Failure

The fear that you might make a mistake or fail in your efforts can paralyze progress. Whenever you find yourself harboring such feelings, remind yourself that mistakes are simply part of the process. While you may occasionally stumble on your path to creativity, you will eventually reach your goals.

Brainstorm New Ideas

Brainstorming is a common technique in both academic and professional settings, but it can also be a powerful tool for increasing creativity.

Start by suspending your judgment and self-criticism. Then start writing down related ideas and possible solutions. The goal is to generate as many ideas as possible in a relatively short span of time. Next, focus on clarifying and refining your ideas in order to arrive at the best possible choice.

As unlikely as this may seem, recent research points to dim light as a trigger for creativity. Darkness may free you from perceived constraints and encourage you to take creative risks that may seem intimidating in bright lighting.

Explore Multiple Solutions

The next time you approach a problem , try looking for a variety of solutions. Instead of simply going with the first idea you have, take the time to think of other possible ways to approach the situation. This simple activity is a great way to build both problem-solving and creative thinking skills.

Keep a Creativity Journal

Start keeping a journal to follow your creative process and track the ideas you produce. A journal is a great way to reflect back on what you have accomplished and look for other possible solutions. This journal can be used to save ideas that can later serve as future inspiration.

Use Mind Maps and Flow Charts

A mind map is a way to connect ideas and look for innovative answers to questions. Create a mind map by writing down a central topic or word. Next, link related terms or ideas around the central word. While similar to brainstorming, this technique allows for branching ideas and offers a very visual way of seeing how ideas are linked.

As you start to develop a new project, create a flow chart to track the project from start to finish. Look for various paths or sequences of events that might occur. A flow chart can help you visualize the final product, eliminate potential problems, and create unique solutions.

Challenge Yourself and Create Opportunities

Once you have developed some basic creative skills, it is important to continually challenge yourself to further advance your abilities. Look for more difficult approaches, try out new things, and avoid always returning to the same solutions you have used in the past.

In addition to challenging yourself, you also need to create your own opportunities for creativity. This might involve tackling a new project or finding new tools to use in your current projects.

Try the Six Hats Technique

The "six hats" technique involves looking at a problem from six differing perspectives. By doing this, you can produce more ideas than you might have had you only looked at the situation from one or two points of view.

• Black hat : Use a negative perspective. Which elements of the solution won’t work?
• Blue hat : Think broadly. What is the best overall solution?
• Green hat : Think creatively. What are some alternative ideas?
• Red hat : Look at the situation emotionally. What do your feelings tell you?
• White hat : Look at the situation objectively. What are the facts?
• Yellow hat : Use a positive perspective. Which elements of the solution will work?

Find Inspiration to Boost Creativity

Never expect creativity to just happen. Look for new sources of inspiration that will give you fresh ideas and motivate you to generate unique answers to questions. Read a book, visit a museum, listen to your favorite music or engage in a lively debate with a friend.

Use whatever strategy or technique works best for you. Do you enjoy video games? Research indicates that playing video games can help increase your creativity.

Consider Alternative Scenarios

When approaching a problem, ask "what if..." questions to consider each possible scenario. If you take a specific approach, what will the outcome be?

By looking at these alternatives beforehand, you'll be better able to develop creative solutions to problems.

Try the Snowball Technique

Have you ever noticed how one great idea often leads directly to another? You can take advantage of this by using a "snowball technique" when you are generating ideas for a project. If an idea isn't appropriate for your current work, set it aside to work on later, or implement it in a future project.

Frequently Asked Questions

Strategies that can help stimulate creative thinking include challenging yourself to think about things differently, engaging in leisure activities that reduce stress, having social interactions with other people, and taking a break from a task to go for a walk.

Give yourself time to be creative. Engage in hobbies and pursue the things that spark your interests. Allow yourself to daydream or imagine different scenarios. Perhaps most important, allow yourself the freedom to pursue different ideas and take risks. Not every idea will pan out, but the process and practice will help you boost creativity and develop a stronger imagination.

Franken RE.  Human Motivation . 3rd ed. Brooks/Cole Publishing Company.

Steidle A, Werth L. Freedom from constraints: Darkness and dim illumination promote creativity .  J Environ Psychol . 2013;35:67-80. doi:10.1016/j.jenvp.2013.05.003

Tilly M. How to create a mind map (+examples) . The Institute of You.

De Bono E. Six Thinking Hats . Penguin, Limited.

Blanco-Herrera JA, Gentile DA, Rokkum JN. Video games can increase creativity, but with caveats .  Creat Res J . 2019;31(2):119-131. doi:10.1080/10400419.2019.1594524

By Kendra Cherry, MSEd Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

10 Common Behaviors of Highly Creative People

Creativity is a unique blend of personality traits..

Posted March 27, 2024 | Reviewed by Davia Sills

• Creativity is a combination of several familiar behaviors.
• Creativity is not just for the few, but is available to all.
• Anyone can become more creative when they turn creativity into a daily habit.

Two old friends. A rainy afternoon. Vanilla lattes at Starbucks. Divergent conversations about life, the world, and the best tiramisu in town. An inquiry about my forthcoming book on creativity : “What are some of the characteristics of creative people?”

According to an article in Scientific American , “Creative work blends together different elements and influences in the most novel, or unusual, way, and these wide-ranging states, traits, and behaviors frequently conflict with each other within the mind of the creative person.” In essence, creative people have discovered that their creativity is a blend of diverse interests, influences, and behaviors—a combination routinely and systematically practiced every day.

10 Key Creative Behaviors

Interestingly, we all have one or more of those characteristics. We utilize several of them as children, and we become aware of others as we enter the workforce. The ultimate truth of creativity is that all these behaviors are available for those eager to improve or increase their “Creativity Quotient.” Let’s take a look.

1. Creative people search for possibilities rather than absolutes.

Creative people are uncomfortable with the status quo. For them, a creative life is one of options, opportunities, and alternatives. They do not always accept what others do; rather, they seek multiple responses and views. In fact, the most powerful question they routinely ask is the one beginning with the words “What if…?”

2. Creative people are dreamers—daydreamers.

Daydreaming, from a creativity standpoint, is a good thing. It’s not something we should prevent as we engage in intellectual tasks.

Having one’s “head in the clouds” is an opportunity to let our creative powers develop and flourish. This is mental play at its finest—a potent exercise in which innovative thinking is supported and celebrated.

3. Creative people spend considerable time outdoors.

Nature has the ability to evoke a creative way of thinking by making us more curious and able to embrace new ideas and by stimulating us to become more flexible thinkers. “Nature is the great visible engine of creativity, against which all other creative efforts are measured,” said Terrance McKenna in a talk in the early ’90s. “Nature’s creativity is obviously the wellspring of human creativity.”

4. Creative people are open to learning new things.

Their formal education is just a starting point, a foundation for additional educational opportunities. Creative people embrace a continuous learning process in a wide variety of fields—often areas having little to do with their occupational specialty. A teacher who takes a cooking class. An architect who goes on an archeological tour of Greece. A dentist who reads books about the history of China. An author who learns how to tap dance.

5. Creative people meditate and practice mindfulness .

Research reported in the Harvard Business Review demonstrated that just 10 minutes of meditation a day can increase our creative powers. The simple act of “taking time off” is sufficient to calm the mind and offer opportunities to create and innovate. The key is to make meditation and mindfulness a regular part of our daily activities—a commitment to find a quiet place and let our thoughts flow.

6. Creative people are independent.

They can make their own decisions and follow through on them. They don’t always need advice and counsel from others; they can think (and act) for themselves. They are comfortable taking on new challenges without the pressure of approval from others. Although they will work with others, they frequently consider their best work to be solo work.

7. Creative people are open-minded.

Open-minded individuals always embrace new ideas and new ways of doing things. They are often able to see the big picture because they furiously pursue all the unique ways of examining the details of that experience. They examine a variety of possibilities rather than simply looking for a single right answer. They like to try new things just because. For them, every new situation is a learning situation, not necessarily a means to an end.

8. Creative people are passionate.

They follow their dreams —traveling through new experiences simply because they offer new possibilities. They don’t always follow the beaten path but rather the road less traveled, the sights not seen. They find joy in their pursuits and are happy to share them with others. They are, in so many ways, optimistic explorers of the unknown.

9. Creative people are risk-takers.

They take chances. They examine the unknown—not necessarily because it will lead to something successful but rather because it’s new. They’re happy to move out of their comfort zone and play with new ideas. Most importantly, they are not afraid of failure because they see failure as a learning opportunity. Or, to quote Ralph Waldo Emerson, “People succeed when they realize that their failures are the preparation for their victories.”

10. Creative people practice creativity every day.

For creative people, creativity is not an occasional activity but rather a lifelong commitment. According to my forthcoming book (see References), when we make creativity a regular habit, we are “training” our minds to address all sorts of mental challenges.

It’s similar to running a world-class marathon. You have to run several days (actually, several years) in advance of the big event in order to be competitive. Without that day-to-day training, you jeopardize your chances of finishing. The same holds true for creativity.

One thing about the list above—there is absolutely no mention of intelligence or IQ. As shared in previous columns, high intelligence is not a prerequisite for creativity. Being very smart and being very creative may, actually, be two mutually different concepts.

What is more important—especially for those who wish to enhance their creativity—is to constantly pursue, refresh, and take advantage of the attributes above. Every day!

Fredericks, Anthony D. Two-Minute Habits: Small Habits, Dynamic Creativity (forthcoming book – Spring 2024).

Kaufman, S.B. (December 24, 2014). The messy minds of creative people. [Blog post.] Scientific American . blogs-scientificamerican.com/beautiful-minds/2014/12/24/the-messy-minds-of-creative-people.

Mckenna, Terrance as quoted in “Opening the Doors of Creativity.” Ask TMK (October 20, 1990) ( https://www.asktmk.com/talks/Opening+the+Doors+of+Creativity ).

Schootstra, Emma, Dirk Deichmann, and Evgenia Dolgova. “Can 10 Minutes of Meditation Make You More Creative?” Harvard Business Review (August 29, 2017).

Anthony D. Fredericks, Ed.D. , is Professor Emeritus of Education at York College of Pennsylvania. His latest book is In Search of the Old Ones: An Odyssey Among Ancient Trees (Smithsonian Books, 2023).

• Find a Therapist
• Find a Treatment Center
• Find a Psychiatrist
• Find a Support Group
• Find Teletherapy
• United States
• Brooklyn, NY
• Chicago, IL
• Houston, TX
• Los Angeles, CA
• New York, NY
• Portland, OR
• San Diego, CA
• San Francisco, CA
• Seattle, WA
• Washington, DC
• Asperger's
• Bipolar Disorder
• Chronic Pain
• Eating Disorders
• Passive Aggression
• Personality
• Goal Setting
• Positive Psychology
• Stopping Smoking
• Low Sexual Desire
• Relationships
• Child Development
• Therapy Center NEW
• Diagnosis Dictionary
• Types of Therapy

Understanding what emotional intelligence looks like and the steps needed to improve it could light a path to a more emotionally adept world.

• Coronavirus Disease 2019
• Affective Forecasting
• Neuroscience

Advertisement

The Drum Awards for Marketing - Extended Deadline

- d - h - min - sec

The most-awarded US ad agencies of 2021

• Facebook Messenger

By Sam Bradley, Senior Reporter

February 2, 2022 | 13 min read

Listen to article 4 min

The World Creative Rankings, in partnership with Twitch, is the definitive guide to advertising’s most creative brands, agencies and people. We’ve already revealed the 200 best creative agencies in the world and the best performing holding companies and agency networks . Now we turn our attention spcifically to the US.

Which agencies in the US lead the World Creative Rankings in 2022?

As part of The Drum’s World Creative Rankings – an original, industry-spanning effort to chart creative performance across the advertising world – our researchers have identified the best creative agencies in the US, including the in-house brand teams competing in tandem with them.

This year’s results see David Miami, FCB Chicago and McCann New York lead the pack, while in-house teams from brands such as Spotify have climbed the charts.

The best US ad agencies of the last 12 months

Explore the best-performing campaigns, agencies and brands in this year’s World Creative Rankings.

More from Creative

Industry insights.

• SUGGESTED TOPICS
• The Magazine
• Newsletters
• Managing Yourself
• Managing Teams
• Work-life Balance
• The Big Idea
• Data & Visuals
• Reading Lists
• Case Selections
• HBR Learning
• Topic Feeds
• Account Settings
• Email Preferences

Train Your Brain to Be More Creative

• Bas Korsten

How to get those ideas flowing.

Creativity isn’t inherent. You have to hone it. Here are a few ways to do that, based on neuroscience.

• Engage with nature: Looking at trees and leaves, instead of our electronic devices, reduces our anxiety, lowers our heart rates, soothes us, and allows our brains to make connections more easily.
• Meditate: Meditation clears our minds of jumbled thoughts, and gives our brains the space to observe and reflect, improving task concentration and enhancing our ability to make smart decisions.
• Get moving: Exercising releases endorphins – chemicals our body produces to relieve stress and pain. And when we are less stressed, our brains venture into more fruitful territory.
• Connect with different kinds of people: Diversity makes the brain work harder, by challenging stereotypes.

Where your work meets your life. See more from Ascend here .

I don’t do ruts.

• Bas Korsten is the Global Chief Creative Officer at Wunderman Thompson.

Partner Center

Popular Searches

• Creator Pass
• Creative Calling

See all search results

photo & video

money & life

self improvement

entrepreneurship

art & design

fundamentals

craft & maker

food & home

needlecraft

jewelry design

music & audio

• Photo & Video
• Money & Life
• Art & Design
• Craft & Maker
• Music & Audio

2,000+ classes ranging from fundamentals to advanced techniques.

• Free Photography Classes
• Fundamentals
• Adobe Lightroom
• Adobe Photoshop
• Adobe Premiere Pro
• Final Cut Pro X
• Post-Processing
• Adventure & Sports
• Documentary
• Family & Lifestyle
• Food Photography
• Glamour & Beauty
• Newborn Photography
• Portrait Photography
• Street photography
• Wedding Photography
• Aerial & Drone
• Mobile Photography
• Speedlights
• Videography
• Camera Guides
• Canon Tutorials
• Nikon Tutorials
• Sony Tutorials
• Money & Finance
• Self-Improvement
• Time Management
• Communication Skills
• Leadership & Management
• Business Basics
• Creative Inspiration
• Entrepreneurship
• Freelancing
• Online Business
• Social Media
• Color Theory
• Illustration
• Design Inspiration
• Design Projects
• Design Thinking
• Graphic Design
• Logo Design
• Adobe After Effects
• Adobe Illustrator
• Adobe InDesign
• Calligraphy
• Hand Lettering
• Mixed Media Art
• Paper Craft Ideas
• Scrapbooking
• Stamp Making
• Cake Decorating
• Floral Arranging
• Holiday & Party Crafts
• Interior Design
• Cross-Stitching
• Fabric Crafts
• Fashion Design
• Surface Pattern Design
• Upcycling Ideas
• Jewelry Design
• Marketing & Sales
• Audio Engineering
• Music Business
• Songwriting
• Sound Mixing
• Studio Pass
• Ableton Live
• Avid Pro Tools
• Electronic Music Production
• Guitar Recording
• Learn to DJ
• Live Sound Mixing
• Recording Drums

Home > art & design

What Is Creativity? Defining the Skill of the Future

If you’re a fine artist, writer, musician, photographer , or designer, you’ve likely been called a ‘creative person’ at some point in your life. Perhaps you’ve figured out a new idea to a problem at your small business that you thought was creative. Maybe you’ve been in a class, interpreted a piece of work in a valuable way, and the professor lauded you for contributing a different perspective or different idea.

Creative ideas emerge in many situations, careers, hobbies, and works. But what exactly is creativity?

What is Creativity and Innovation?

Creativity involves transforming your ideas, imagination, and dreams into reality. When you’re being creative, you can see the hidden patterns, make connections between things that aren’t normally related, and come up with new ideas. Creative ability depends on creative thinking which is part hard work but largely creative problem-solving.

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, the author of the book  “Creativity: The Psychology of Discovery and Invention,”  gives a pretty hefty definition of the word. He said, “Creativity is a central source of meaning in our lives … most of the things that are interesting, important, and human are the results of creativity… [and] when we are involved in it, we feel that we are living more fully than during the rest of life.”

We are all born creative. Learn how to discover your inner creator and start on your own creative journey with out CEO / founder Chase Jarvis.

Aside from his book, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi is known for his  TED Talk  about the creative process and flow, also known as the secret to happiness. In his TED Talk, he says that when you are completely engaged with creating something new, such as writing music, you don’t even pay attention to how your body feels or any problems you may be having at home.

Referring to a person in the middle of the creative process Csikszentmihaly said, “He can’t feel even that he’s hungry or tired, his body disappears, his identity disappears from his consciousness because he doesn’t have enough attention, like none of us do, to really do well something that requires a lot of concentration and at the same time to feel that he exists.”

Is Creative Thinking Learned or Natural?

Human beings are born creative and then taught to be uncreative as they grow older. Just think about it: When you are a kid, there is an emphasis on art classes and “reaching for the stars,” and when you get older, you’re told to get real, take the straight and narrow path, and pay your taxes. Pursuing our creative potential tends to come to a hault when we grow up. Creative individuals don’t always have the most supportive environment in the workplace because they might be said to have unusual thoughts and lack the know-how for real business innovation.

Research proves that non-creative behavior is learned overtime. According to  George Land’s Creativity Test , young children are creative geniuses, and become less creative as they age. His study took a group of 1,600 five-year-olds and tested to see how creative they were. Ninety-eight percent were deemed creative geniuses, thinking in novel ways similar to the likes of Picasso, Mozart, Einstein and other creative personalities. He tested them again at 10 years old. That number dropped to 30 percent. By 15 years of age, it had declined to 12 percent. He gave the same test to 280,000 adults and found that only 2 percent were creative geniuses.

The good news is: If you consider yourself uncreative as an adult, you can reteach yourself to have a whole new mind (creatively speaking) and get into the habit of practicing creativity and innovation once again.

Aside from doing simple things like traveling to a new place, taking a walk, and engaging in a new hobby, you can also train yourself to do something new and  become an expert in it . It’s been shown that creativity in a certain area emerges after much practice. You also need to be open to new possibilities, remain curious about the world, and easily shake off mistakes. Employ these creativity measures and you’ll possess a great deal more of creative thinking soon enough.

You can also accidentally stumble upon creativity. According to one study, 72 percent of people have  creative insights  in the shower. Why? Solitary activities like showering, walking alone, and daydreaming get the brain moving towards a more creative place.

Creativity is like the force: It may have been in you all along. You just have to uncover it.

Who Is Creative?

Anyone can be creative. If you just dabble in painting, you’re no less creative than the person who makes it her entire career. While creativity was pushed aside because of the Industrial Revolution, it’s making a comeback amongst millenials in the information age, according to  Hillary Grigonis . In one study of people ages 18 to 35, it was found that millennials are more likely to try a wider range of  creative tasks  like building a mobile app or learning how to knit than their older counterpart.

Creative people possess certain traits or skills .  They are always asking questions, coming up with creative solutions to one problem, and exhibiting playfulness. They have heightened emotional sensitivity, are usually seen as nonconforming and are not afraid to be seen as different or exhibiting unusual thoughts.

As playwright George Bernard Shaw sums it up, “Some men see things as they are and say ‘why?’ I dream of things that never were and say ‘why not.’”

Are you interested in learning more about what creativity is? Enroll in a  CreativeLive class  today to exercise your creative muscles and design thinking.

Shop Related Classes

Workflow, time management and productivity for creatives.

Lisa Congdon

Adobe Illustrator CC: The Complete Guide

Jason Hoppe

Working Successfully with Clients: A Class for Illustrators and Designers

Kylie Ora Lobell FOLLOW >

Kylie Ora Lobell writes for brands, blogs, and print publications. She covers content marketing, digital marketing, and runs Kylie's Tips for Writers, a blog about writing.

You may also Like

How to replace colors in photoshop: video tutorial with ben willmore.

Color is a powerful tool inside any art, but photographers are limited to just the colors they see — or are…

Why You? A Personal Branding Primer with Debbie Millman

In preparation for her class on Personal Branding, we spoke with author, designer, and branding expert Debbie Millman about the importance…

Why Debbie Millman Says Being Busy is a Choice

Author, designer and podcaster, Debbie Millman talks about why it’s important to make time to do the kinds of projects…

The Ultimate Guide to File Formats

Do you know what type of file you need to make an image transparent? Or what about the best image…

Tomorrow X Together on new music, US tour: 'Never expected' fans to show 'this much love'

Members of Tomorrow X Together , the wildly popular K-pop group, have come of age during a rapid ascension in the music industry. Quickly after the quintet debuted in 2019, they started winning top awards and peaking on both Korean and American charts. Last year, the group's third album hit No. 3 on the Billboard 200, they headlined Lollapalooza and won a MTV Music Video Award .

Since their beginning, TXT's music has kept to the narrative of a boy's journey through life. As the members themselves have matured in the spotlight, the process of growing up has been influential for the discography.

Just as people reach reflection points on the cusp of moving from one part of life into the next, TXT's newest release, " minisode 3: TOMORROW ," finds the guys contemplating their past and hoping for the future.

"This album is all about being reminded of the promises of the past and going on a search for 'you' who I shared a promise with," Taehyun, 22, told USA TODAY.

'minisode 3: TOMORROW' furthers Tomorrow X Together's narrative

This album is Tomorrow X Together's third under the "minisode" title. These releases have always been a bridge that connects the larger chapters in quintet's music.

As for "minisode 3: TOMORROW", it speaks about life and reality, said Soobin, 23, the group's leader.

The new album references Tomorrow X Together's prior moments, highlighting how nostalgia intersects with growth.

"We had a look back on some of the lyrics of our past songs and the music videos like ' Nap of a star '," said Taehyun. Lyrics in the lead single "Deja Vu" also give nods to some of the group's first singles " 9 and Three Quarters (Run Away) " and " CROWN ".

With this album, the members wanted to capture their unique identifying quality: Storytelling.

Interview: Tomorrow X Together on 'The Name Chapter: Freefall,' growth and being a 'consolation' to MOA

Understanding Tomorrow X Together's creative process

Over the years, the members have become more involved in the creative process, said Hueningkai, 21. "As we try and channel our honest, personal stories into the album, I think it helps me realize more and more who I am as an artist."

The members have become more ambitious when it comes to sharing their perspectives within their songs. "Rather than drawing inspiration from an outside source, I think it provided us with an opportunity to look back on our own lives," said Soobin.

"It's a crucial part that we cannot miss out on in order to make sure our stories more compelling and convincing," said Taehyun.

In particular " Deja Vu " is full of impact, said Beomgyu, 23, exhibiting "how much we've grown and how far we've come." The song infuses rage and emo rock, underscoring TXT's versatile sonic range.

Tomorrow X Together US tour, reflecting on debut anniversary

In support the latest release, TXT is set to embark on its third US tour May 14. The group will be performing in eight cities including Los Angeles, New York City and Washington D.C.

The members are looking forward to seeing their fans and visiting cities they haven't been to yet. As for the shows, Beomgyu said there's "so much in store," adding, "I'm excited to show you guys what we have prepared."

Exclusive: Tomorrow X Together talk new music, proudest moment and go-to Five Guys order

The group celebrated its half-decade anniversary March 4. The last five years have been filled with many accomplishments and accolades. Stand-outs included performing at stadiums for Soobin to attending and performing at the MTV VMAs for Beomgyu.

For Yeonjun, 24, he is thankful the members have made it safely to this point and he hopes to continue this in the future.

"The most important thing would be that we will still be together all the members and our beloved MOA," said Yeonjun. "My hope is that a decade into our debut, we would still be dancing and singing in front of our fans together."

On theme with "minisode 3: TOMORROW" and its reflection of the past, the members are proud of how far they have come.

"I never expected that I would end up receiving this much love and I think it's a huge blessing and I'm so grateful for that," said Yeonjun.

Creativity is a human quality that exists in every single one of us

Reasercher for Durham Commission on Creativity, Durham University

Head of Department in the School of Education, Durham University

Disclosure statement

The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Durham University provides funding as a founding partner of The Conversation UK.

View all partners

When you think about creativity, it might be highly creative people like Mozart, da Vinci or Einstein who spring to mind. They were all considered to be “geniuses” for their somewhat unique talents that led to global innovation in their fields. Their type of creativity is what’s known as “ Big C creativity ” (or historical) and is not very common in everyday life. Not all of us can create works of art or music or scientific theories that are new to the world.

But while we can’t all be Mozart, da Vinci or Einstein, many people do enjoy creative activity – through hobbies such as water colour painting or playing the piano. And these types of pursuits are often what people think of when asked what being creative looks like. Our finished pieces may not be comparable with the likes of the great masters, but often the process is therapeutic and the end result can be aesthetically pleasing.

On top of hobbies and interests, we all possess creative attributes that can help as we solve life’s problems and make decisions. It is this type of creativity that enables us to plan different routes to get to the same destination, or how to fit in a trip to the supermarket when our schedule looks full.

It might not sound very creative, but this aspect of creativity relies on our ability to consider options and assess their suitability, as well as how to make decisions based on personal prior experience or what we have learnt formally or informally. These examples are known as “ small c creativity ” or “personal everyday creativity”.

Creative outcomes

While Big C creativity is valued and celebrated, it is often small c creativity that has allowed humans to flourish over thousands of years. It sets us apart from other animals and it is also the type of creativity which can be fostered through our education system and beyond into the workplace.

Traditionally, research tells us that creativity has been largely associated with the arts. Our previous research has shown that teachers are often able to give examples of creative activity in arts subjects, but find it harder to do so when asked to describe creativity in subjects such as science.

But there is a growing realisation that opportunities to be creative are found across a broader range of subjects. For instance, engineering provides opportunities to be creative through problem solving, and history gives the opportunity to think creatively about why events happened, and what motivated those involved.

Research has shown that training teachers to ask particular types of questions can be one way to help support creativity across the curriculum. This is because generating solutions to problems and explanations are creative processes, and these are vital if children are to have a “ complete education ”.

Our research also shows how it can be more helpful to talk about “thinking creatively” rather than “creativity”. This is because people tend to see thinking creatively as independence of thought and a willingness to take risks and seek new perspectives. It is also seen as a way to perceive new relationships, make new connections, and generate new ideas.

Moving creativity forward

The Durham Creativity Commission is a collaboration between Arts Council England and Durham University that aims to identify ways in which creativity, and specifically creative thinking, can play a larger part in our lives.

We are working alongside people in education, as well as businesses and arts and science communities, collecting their views on creativity and creative thinking. We will also be looking across these groups to determine whether or not there is a relationship between creativity and mobility, creativity and identity as well as creativity and well-being. We hope to be able to show that thinking creatively can not only be encouraged and furthered in a variety of contexts, but can also lead to positive outcomes on a personal, social and economic level.

In a rapidly changing world, creativity is important for people and society on many levels – it can help to generate personal satisfaction and be important for economic development. This is why creative thinking must be a key priority in educational environments.

In the same way, creativity must also be recognised and encouraged in the workplace. Because, after all, it’s creative thinking that leads to problem solving and innovation in a range of areas.

• Teaching creativity
• Global creativity index
• Play and creativity

Lecturer (Hindi-Urdu)

Initiative Tech Lead, Digital Products COE

Director, Defence and Security

Opportunities with the new CIEHF

School of Social Sciences – Public Policy and International Relations opportunities

site categories

Zoe saldaña hopes marvel finds “a way to bring back” the ‘guardians of the galaxy’ even if she’s done with gamora.

• Maia Eyre Promoted To Columbia Pictures SVP Creative Development

By Anthony D'Alessandro

Anthony D'Alessandro

Editorial Director/Box Office Editor

More Stories By Anthony

• ‘True Detective’ Star Kali Reis Joins Amazon MGM Studios’ Chris Pratt & Rebecca Ferguson Sci-Fi Thriller ‘Mercy’
• ‘Road House’ Rocks Prime Video With Record-Breaking 50 Million Global Viewers

EXCLUSIVE: Sony Pictures has raised Maia Eyre to SVP of Creative Development at Columbia Pictures .

She will report to Sanford Panitch, President of Sony’s Motion Picture Group. 

Eyre most recently brought in and oversaw box office hit romantic comedy,  Anyone But You ,  starring Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell and which has earned over $214 million worldwide and has become a very profitable movie for the Culver City lot. 

Related Stories

Tom Hanks-Robin Wright-Robert Zemeckis Reteam 'Here' Gets Fall Awards-Season Launch

Sony Pictures Launches 50 Fast Channels In Europe Featuring 'Seinfeld', 'Breaking Bad', 'Bewitched'

Other films Eyre has worked on at the studio include the  Peter Rabbit  franchise, which has earned $512.7 million globally and the  Escape Room  franchise, which has earned $223.7 million globally.

Eyre is currently overseeing a sequel to the horror film franchise,  I Know What You Did Last Summer,  helmed by Jen Kaytin Robinson. That’s a cult fave from the 1990s which yielded over $165M between two movies with a direct to video title as well in 2006, I’ll Always Know What You Did Last Summer.

Originally from Canada, Eyre moved to Los Angeles in 2013 to attend the MFA Producer’s Program at UCLA. She began her career at Sony Pictures after landing an internship at TriStar Pictures.

Must Read Stories

Mouse house could be edging past nelson peltz in proxy fight ahead of agm.

‘Outlander’ & ‘Power’ Franchises Set For MGM+ In UK Following Lionsgate Deal

Two warner bros discovery board members resign amid doj probe, cieply: q1 was a bust for hollywood; will cinemacon bring some hope.

Subscribe to Deadline Breaking News Alerts and keep your inbox happy.

Read More About:

Deadline is a part of Penske Media Corporation. © 2024 Deadline Hollywood, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

• {{adobe-cc}}

This is Creative Cloud.

Whatever you want to make, Creative Cloud has what it takes to make it amazing. Get to know our family of creative apps for everything from photo to video to design and beyond.

View plans and pricing Start free trial

https://main--cc--adobecom.hlx.page/cc-shared/assets/video/cco/media_1167374e3354ef57f126fa78a55cbc1708ac4babd.mp4#_autoplay1#_hoverplay

https://main--cc--adobecom.hlx.page/cc-shared/fragments/uar/front-doors/uar-sticky-banner

20+ creative apps. Infinite possibilities.

Turn a selfie into a work of art. Make a movie while you wait in line. Design a logo for your business or your life. With Creative Cloud, there’s no end to what you can do.

https://main--cc--adobecom.hlx.page/cc-shared/fragments/cco/tabs-1-overview

https://main--cc--adobecom.hlx.page/cc-shared/fragments/cco/tabs-2-photo

https://main--cc--adobecom.hlx.page/cc-shared/fragments/cco/tab-3-design

https://main--cc--adobecom.hlx.page/cc-shared/fragments/cco/tabs-4-video

https://main--cc--adobecom.hlx.page/cc-shared/fragments/merch/creativecloud/mini-compare/segment-blade

https://main--cc--adobecom.hlx.page/cc-shared/fragments/cco/membership-perks

https://main--cc--adobecom.hlx.page/cc-shared/fragments/faqs/creativecloud

• International edition
• Australia edition
• Europe edition

Alessandro Michele announced as new creative director of Valentino

The former Gucci designer, a favourite of Harry Styles, will replace Pierpaolo Piccioli at one of fashion’s big luxury houses

Alessandro Michele, the former creative director of Gucci , has been appointed as the creative director of the couture house Valentino.

Michele stepped down from Gucci in November 2022 and the announcement ends much industry speculation about where he would go next.

The designer said of his new role at the Rome-based brand: “It’s an incredible honour. I feel the immense joy and the huge responsibility to join a maison de couture that has the word ‘beauty’ carved on a collective story made of distinctive elegance, refinement and extreme grace.”

Michele is to thank – or blame – for an era of kitsch, maximalism, gender fluidity, geek chic and unabashed kookiness. His Gucci aesthetic was the polar opposite of the quiet luxury that has prevailed in recent times. Harry Styles and Billie Eilish were fans of his designs at Gucci, which he joined in 2015.

Under Michele, Gucci’s revenues almost tripled. But his tenure wasn’t without controversy. Gucci was embroiled in a race row in 2019, after which a polo neck that critics said resembled blackface was pulled from sale. In the same year, a model staged a mental health protest during the brand’s Milan fashion week show. Wearing a high fashion take on a straitjacket, a model held up their hands, on which the words “mental health is not fashion” were written.

Michele will succeed Pierpaolo Piccioli, the much-loved industry figure, who stepped down from Valentino last week after more than two decades at the brand.

He will start his new job at Valentino’s HQ, near the Spanish Steps, next week. His debut collection for the house will reportedly be at Paris fashion week in September.

“Fashion is a magical thing, because the power of what we put on our bodies to go out in the world is what makes it mysterious,” he told the Guardian in 2022. “Without the life we live in them, clothes are just fabric.”

• Fashion industry

Most viewed

Cookies on GOV.UK

We use some essential cookies to make this website work.

We’d like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services.

We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services.

You have accepted additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

You have rejected additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

• Business tax
• Corporation Tax

Creative industry tax relief claims under SI 2003/282 regulations 3 and 10

Relief for creative industries — additional information and amendments to company tax returns containing a creative industry tax relief claim.

Company tax returns with a creative industry tax relief claim — HMRC directions under SI 2003/282 regulations 3 and 10

These directions apply in relation to the delivery of:

• additional information under paragraph 83WA of Schedule 18 to the Finance Act 1998 (‘additional information’)
• an amendment to a company tax return containing a claim within Parts 14A to 15E of the Corporation Tax Act 2009 which is required to be delivered by electronic communications under regulation 3(2A) of the Income and Corporation Taxes (Electronic Communications) Regulations 2003 (a ‘Creative Industry amendment’)

Is this page useful?

• Yes this page is useful
• No this page is not useful

Help us improve GOV.UK

Don’t include personal or financial information like your National Insurance number or credit card details.

To help us improve GOV.UK, we’d like to know more about your visit today. We’ll send you a link to a feedback form. It will take only 2 minutes to fill in. Don’t worry we won’t send you spam or share your email address with anyone.

Fostering Creativity: 12 Strategies to Boost Creative Skills

It has also been called “ the skill of the future” (Powers, 2018).

This is partly because creativity helps individuals adapt to uncertainty and solve problems as they arise. Research has also suggested that creativity – as a component of the personality factor “ openness to experience” – is a better predictor of an extended lifespan than intelligence or overall openness to experience (Turiano, Spiro, & Mroczek, 2012).

For our own good then, it would appear creativity is worth cultivating. But can it be cultivated? If so, how? And what is creativity?

In the following article, we explore what creativity is and how personal creativity can be fostered. We discuss creativity in the classroom and workplace. We touch on creativity in art and music. We also note the intriguing connection between nighttime and creativity.

Before you continue, we thought you might like to download our three Strengths Exercises for free . These detailed, science-based exercises will help you or your clients realize your unique potential and create a life that feels energized and authentic.

This Article Contains:

What is creativity, 6 ways (+1) to be more creative, fostering creativity in the classroom: 3 tips, 3 steps for a more creative workplace, becoming more creative in art and music: solitude and collaboration, the link between night and creativity, positivepsychology.com’s resources, a take-home message.

Creativity can be defined as the ability to bring something original and valuable into the world.

Creativity can occur in almost any field. It happens in art and music, of course. It can also happen in mathematics, engineering, science, business, education. Anywhere there are problems to be solved or the mind seeks expression, creativity can be found.

Is creativity a trait that a privileged few are born with?

Not at all. In fact, research on creativity shows it can be fostered in anyone (Neumann, 2007).

Let’s take a look then at how creativity can be encouraged in any person.

1. Daily walking

Walking is the evolutionary basis for many human abilities. It is also known to foster creativity. As O’Mara (2019) writes, our ability to walk upright on our own two feet (bipedalism) has freed our hands and minds to create in ways no other animal can.

O’Mara (2019) holds that minds in motion are more creative. In one example, he relates that the Irish mathematician Sir William Hamilton had struggled for years with how to perform specific calculations in three-dimensional geometry.

Then one day in 1843, while walking beside the Royal Canal in Dublin, Hamilton made an intellectual breakthrough. He realized how quadrupled numbers or “quaternions” could be used to calculate not only in three but four dimensions (the fourth dimension being time). He quickly carved the formula for quaternions on a stone in the nearby Broom Bridge.

Since 1990, mathematicians from around the world have gathered for a commemorative “Hamilton Walk,” from his home in Dublin to the bridge where he carved his breakthrough formula.

Who knows what further mathematical breakthroughs might occur on this commemorative walk, sparked by minds in motion?

At Stanford University, Oppezzo and Schwartz (2014) compared individuals’ creativity while sitting to that when walking (including walking inside versus outside). Subjects were asked to perform various tasks requiring creativity while walking indoors on a treadmill, walking outdoors, sitting indoors, or sitting in a wheelchair outdoors as it was being pushed.

In one task, subjects were given three objects and asked to think of as many different uses as they could for each object. Overall, creative output was found to improve by about 60% when walking (either indoors or out), versus sitting. So, if you’re looking to boost your creativity, try going for a short walk – or a long one.

2. Set task limits

This idea is borrowed from an entrepreneur who called it “ embracing constraints” (Tank, 2019). This might seem counterintuitive at first. Doesn’t being creative imply being more expansive, letting one’s mind run free? Actually, setting strict limits can also foster creativity.

Tank (2019) cites the example of Theodor Geisel (Dr. Seuss), whose editor bet him he could not write a children’s book using only 50 different words. Geisel rose to the challenge, producing under this unusual constraint one of his bestselling and most memorable books: Green Eggs and Ham (Seuss, 1960).

So, consider setting some unusual limits for yourself. Whatever the activity, you might find that setting limits produces interesting and creative results.

Relaxation is known to enhance creativity. There are various proven ways to put oneself in a relaxed state. These include progressive muscle relaxation, diaphragmatic breathing, walking meditation, and yoga postures.

For example, progressive muscle relaxation has been associated with reductions in heart rate, anxiety, and perceived stress. In addition, relaxed states have been shown to foster thought processes important for creativity. For example, diaphragmatic breathing has been associated with improved attention, a key component in creative problem solving (Ma et al., 2017).

Furthermore, stress – the opposite of relaxation – is known to kill nerve cells in the hippocampus, an area of the brain where new memories are formed. These new memories help us make connections with other things, fueling the creative process. Stress management is, therefore, imperative.

So, take a break. Create a relaxed state for yourself by breathing deeply, stretching, going for a walk, whatever works for you. Once relaxed, you might find a creative answer to a problem that has been eluding you.

4. Collaborate

There is a famous image of the solitary genius, working alone in a lab or searching for a melody on a lone piano. But is the ‘solitary genius’ a myth? In a paper on collaboration and creativity, Uzzi and Spiro (2005, p. 447) note how collaboration can boost creative production: “ creativity is not only, as myth tells, the brash work of loners, but also the consequence of a social system of actors that amplify or stifle one another’s creativity. ”

Uzzi and Spiro (2005) argue that many of history’s great creators – such as Beethoven, Marie Curie, the Beatles, and Maya Angelou – were involved in creative networks in which members critiqued, encouraged and collaborated on each other’s projects.

So, if you tend to work alone and find yourself stuck on a project, consider seeking collaboration, for example, by discussing your project with another person in your field. You might find a new way forward on your project, with a little help from your friends.

5. Sleep on it

Artists, scientists, and other creative individuals have often described how sleep, and especially dreaming, helped them create new solutions to persistent problems.

For example, the psychobiologist Otto Loewi had a recurring dream that contained the design of an experiment. This experiment would later prove that brain cells communicate via chemicals or “neurotransmitters.” For this discovery, Loewi would share the Nobel Prize in medicine in 1936 (McCoy & Tan, 2014).

More recently, various experiments have shown how sleep promotes creative problem solving. One set of experiments suggested that in REM (dream phase) sleep, the brain replays memories to extract essential patterns or lessons from them.

In non-REM (deep or dreamless) sleep, the brain then makes connections between these patterns or lessons and other things we already know (Lewis, Knoblich, & Poe, 2018). We can thereby arrive at new solutions to problems that have preoccupied us during waking hours; as when, for example, James Watson dreamed of two intertwined serpents, leading to the discovery of DNA as a double helix (Conradt, 2012).

So, if your mind is stuck on a problem, try sleeping on it. You might wake up with your solution.

6. Genius hour

This tip for fostering creativity comes from a teacher who uses it in his classroom (Provenzano, 2015).

He calls it “genius hour,” but the period spent could be more or less than 60 minutes. The idea is to start a side project, something you are passionate about. The inspiration, ideas, and skills you develop in this labor of love might well translate to other, more routine projects, moving those forward in positive ways.

+1. Your creative tip

It seems appropriate that an article on fostering creativity would encourage you, the reader, to come up with at least one of your own tips in this regard. We invite you to think of something that has helped you foster creativity in yourself or others. Feel free to share any such suggestions in response to this article.

Allowing kids to develop their creativity from a young age will give them skills for a lifetime.

1. Value creativity

In the classroom, show your students that you value creativity. This can be done in many ways.

Encourage trial and error on tasks. Thomas Edison famously said, of different trials to solve a given problem, “ I haven’t failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work ” (Daum, 2016).

Sometimes, by finding what won’t work, you are led to what will, as when Edison tried hundreds of materials as microphone transmitters before successfully narrowing the choice to a small carbon disc.

2. Give it time

Valuing creativity also means giving it time in the classroom. Sarah Diaz, a kindergarten teacher in Spain, asserts that adequate time is crucial for creativity, especially for young children (Tornio, 2017). Consider giving students an entire class period each week to work freely on projects and materials they have chosen.

3. Write it down

Lauren Cassini Davis, a second-grade teacher, describes the effect on her classroom of handing out “Da Vinci” notebooks to all students (Davis, 2018). These are empty notebooks in which students are encouraged to write any questions, ideas, or expressions that occur to them, at any time during the day, on any topic, as Leonardo Da Vinci did throughout his long and creative life.

Ms. Davis relates how, within just one week, she was astounded by everything that the students had written in their notebooks. The notebooks were full of questions such as ‘How does your brain work?’ ‘Why do we have music?’ and ‘Why am I not a tiger?’ There were also poems, drawings of inventions, and comments about life in the classroom. These notebooks became a spur to all kinds of creative learning projects.

1. Break boundaries

In 2014, Steve Jobs and Apple unveiled a new corporate headquarters in Cupertino, CA.

According to Johnny Ives, Apple’s chief designer, this headquarters was meant to break down boundaries between offices and occupations.

The new Apple headquarters maximized common pathways and workspaces, allowing people to “ connect and collaborate and walk and talk” (Levy, 2017). It seems to have worked. In 2018, Fast Company recognized Apple as (still) the most innovative company in the world (Safian, 2018).

Fostering creativity takes dedicated time. We noted this above, concerning creativity in the classroom. It also applies to the workplace.

Google, for example, was known for its “20%” program. This program gave software developers and other employees permission to work 20% of their paid time on projects of their choosing. While Google eventually took back this 20% time, it was credited with spawning some of the company’s best products including Google News, Gmail, and AdSense.

Other companies have adopted various approaches to giving creative time in the workplace, with the consensus being that creativity is a business asset, and employees should be given time to explore and develop their new ideas (Subramanian, 2013).

3. Promote trial and error

According to business consultant Deborah Goldstein, creativity in business requires experimentation, and even failure, to be supported. She asserts that “ Experiments never fail. Even when the attempt fails, with the right mindset, teams learn priceless lessons to succeed in the future ” (Forbes Coaches Council, 2017).

In particular art forms, such as painting, work is often solitary. Artists need time and solitude to focus on the act of painting. Yet such solitude can be difficult to bear if not broken by social contact.

Jason Horejs (2020) writes of breaking the isolation that can occur in art. He cites the example of a female painter living in a small town in Montana. This artist speaks of how joining an artists’ group in her area helped her socially and artistically.

The group meets every Saturday to paint together. They regularly hold art shows with constructive critiques of each other’s work. They also have a group website with links to individual artists’ web pages.

Such collective pursuits have helped this artist remain inspired and creative, even when alone in her studio. In the end, it might be some mixture of solitude and collaboration that keeps us creative in art. What of music?

In his autobiography Testimony (2016), Robbie Robertson, guitarist and principal songwriter for The Band , describes how his band was used to creating songs.

Robertson often drafted songs on his own. He sketched “The Weight,” a classic The Band song, by himself in one night. Afterward, he would bring these song ideas to the group.

They worked in close company to flesh the songs out, in the basement of a large pink house in upstate New York. Their group creativity thrived on being able to hear each other’s musical ideas, moment to moment. It was also important for them to see each other’s musical cues.

Robertson then relates how during their first recording session for Capitol Records, band members were separated from each other in the studio. Partitions had been put up to better record the distinct sound of each instrument. However, the band members soon found that without being able to see or hear each other as usual, they lacked the organic sound that had so impressed Bob Dylan and other musicians.

At Robertson’s insistence, the studio partitions were removed. The resultant recordings went on to become the highly creative and acclaimed album Music from Big Pink . The Band had thus found the type of working and studio environment that facilitated creativity for them.

And Robertson had found the interplay between solitude and collaboration that worked best for The Band ’s material. Again, it might be a unique balance of solitude and collaboration that helps us be most creative in art and music.

As nocturnal (versus diurnal or daytime) types, we find the quiet of night refreshing and open with possibilities.

Some well-known “night owls” more inclined to working and innovating after dark include individuals as diverse as Winston Churchill, Christina Aguilera, Bob Dylan, Fran Leibowitz, and Barack Obama (Curtin, 2018).

Giampietro and Cavallera (2007) explored creativity in people inclining toward a nocturnal work schedule. They found nocturnal types scored more highly than diurnals on a task (Torrance Test of Creative Thinking) measuring creativity on dimensions of originality, fluidity, and flexibility of responses.

But take heart, diurnal types.

Plenty of diurnal individuals swear by such pro-daytime habits as rising early and are very creative in their own right. Apple CEO Tim Cook rises at 3:45 a.m., while Oprah Winfrey, Michelle Obama, and General Stanley McCrystal are also early risers, who swear this starts their day off right.

In the end, what counts most is finding the schedule – nocturnal, diurnal, or somewhere in between – that best suits your personality, circumstances, and creativity.

The following PositivePsychology.com worksheets might also prove helpful in fostering creativity.

• Visualize Success . This resilience-building exercise invites individuals to engage their creative thinking to visualize successful performance.
• Career Visualization . This exercise is similar to the previous visualization, and is designed to help individuals imagine in a detailed way how it would look, feel, and be to have the career they would like.
• Social Problem Solving . This exercise was developed to help individuals or groups apply brainstorming techniques when solving problems. Clients generate as many solutions as they can to a problem, emphasizing quantity over quality, then assess each possible solution in terms of effort required
• Designing Affirmations Worksheet . This exercise was developed to help individuals creating self-affirmations that can help them help them build self-esteem.
• If you’re looking for more science-based ways to help others develop their strengths, this collection contains 17 strength-finding tools for practitioners . Use them to help others better understand and harness their strengths in life-enhancing ways.

Creativity – the ability to bring something original and valuable into the world – is not reserved for a privileged few artists or intellectuals. We all have the potential to be creative. This potential can be cultivated by finding the specific means for enhancing creativity in a given individual or group.

Specific means for an individual might include going for a walk or engaging in relaxation exercises that enhance thinking and creativity.

Means for cultivating creativity in groups might include providing students or employees with Da Vinci-style notebooks for writing down ideas as they occur, designing workspaces that invite collaboration, or setting aside “genius time” for your students’ or employees’ creative pursuits.

In the end, we need to be adaptive and innovative in finding the means by which creativity is enhanced for a particular person, group, or situation.

We hope you enjoyed reading this article. Don’t forget to download our three Strengths Exercises for free .

• Clarke, J. (2018). Breeding ideas. Minds at Work. Retrieved from http://www.mindsatwork.com.au/innovation-2/breeding-ideas/
• Conradt, S. (2012, October 11). Creative breakthroughs people had in their sleep. Mental Floss. Retrieved from https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/12763/11-creative-breakthroughs-people-had-their-sleep
• Curtin, M. (2018, January 30). 7 things night owls do that morning people will never understand. Inc. Retrieved from https://www.inc.com/melanie-curtin/7-things-night-owls-do-that-morning-people-will-never-understand.html
• Daum, K. (2016, February 11). 37 quotes from Thomas Edison that will inspire success. Inc. Retrieved from https://www.inc.com/kevin-daum/37-quotes-from-thomas-edison-that-will-bring-out-your-best.html
• Davis, L. C. (2018, December 17). Creative teaching and teaching creativity: How to foster creativity in the classroom. Psych Learning Curve. Retrieved from http://psychlearningcurve.org/creative-teaching-and-teaching-creativity-how-to-foster-creativity-in-the-classroom/
• Forbes Coaches Council. (2017, December 21). 15 ways leaders can promote creativity in the workplace. Forbes . Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2017/12/21/15-ways-leaders-can-promote-creativity-in-the-workplace/#6d08235f58ef
• Giampietro, M., & Cavallera, G. M. (2007). Morning and evening types and creative thinking. Personality and Individual Differences. 42 (3), 453–463.
• Horejs, J. (2020, April 19). Working alone: Breaking the isolation that can surround the pursuit of art. red dot blog . Retrieved from https://reddotblog.com/working-alone-breaking-the-isolation-that-can-surround-the-pursuit-of-art-19-2/
• Levy, S. (2017, May 16). Inside Apple’s insanely great (or just insane) new mothership. Wired . Retrieved from https://www.wired.com/2017/05/apple-park-new-silicon-valley-campus/
• Lewis, P. A., Knoblich, G., & Poe, G. (2018). How memory replay in sleep boosts creative problem-solving. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 22 (6), 491–503.
• Ma, X., Yue, Z. Q., Gong, Z. Q., Zhang, H., Duan, N. Y., Shi, Y. T., … & Li, Y. F. (2017). The effect of diaphragmatic breathing on attention, negative affect, and stress in healthy adults. Frontiers in Psychology, 8, 874 .
• McCoy, A. N., & Tan, S. Y. (2014). Otto Loewi (1873–1961): Dreamer and Nobel laureate. Singapore Medical Journal, 55 (1), 3–4.
• Neumann, C. J. (2007). Fostering creativity. A model for developing a culture of collective creativity in science. EMBO Reports 8 (3), 202–206.
• O’Mara, S. (2019). In praise of walking: The new science of how we walk and why it’s good for us. Penguin Books.
• Oppezzo, M., & Schwartz, D. L. (2014). Give your ideas some legs: The positive effect of walking on creative thinking. Journal of Experimental Psychology : Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 40 (4), 1142–52.
• Powers, A. (2018, April 30). Creativity is the skill of the future. Forbes . Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/annapowers/2018/04/30/creativity-is-the-skill-of-the-future/#1ba564e34fd4
• Provenzano, N. (2015, June 25). Creativity in the classroom. Edutopia. Retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/creativity-in-the-classroom-nicholas-provenzano
• Robertson, R. (2016). Testimony . Knopf.
• Safian, R. (2018, February 21). Why Apple is the world’s most innovative company. Fast Company. Retrieved from https://www.fastcompany.com/40525409/why-apple-is-the-worlds-most-innovative-company
• Seuss, D. (1960). Green eggs and ham . Beginner Books.
• Subramanian, S. (2013, August 19). Google took its 20% back, but other companies are making employee side projects work for them. Fast Company. Retrieved from https://www.fastcompany.com/3015963/google-took-its-20-back-but-other-companies-are-making-employee-side-projects-work-for-them
• Tank, A. (2019, June 7). I trained myself to be creative by doing these nine things. Fast Company . Retrieved from https://www.fastcompany.com/90360673/i-trained-myself-to-be-creative-by-doing-these-9-things
• Tornio, S. (2017, March 3). Nine teacher-tested ways to encourage creativity in the classroom. We Are Teachers.  Retrieved from https://www.weareteachers.com/encourage-creativity-classroom/
• Turiano, N. A., Spiro, A., 3rd, & Mroczek, D. K. (2012). Openness to experience and mortality in men: Analysis of traits and facets. Journal of Aging and Health, 24 (4), 654–672.
• Uzzi, B., & Spiro, J. (2005). Collaboration and creativity: The small world problem. American Journal of Sociology, 111 (2), 447–504.

Share this article:

Article feedback

What our readers think.

I’ve found in my own creative career, that any activity that clears the mind of the daily channel fodder, a lot of it worry based, is essential to allow the juice to flow. An example being that if a life stress hits hard, creativity is impossible. Another base philosophy is maintaining the child’s ability to be curious, unattached/open and make it fun always. Through the eyes of a child. I’ve told many people I see they are creative and they always say “I cannot draw to save my life!” So I think what you have laid out is very useful as the first things to know. It takes away this mystery of being born creative. Well done. By the way I’m a night time creator, originally driven by a total fear of ending up in a factory after school, (fact) braved my way into Art College, committed to working my ass off and realizing that to be creative was mostly desire and great teachers taught you all the formulas for improving a scant talent as presentable work. I now “go” with the first idea that comes into my view/head, no matter what, then work it. Always make at least four options. The more you make the better you get, because your brain makes brand new connections every time you stretch a little. You grow confident re enforced by a passion that is FUN. I go daydream/meditate mode for an hour every night and it works wonders for me personally. I also add chats to myself or others, amongst that mode. For me it’s like an natural method of doing a factory mind reset!

Vassudeva (post on 27 November, 2020),

Thank you for your comment!

I agree that walking is a great technique for fostering creativity. I’m glad you’ve been inspired to walk daily.

It also occurs to me that such walks can be paired with journaling, in a “walk journal” that records any new ideas that came while walking. Probably best to write any ideas down immediately after the walk, so they don’t slip away.

Jeff Gaines

My Major Misconception is now Rectified!! Today I realized Creativity Can be Fostered in anyone at any age..Thanks for the Info. I am now starting to walk daily to improve my Creative Thinking. Various dimensions in which we can foster creativity is well explained. Will be trying-out in my work group.

Thank you for the feedback! I agree we are designed for creativity, even if trends in a given society work to keep us doing rote or mechanical tasks, toward someone’s else’s ends. But the creative potential is there, and I do believe can be cultivated.

loved the article…its a common misconception that creativity is the blessing only a few enjoy, I believe humans have been fundamentally designed for creativity….we just have very different expressions. Infact i have found trapped creative energy as one of the issues while working with those experiencing a low emotional state,

This such reach article with ample ideas for adults and school age as well … It just make you think the opportunities on embarking on creativity journey

Thank you for the comment. I’m glad you found the article thought-provoking! Sincerely, Jeff Gaines

Let us know your thoughts Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Related articles

Personality Assessments: 10 Best Inventories, Tests, & Methods

Do you coach or manage a group of vastly different people? Perhaps they respond differently to news, or react differently to your feedback. They voice [...]

What Are the Hogan Assessments? How to Interpret the Results

A company’s performance is built on effective individuals and highly integrated teams. Working and performing well together and employee satisfaction and wellbeing are crucial to [...]

How to Perform Strengths-Based Therapy and Counseling

Our strengths make up our wealth in life. We can hide them away, remaining fearful, or use and develop them to the benefit of ourselves [...]

Read other articles by their category

• Body & Brain (48)
• Coaching & Application (57)
• Compassion (26)
• Counseling (51)
• Emotional Intelligence (24)
• Gratitude (18)
• Grief & Bereavement (21)
• Happiness & SWB (40)
• Meaning & Values (26)
• Meditation (20)
• Mindfulness (45)
• Motivation & Goals (45)
• Optimism & Mindset (34)
• Positive CBT (27)
• Positive Communication (20)
• Positive Education (47)
• Positive Emotions (32)
• Positive Leadership (16)
• Positive Psychology (33)
• Positive Workplace (36)
• Productivity (16)
• Relationships (49)
• Resilience & Coping (35)
• Self Awareness (21)
• Self Esteem (37)
• Strengths & Virtues (30)
• Stress & Burnout Prevention (34)
• Theory & Books (46)
• Therapy Exercises (37)
• Types of Therapy (64)

Download 3 Free Strengths Tools Pack (PDF)

By filling out your name and email address below.

• Popular Professionals
• Design & Planning
• Construction & Renovation
• Finishes & Fixtures
• Landscaping & Outdoor
• Systems & Appliances
• Interior Designers & Decorators
• Architects & Building Designers
• Design-Build Firms
• Kitchen & Bathroom Designers
• General Contractors

Kitchen & Bathroom Remodelers

• Home Builders
• Roofing & Gutters
• Cabinets & Cabinetry
• Tile & Stone
• Hardwood Flooring Dealers
• Landscape Contractors
• Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers
• Home Stagers
• Swimming Pool Builders
• Lighting Designers and Suppliers
• 3D Rendering
• Sustainable Design
• Basement Design
• Architectural Design
• Universal Design
• Energy-Efficient Homes
• Multigenerational Homes
• House Plans
• Home Remodeling
• Home Additions
• Green Building
• Garage Building
• New Home Construction
• Basement Remodeling
• Stair & Railing Contractors
• Cabinetry & Cabinet Makers
• Roofing & Gutter Contractors
• Window Contractors
• Exterior & Siding Contractors
• Carpet Contractors
• Carpet Installation
• Flooring Contractors
• Wood Floor Refinishing
• Tile Installation
• Custom Countertops
• Quartz Countertops
• Cabinet Refinishing
• Custom Bathroom Vanities
• Finish Carpentry
• Cabinet Repair
• Custom Windows
• Window Treatment Services
• Window Repair
• Fireplace Contractors
• Paint & Wall Covering Dealers
• Door Contractors
• Glass & Shower Door Contractors
• Landscape Construction
• Land Clearing
• Garden & Landscape Supplies
• Deck & Patio Builders
• Deck Repair
• Patio Design
• Stone, Pavers, & Concrete
• Paver Installation
• Driveway & Paving Contractors
• Driveway Repair
• Asphalt Paving
• Garage Door Repair
• Fence Contractors
• Fence Installation
• Gate Repair
• Pergola Construction
• Spa & Pool Maintenance
• Swimming Pool Contractors
• Hot Tub Installation
• HVAC Contractors
• Electricians
• Appliance Services
• Solar Energy Contractors
• Outdoor Lighting Installation
• Landscape Lighting Installation
• Outdoor Lighting & Audio/Visual Specialists
• Home Theater & Home Automation Services
• Handyman Services
• Closet Designers
• Professional Organizers
• Furniture & Accessories Retailers
• Furniture Repair & Upholstery Services
• Specialty Contractors
• Color Consulting
• Wine Cellar Designers & Builders
• Home Inspection
• Custom Artists
• Columbus, OH Painters
• New York City, NY Landscapers
• San Diego, CA Bathroom Remodelers
• Minneapolis, MN Architects
• Portland, OR Tile Installers
• Kansas City, MO Flooring Contractors
• Denver, CO Countertop Installers
• San Francisco, CA New Home Builders
• Rugs & Decor
• Home Improvement
• Kitchen & Tabletop
• Bathroom Vanities
• Bathroom Vanity Lighting
• Bathroom Mirrors
• Bathroom Fixtures
• Nightstands & Bedside Tables
• Kitchen & Dining
• Bar Stools & Counter Stools
• Dining Chairs
• Dining Tables
• Buffets and Sideboards
• Kitchen Fixtures
• Wall Mirrors
• Living Room
• Armchairs & Accent Chairs
• Coffee & Accent Tables
• Sofas & Sectionals
• Media Storage
• Patio & Outdoor Furniture
• Outdoor Lighting
• Ceiling Lighting
• Chandeliers
• Pendant Lighting
• Wall Sconces
• Desks & Hutches
• Office Chairs
• View All Products
• Side & End Tables
• Console Tables
• Living Room Sets
• Chaise Lounges
• Ottomans & Poufs
• Bedroom Furniture
• Nightstands
• Bedroom Sets
• Dining Room Sets
• Sideboards & Buffets
• File Cabinets
• Room Dividers
• Furniture Sale
• Trending in Furniture
• View All Furniture
• Bath Vanities
• Single Vanities
• Double Vanities
• Small Vanities
• Transitional Vanities
• Modern Vanities
• Houzz Curated Vanities
• Best Selling Vanities
• Bathroom Vanity Mirrors
• Medicine Cabinets
• Bathroom Faucets
• Bathroom Sinks
• Shower Doors
• Showerheads & Body Sprays
• Bathroom Accessories
• Bathroom Storage
• Trending in Bath
• View All Bath
• Designer Picks
• Houzz x Jennifer Kizzee
• Houzz x Motivo Home
• How to Choose a Bathroom Vanity

• Patio Furniture
• Outdoor Dining Furniture
• Outdoor Lounge Furniture
• Outdoor Chairs
• Adirondack Chairs
• Outdoor Bar Furniture
• Outdoor Benches
• Wall Lights & Sconces
• Outdoor Flush-Mounts
• Landscape Lighting
• Outdoor Flood & Spot Lights
• Outdoor Decor
• Outdoor Rugs
• Outdoor Cushions & Pillows
• Patio Umbrellas
• Lawn & Garden
• Garden Statues & Yard Art
• Planters & Pots
• Outdoor Sale
• Trending in Outdoor
• View All Outdoor
• 8 x 10 Rugs
• 9 x 12 Rugs
• Hall & Stair Runners
• Home Decor & Accents
• Pillows & Throws
• Decorative Storage
• Faux Florals
• Wall Panels
• Window Treatments
• Curtain Rods
• Blackout Curtains
• Blinds & Shades
• Rugs & Decor Sale
• Trending in Rugs & Decor
• View All Rugs & Decor
• Pendant Lights
• Flush-Mounts
• Ceiling Fans
• Track Lighting
• Wall Lighting
• Swing Arm Wall Lights
• Display Lighting
• Table Lamps
• Floor Lamps
• Lamp Shades
• Lighting Sale
• Trending in Lighting
• View All Lighting
• Bathroom Remodel
• Kitchen Remodel
• Kitchen Faucets
• Kitchen Sinks
• Major Kitchen Appliances
• Cabinet Hardware
• Backsplash Tile
• Mosaic Tile
• Wall & Floor Tile
• Accent, Trim & Border Tile
• Whole House Remodel
• Heating & Cooling
• Building Materials
• Front Doors
• Interior Doors
• Home Improvement Sale
• Trending in Home Improvement
• View All Home Improvement
• Cups & Glassware
• Kitchen & Table Linens
• Kitchen Storage and Org
• Kitchen Islands & Carts
• Food Containers & Canisters
• Pantry & Cabinet Organizers
• Kitchen Appliances
• Gas & Electric Ranges
• Range Hoods & Vents
• Beer & Wine Refrigerators
• Small Kitchen Appliances
• Cookware & Bakeware
• Tools & Gadgets
• Kitchen & Tabletop Sale
• Trending in Kitchen & Tabletop
• View All Kitchen & Tabletop
• Storage & Organization
• Baby & Kids

• View all photos
• Dining Room
• Breakfast Nook
• Family Room
• Bed & Bath
• Powder Room
• Storage & Closet
• Outdoor Kitchen
• Bar & Wine
• Wine Cellar
• Home Office
• Popular Design Ideas
• Kitchen Backsplash
• Deck Railing
• Privacy Fence
• Small Closet
• Stories and Guides
• Popular Stories
• Renovation Cost Guides
• Fence Installation Cost Guide
• Window Installation Cost Guide
• Discussions
• Design Dilemmas
• Before & After
• Houzz Research
• View all pros
• View all services
• View all products
• View all sales
• Living Room Chairs
• Dining Room Furniture
• Coffee Tables
• Home Office Furniture
• Join as a Pro
• Interior Design Software
• Project Management
• Custom Website
• Lead Generation
• Invoicing & Billing
• Landscape Contractor Software
• General Contractor Software
• Remodeler Software
• Builder Software
• Roofer Software
• Architect Software
• Takeoff Software
• Lumber & Framing Takeoffs
• Steel Takeoffs
• Concrete Takeoffs
• Drywall Takeoffs
• Insulation Takeoffs
• Stories & Guides
• LATEST FROM HOUZZ
• HOUZZ DISCUSSIONS
• SHOP KITCHEN & DINING
• Kitchen & Dining Furniture
• Sinks & Faucets
• Kitchen Cabinets & Storage
• Knobs & Pulls
• Kitchen Knives
• KITCHEN PHOTOS
• FIND KITCHEN PROS
• Bath Accessories
• Bath Linens
• BATH PHOTOS
• FIND BATH PROS
• SHOP BEDROOM
• Beds & Headboards
• Bedroom Decor
• Closet Storage
• Bedroom Vanities
• BEDROOM PHOTOS
• Kids' Room
• FIND DESIGN PROS
• SHOP LIVING
• Fireplaces & Accessories
• LIVING PHOTOS
• SHOP OUTDOOR
• Pool & Spa
• Backyard Play
• OUTDOOR PHOTOS
• FIND LANDSCAPING PROS
• SHOP LIGHTING
• Bathroom & Vanity
• Flush Mounts
• Kitchen & Cabinet
• Outdoor Wall Lights
• Outdoor Hanging Lights
• Kids' Lighting
• Decorative Accents
• Artificial Flowers & Plants
• Decorative Objects
• Screens & Room Dividers
• Wall Shelves
• About Houzz
• Houzz Credit Cards
• Privacy & Notice
• Cookie Policy
• Your Privacy Choices
• Mobile Apps
• Copyright & Trademark
• For Professionals
• Houzz vs. Houzz Pro
• Houzz Pro vs. Ivy
• Houzz Pro Advertising Reviews
• Houzz Pro 3D Floor Planner Reviews
• Trade Program
• Buttons & Badges
• Your Orders
• Shipping & Delivery
• Return Policy
• Houzz Canada
• Review Professionals
• Suggested Professionals
• Accessibility
• Houzz Support
• COUNTRY COUNTRY

Creative By Design Remodels

Services Provided

3D Rendering, Backsplash Installation, Basement Remodeling, Bathroom Plumbing, Bathroom Remodeling, Bathtub Installation, Cabinet Installation, Countertop Installation, Custom Cabinets, Custom Countertops, Custom Kitchen Cabinets, Custom Pantries, Custom Walk-in Closets, Flooring Installation, Glass Block Installation, Handicap-Accessible Design, Home Additions, Home Extensions, Home Remodeling, Home Restoration, Kitchen Plumbing, Kitchen Remodeling, Laminate Flooring Installation, Lighting Installation, Linoleum Flooring Installation, Multigenerational Homes, Outdoor Kitchen Construction, Outdoor Kitchen Design, Project Management, Sauna Installation, Shower Door Installation, Tile Installation, Vanity Installation

Areas Served

Bellevue, Clyde Hill, East Renton Highlands, Eastgate, Fairwood, Fall City, Hobart, Issaquah, Maple Valley, Mercer Island, Mirrormont, Newcastle, Preston, Redmond, Renton, Sammamish, Snoqualmie, West Lake Sammamish, Medina

Issaquah home renovation

Custom design By Creative By Design Remodels

Modern Kitchen Design Bellevue

Bellevue bathroom

Business details, business name, phone number.

(206) 354-3568

www.cbdremodels.com

Issaquah , WA

Typical Job Cost

$30,000 - 500,000

License Number

creatdr880dh

22 Followers

Find me on Facebook Find me on Twitter Find me on Linkedin Find me on my blog or other site

Credentials

2 reviews for creative by design remodels.

Find Kitchen & Bathroom Remodelers to Help Get the Job Done

Read reviews from issaquah homeowners like you, easily contact trusted kitchen & bathroom remodelers, frequently asked questions, how is creative by design remodels rated, what services does creative by design remodels provide, where does creative by design remodels provide services, kitchen & bath remodelers near issaquah, professional categories in issaquah, related services.

BUSINESS SERVICES

Connect with us.