Types of Creativity: How to Foster Creativity

Creativity is the process that leads to the development and execution of something useful or original. Though many factors play into creativity, such as a body of knowledge and experience, cognitive neuroscience—the decision-making and problem-solving undertaken by the human brain during the creative process—also plays a role.

Creative thinking is a form of divergent thinking, a term psychologist J.P. Guilford coined in the 1950s. Guilford divided thinking into two categories: convergent thinking, which involves gathering facts to determine a single answer; and divergent thinking, or lateral thinking, which formulates multiple ideas from different sources. Brainstorming, which gathers as many ideas on and approaches to a creative problem as possible, is a form of divergent thinking.

Neuroscience professor Arne Dietrich further classified creativity according to brain activities. His research introduced a quadrant of creative types based on how the conscious brain conceives creative ideas.

According to Arne Dietrich, the four different types of creativity are:

1. 1. Deliberate and cognitive creativity. Individuals who exhibit deliberate and cognitive creativity are research-oriented and favor repeated experiments and investigations to achieve their creative goals. A part of the brain called the prefrontal cortex (PFC) allows for extended periods of focus and information-gathering that typifies this kind of creativity. Thomas Edison’s work on the light bulb, which required numerous trials, is a perfect example of deliberate and cognitive creativity
2. 2. Deliberate and emotional creativity. The amygdala and cingulate cortex regulate deliberate and emotional creativity, which combines a reliance on logic and facts with emotional sensitivity. Individuals who fall under this category favor quiet time, which helps generate random “a-ha” moments of clarity and creative inspiration.
3. 3. Spontaneous and cognitive creativity. A “eureka” moment, like the one that reportedly inspired Isaac Newton’s theories on gravity, defines spontaneous and cognitive creativity. Creative people in this category often need to shift their focus from the problem at hand and focus on different activities. At these moments, the basal ganglia of the brain activate unconscious awareness, allowing the PFC to draw on their body of knowledge and connect information. Solutions arise when an idea or external inspiration triggers the brain.
4. 4. Spontaneous and emotional creativity. Great artists—like painters, authors, and musicians—often meet the criteria for spontaneous and emotional creativity. The amygdala—which oversees emotional thinking—generates epiphanies, or sudden moments of inspiration, which allow them to see a situation from a completely new perspective. Epiphanies aren’t forced or manufactured but simply require patience.

There are many ways for all creative types to spark creativity. They include:

• Collaboration. Individuals who identify as deliberately and cognitively creative may benefit from working with others on a project. Collaboration introduces multiple ideas that often require repeated experimentation to determine their effectiveness. This information-gathering and emphasis on investigation speaks directly to this kind of creativity.
• Setting limits. Imposing rules or requirements on a creative project diverts the hard focus on solving the problem. The creative type must shift focus to meet the new limits—a key element in spontaneous and cognitive creativity.
• Walking. Exercise and relaxation reduce anxiety and stress, which undermine creativity. Getting outside also allows the basal ganglia to take over and let the PFC form new connections; for spontaneous and cognitive and spontaneous and emotional types alike, walking opens the door to inspiration.

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