What makes some people more creative than others? Is it because they are raised in creativity-enhancing environments where they are encouraged to express their creativity by parents who themselves are creative? Then again, are creative people simply born that way? Is creativity part of their genetic makeup, inscribed in their DNA code, and, therefore, as inherent as eye color and shape of one's nose? In other words, is creativity the result of nurture or nature? Both? Or is creativity the result of something else entirely?
These are questions that psychologists and psychiatrists have been pondering and trying to answer for years, and through extensive studies, they have developed five major theories, each of attempts to explain the creative personality.
The Psychoanalytical Theory of Creativity
The main proponents of this theory include Freud, Jung, Kris, Rank, Adler, and Hammer; and the general argument is that people become creative in reaction to difficult circumstances or repressed emotions. For example, as Freud maintained, people repress memories of traumatic episodes or events, and the emotions related to these events are released through creative outlets.
The theory also argues the following:
- People are able to demonstrate creativity when they link the personal unconscious with the collective conscious.
- Regression precedes creativity.
- Feelings of inferiority contribute to creativity.
Arguably, however, other theorists maintain that the psychoanalytic theory lacks credence because it fails to take into consideration that people are both biological and social beings.
The Mental Illness Theory of Creativity
The proponents of this theory include Briggs, Eisenman, Goodwin, Jamison, Richards, and Martindale; and the major tenet is that some type of mental illness is actually necessary in order for people to be creative, even if that illness is exceptionally mild.
Studies have shown that the mental disorders most frequently associated with increased creativity are bipolar and manic-depressive syndromes, where sufferers undergo extreme mood swings that perhaps contribute to enhanced creative expression.
Of course, it’s interesting to note that many other theorists argue that mental illness actually interferes with and even prevents creativity and while, granted, some highly creative individuals do suffer from some form of mental disorder, the majority of highly creative individuals do not suffer from any form of mental disorder at all.
Eysenck’s Theory of Psychoticism
The main proponent of this theory was the late Hans Eysenck, who argued that highly creative individuals possessed a quality termed "psychoticism" – a disposition for psychotic tendencies. Eysenck also maintained that these psychotic tendencies were the foundation for creative personalities, and he developed a word-association test to measure a person’s psychoticism, with results correlated to form a continuum, ranging from psychotic through average and from conventional to highly social to altruistic.
Other theorists, however, for example, Rothenburg, disagreed with Eysenck and argued that his theory relied too heavily upon the results of the test he himself developed and, more seriously, that Eysenck had designed the test specifically to support his theory, which invalidated the results.
The Addiction Theory of Creativity
The main proponents of this theory are Lapp, Collins, Izzo, Norlander, Gustafson, and Wallas; and its major tenet is that addiction, for example, to drugs and/or alcohol, contributes to and even causes creativity.
This theory, however, is not largely supported by the mainstream research community, but instead by independent researchers, as well as by some creative personalities who themselves suffer from addiction problems. In fact, Lapp, Collins, and Izzo conducted a placebo study with 114 male volunteers, giving half tonic water and half vodka, and found that the amount of alcohol consumed did not increase a person’s creativity. (Dacey & Lennon, 1998)
On the other hand, it is interesting to note that the members of the study who simply thought they were intoxicated were the most creative of the entire group; and, in brief, although theorists have found there is often a correlation between addictive behavior and creativity, studies have not supported the argument that addiction either causes or contributes to creativity. (Dacey &Lennon, 1998)
The Humanistic Theory of Creativity
The main supporters of this theory include Maslow, Rogers, and Fromm, though the theory is based mainly upon
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, a theory he developed, which maintains that humans have six basic needs that must be met in order for them to thrive and reach maximum potential.
People’s lower needs, however, must be met in order for them to progress to the next highest level, and only upon reaching the uppermost level, self-actualization, where needs are related to purpose and identify, are they at last free enough and comfortable enough to express themselves creatively.
The supporters of this theory argue that environment is unimportant because even the most difficult of environments cannot hinder creativity if someone possesses the ability to self-actualize and, thus, obtain the highest level, where he or she can choose to be creative. In other words, people decide for themselves whether or not they will be creative.
It's interesting to note that the Humanistic Theory is the one theory with which few people find fault, perhaps because it makes perfect sense that a person cannot concentrate upon creative endeavors unless his or her most basic and primal needs have first been met. (Harman & Rheingold, 1994)
In conclusion, debate over what exactly makes one person more creative than another continues and most likely will continue for years to come because while there are many plausible hypotheses, there are yet no definitive answers and possibly never will be to explain the enigma known as the creative personality.
References:
Dacey, J., Lennon, K. (1998) Understanding Creativity: The Interplay of Biological, Psychological, and Social Factors. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass
Harman, W. & Rheingold, H. (1994) Higher Creativity: Liberating the Unconscious for Breakthrough Insights. New York: St. Martin Press
Photo by Tony Fisher: http://www/flickr.com/photos/tonythemisfit/3111558918/
