Can Creativity Be Taught?

When you think of creativity, the idea of ​​a spontaneous inspiration comes to mind that has led an artist to create an extraordinary work. However, this ability is inherent to the human being, and although it sometimes arises naturally and spontaneously, it can also occur through an organized process. Therefore, the answer is yes, creativity can be taught.

The term was coined by Guilford more than half a century ago, and its definition continues to this day. According to this author, creativity refers to the ability to do something new and valuable.

This idea is applicable to any action of a person. Thus, one can be artistically creative, when solving problems, formulating a theory, etc.

Is it innate or acquired?

Few experts doubt that, to a greater or lesser extent, the ability to be creative is intrinsic to all people.

Many authors believe that, beyond the starting level or genetic predisposition, we have opportunities to learn to be original, flexible or sensitive, fundamental skills for creativity. Thus, creativity would be sensitive to experience and would be motivated and reinforced by the challenges that one encounters.

Other authors, on the other hand, defend that all children are creative by nature. It is known that children go through a stage between 3 and 5 years of constant questioning and divergent thinking. It is a phase of enormous creativity, in which with the appropriate climate and reinforcement it could be sustained for life. That is, for these other authors, creativity is born, but the problem is that over the years it is lost.

Be that as it may, and even if it is a complex process, creativity can be trained ; on the other hand, everything that can be learned can be taught. For this, the fundamental thing is to develop creative attitudes (imagination, curiosity, criticism …), in addition to self-confidence, proactivity, tolerate frustration and persevere in achievement.

According to experts, teaching creativity should take into account the following aspects:

• It must be taught from the interests of the individual and taking into account their capabilities.
• Simulation, query, and discovery methods must be used.
• The imagination and curiosity must be stimulated in a basic form throughout education.
• It has to encourage the integrated use of different materials, ideas, methods and media.

• You have to explore, investigate and experiment. Basically, finding new challenges and discovering needs and resources.
• It must promote self-assessment and self-criticism, in order to determine if the result is useful and valuable.
• Acquisition of specific knowledge useful for the creative process.
• It must teach that creativity is determined by motivation and effort.
• You have to train basic skills such as language, problem solving, and goal orientation.
• Encourage confidence and the expression of one’s own ideas.
• And, of course, it has to provide opportunities to launch creative processes, balanced in freedom and structure.

What prevents you from being creative?

In addition to teaching creativity through a series of guidelines, it is important to note that there are other factors that can hinder creativity.

On the one hand, the experience of people may have reinforced or taught schemes in which other ways of acting or expression are not valid. A convergent thinking in which things can only be done in a certain way. In this sense, it is important to emphasize the importance of the result and the added value that following a more creative process can bring.

Second, extrinsic motivation is currently the most rewarded and reinforced, since it serves to adapt to an environment that follows closed and stable parameters. For example, getting good scores or congratulations from a superior. However, to promote creativity and imagination it is necessary to follow new paths, invent new options and for this it will be essential to find and promote intrinsic motivation.

Finally, the need of the human being to identify with a group of equals, leads to develop behaviors and attitudes similar to others. Therefore, to promote creativity, it is necessary to start from an education that encourages autonomy, allowing the development of attitudes and unique and unique traits.