Creativity is a skill, just like arithmetic or writing. Anyone can learn to be more creative, and those who are skilled can use their creativity to great effect. There are many jobs out there that demand a certain level of creative thinking, and some that don’t. For instance, a doctor or lawyer might have to solve health or legal problems, respectively, but they aren’t really expected to come up with new ideas or approaches to solve those problems. In general, though, if you have an inventive or creative mind, there are many careers out there that you can pursue to the benefit of humanity.
The Limitations Of Science
Science is, in a sense, the opposite of creativity. When you perform an experiment or study, you are, in a sense, asking someone to “play” and come up with solutions that you, as the experimenter, have prepared for them. Naturally, this is a very different mindset from that of someone who is entering the field for the first time, with no constraints other than their own imagination. The more that you know about the subject matter that you are studying, the more creative you can be in approaching a solution. This is one of the reasons that professors and lecturers have such a broad impact on the students that they teach – they can stimulate the students’ minds to come up with new ideas and approaches, which might later benefit mankind.
What Is Creativity?
Just because someone is creative doesn’t mean that all of their work is original and unique. There are many famous cases of “genius” in history, where an individual has produced work that is truly groundbreaking and unique, but that individual also had to be highly creative in order to produce such incredible work. To give you an example, when Michelangelo was working on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, he had to be creative in order to come up with the mathematics that he needed in order to produce the level of detail that he did. Without that mathematical background, it would have been impossible for him to complete the painting, and it is still considered one of the greatest artistic achievements in history.
“Genius” is sometimes used interchangeably with “creativity”, but these two concepts are very different. Someone who is considered to be a genius might have many original ideas and be highly creative in their work, but the ideas that they come up with might not be that original after all. If someone is truly creative, it means that they come up with completely new concepts and ideas that haven’t been thought of before. Someone who is considered to be a genius might have that original spark of an idea, but they have to be creative in order to bring that idea to life. It is important to note here that the definition of “genius” can vary from person to person, but it is always based, at least in part, on originality and creativity. If you are interested in pursuing a career in creative writing, it is important to fully understand what it means – do you have what it takes to be a genius?
The Creative Writing Brain
Now that we know what “creativity” and “genius” mean, we can discuss the part of the brain that is responsible for the creation of original ideas and artistry. While there is no specific center in the brain that is responsible for creativity, there are several regions that influence it. These regions include the hippocampus, the frontal cortex, and the striatum. Let’s take a look at each of these in turn.
The Hippocampus
The hippocampus is a small part of the brain located near the roof of the braincase. It is important in the creation of long-term memories, and it often serves as the “storage” area for facts and figures that the brain processes at any given moment. If you remember any of your middle school or high school French, you probably have a lot of information stored in your hippocampus regarding the French language. In general, the hippocampus works together with the other parts of the brain to form a memory center that is based on originality and creativity, as we discussed above. It is not unusual for people who have damage to this part of the brain to lose their ability to be creative, or for those who are already inclined to be creative to develop problems with their short-term memory.
The Frontal Cortex
The frontal cortex is where your brain’s “executive functions” are located. This includes your ability to focus, plan, organize, and abstract. All of these are necessary when it comes to being creative, so it is no surprise that the frontal cortex is also where creativity is located. Damage to this part of the brain can lead to serious problems with creativity, especially when it comes to novel or unique ideas. The frontal cortex also helps regulate both your body’s temperature and your mood, so it is not surprising that this area of the brain is closely connected to both of those as well.
The Striatum
The striatum is the part of the brain that receives input from the other two, and it processes that information based on past experience. The striatum is important in the formation of habits, and being creative involves a lot of change and exploration, which are both excellent opportunities for the brain to form new habits. The striatum is also where dopamine, a neurotransmitter that encourages brain cells to grow and connect with one another, is produced. Dopamine helps to regulate your mood, so it is no surprise that people with problems in this area of the brain often experience issues with depression and anxiety.
Now that you know the three areas of the brain most closely linked to creativity, it should be easier for you to understand why those three areas of the brain influence the way that you approach solving problems. While it is not necessarily the case, frequently those who are creative tend to be more optimistic about the world, and that optimism often translates into a positive outlook, even in the face of adversity. This positive attitude can certainly help the individual that is more creative to come up with new ideas and to overcome problems that might, otherwise, paralyze them.
If you are interested in pursuing a career as a writer, it is important to fully understand how your brain works so that you can approach each writing task with the right mindset. Even if you already have a head start, becoming a better writer requires constant effort and improvement. Luckily, the above discussion has given you a solid foundation from which to build.