Diferencial the Five Major Theories of Creativity

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The Five Major Theories of Creativity

There are five major theories of creativity each with its own unique viewpoint on what

creates creativity in people. These theories are Psychoanalytical, Mental illness,

Psychoticism, Addiction and Humanistic. In my opinion each of these theories has theirown merits.

The main focus of these theories is the “Person. Althou!h to some e"tent they may

#ranch out into Place $tryin! to understand the environment that creates these creative

people% and to a lesser e"tent Process.

The Psychoanalytical Theory of Creativity

Main Proponents of this theory: &reud, 'un!, (ris, )an*, Adler and Hammer

Major Tenets: The main tenet of this theory is that people #ecome creative as a reaction

to difficult circumstances and+or repressed emotions.

It ar!ues that people re!ress from their surroundin!s prior to creativity. As situations

#ecome difficult or they !o throu!h a traumatic event people pull #ac* from their

surroundin!s. They then rely on their creative side to find a solution to the difficult

situation or as an outlet for their now repressed emotions.

As such feelin!s of inferiority also contri#ute to creativity. Those with feelin!s of

inferiority are already in the re!ressed state and so use creativity as a way to feel

superior and move forward.

It theorises that creativity wells from unconscious drives. &reud said “nsatisfied

wishes are the drivin! power #ehind fantasies. It further e"plains that creativity is how

our pre-conscious and unconscious thou!hts are a#le to materialise. &reud defines

creativity as the a#ility to turn your fantasies into a reality throu!h a form of art that

defines creativity itself.

The roots of creativity are mostly unconscious and com#ine with the conscious in the

form of plannin! and production to produce a creative piece. reativity also has a social

aspect to it throu!h the use of colla#orators and naturally its audience.

&reud also ar!ued that creativity is a natural defence we develop to !uard a!ainst

neurosis. It leads to the development of sources of entertainment and pleasure for the

pu#lic. &or the artist thou!h it !ives us an outlet for our fantasies and feelin!s, ena#lin!

us to !et them out instead of allowin! them to fester inside. /e are a#le to condense and

displace our feelin!s.

Theorists of this school point to the countless case studies of psycholo!ical patients who

have had parents that are controllin! or critical and parents that stifle the patient0s

emotions, fantasies, spontaneity and childhood play. Patients who have had e"periences

that leave them with low self-esteem or feelin!s of rejection or a#andonment often

e"perience writers #loc*, sta!e fri!ht and a fear of failure. This in itself can lead to



further depression they ar!ue decreases our a#ility to #e creative. 1nce these issues are

addressed the patient then #ecomes a#le to e"press themselves creatively.

Opposition to this Theory: The main opposition to this theory is that it fails to ta*e

into account that people are #oth #iolo!ical as well as social #ein!s.

The Mental Illness Theory of Creativity

Main Proponents of this theory: 2ri!!s, 3isenman, 4oodwin, 'amison, )ichards and

Martindale.

Major Tenets: The major tenet of this theory is that for people to #ecome creative some

form of mental illness needs to #e present. This mental disease can come in many forms

and does not have to #e severe. In fact severity and levels of creativity do notnecessarily !o hand in hand.

The most common disorders associated with this theory are #ipolar, schi5ophrenia,

manic-depressive disorders or those that where sufferers suffer major mood swin!s and

levels of depression.

1ne recent study #y 6erhae!hen and ollea!ues show that when a person is in a

reflective mode they #ecome more creative, #ut this also opens us up to depression. If

you thin* a#out thin!s usually life events and you start thin*in! a#out it a!ain and a!ain

you #e!in to spiral into it. This is when a lot of creative people #e!in wor*, particularly

writers and artists. This however is often the first step towards depression.

Another factor that is common to #oth depression and creativity is sensitivity to your

surroundin!s. reative people particularly in the arts are sensitive to the colours, sounds

and emotions of their surroundin!s. This can lead to a depressive state as they dwell on

these feelin!s and other factors of their surrounds. A study #y Terence (etter of

7tanford niversity compared three !roups. 2i-polar Patients, depression patients and a

control !roup of !rad students. They found the #i-polar patients scored as hi!h as 89:

hi!her than the control !roup on creativity tests.

A study in ;9<< of =99,999 people with schi5ophrenia, #ipolar and depression and their

relatives found an overrepresentation of people of with #ipolar and schi5ophrenia andtheir relatives in creative professions.

7ome mood creativity research has shown that we are more li*ely to #e creative when

we are in a positive mood. This could #e used to ar!ue a!ainst the mental illness theory.

>epression and schi5ophrenia would then interfere with creativity however those with

#ipolar would e"perience improvements in creativity as they !o into a manic state.

Periods of reflection and depression coupled with an improvement in mood could #e

drivin! their creativity forward.

Those with 2ipolar I >isorder usually e"perience more severe mood swin!s to the point

that their artistic a#ility may in fact #e hampered. Manic episodes can !o too far and

even paralyse their artistic a#ility. Those whom suffer from 2ipolar II >isorder may



have many ideas come forward at once, have a faster thou!ht process and an a#ility to

ta*e in more information than normal. This can then all #e e"pressed artistically.

In addition 2ipolar disorders reduce social inhi#itions in much the same way as some

su#stance a#use ma*in! people more darin! and #old. It is many of these character

traits of 2ipolar disorder that many people associate with the so called mad artiststereotype we are all familiar with.

Opposition to this Theory: 1n the other hand there are opponents to this theory that

ar!ue that mental illness would in-fact impair creativity. 7tress for e"ample can impair

creativity #y distractin! us.

Examples of Creative People Linked to this Theory: )o#ert 7chumann $omposer%,

>avid /allace $writer%, 7ylvia Plath $poet%, 3rnest Hemmin!way $writer%,

Michelan!elo $artist%, 2eethoven $composer%, Isaac ?ewton $physicist%, 'udy 4arland

$actress%

Creative Theory of Psychoticism

Main Proponent of this theory: 3ysenc*.

Major Tenets: The major tenet of this theory is that all creative people have a

disposition for psychotic tendencies. It theorises that these psychotic tendencies form

the foundation for creative personalities. reativity has #een viewed #y many to #e

lin*ed to psychosis or madness since the times of ancient 4reece.

Psychoticism is seen as a half way area #etween a “normal person and the state of psychosis. Althou!h it can #e lin*ed stron!ly to sufferers of schi5ophrenia and #ipolar

psychoticism in itself is not insanity or mental illness in itself. /hile many people with

dia!nosed with schi5ophrenia would and do score hi!h on the psychoticism scale this

does not mean that a schi5ophrenic is !oin! to #e more creative. It also does not mean

that a psychotic could #e dia!nosed as #ein! schi5ophrenic.

As psychotics !enerally reject social, cultural or authoritarian norms they are !enerally

the *ind of people we associate with creativity. The open creativity of psychotics is

a#out an anti-traditional, anti-convention form of re#ellion.

Psychotic people see the world differently to those around them, see thin!s we cannotand yet relate them to us in a way that we can identify with. They are also seen as

havin! traits such as ris* ta*in!, liveliness, impulsiveness, sensation see*in!,

interpersonal hostility, a!!ressiveness, rec*lessness, disre!ard for common sense and

spontaneity which are often associated with creativity. Psychotics tend to have a train of

thou!ht others would view as loose and unpredicta#le, traits we lin* with creativity.

Opposition to this Theory: The main opposition to this theory is that 3ysenc*

desi!ned the test on which this theory is #ased specifically to support his theory which

#y itself would invalidate it.

Many researchers opposed to this theory also ar!ue that his theory was never really a

theory at all. It has no clear definition. The entire theory is left open ended and open for



discussion. However #ecause it was left open for discussion it did lead to new theories

in the field of creative theory.

The ddiction Theory of Creativity

Main Proponents of this theory: @app, ollins, ?orlander, 4ustafson and /allas.

Major Tenets: The main tenet of this theory is that addiction to su#stances such as

alcohol and illicit dru!s contri#utes to creativity and may even cause creativity in some

people. It may #e ar!ued however that people with addiction pro#lems are actually the

same people that are prone to depression and other mental illness. As such this would

lead one to thin* that addiction does not cause the creativity #ut rather the pro#lem that

lead to the addiction #ein! the cause $depression%.

Many artists find that their addictions hamper their creative a#ility however en!a!in! in

the art form helps them with recovery from their addiction. Most of their creativity

comes as they try to fi!ht their addiction. As many such artists #attle with addiction

their whole lives their creative wor* comes in spurts. It could #e ar!ued that their #attle

with the addiction is what drives their creativity as they try to #eat their addiction.

1ne theory relatin! to addiction and creativity is the idea that use of recreational dru!s

and alcohol remove the stress element that inhi#its our creative a#ility. As stated in the

humanistic theory the stress of day to day life can inhi#it our creative a#ility. The use of

these dru!s may #e seen to ma*e these stresses disappear, if only for the time #ein!, so

that we can #e creative.

The use of some recreational dru!s can also mimic the sensitivity to our surroundin!s

that is e"perienced #y those with depression. The wor* of many son! writers may

appear to #e more intense and colourful when influenced #y these su#stances.

/hile under the influence of alcohol or illicit dru!s many people tend to have a train of

thou!ht others would view as loose and unpredicta#le, traits we lin* with creativity.

However e"cessive amounts of these su#stances may drive our train of thou!ht to a

point which our creativity could #e paralysed as our thou!hts #ecomin! too

uncontrolled and unpredicta#le.

Opposition to this Theory: This theory is not widely supported #y the mainstream

research community, it is really only supported #y independent researchers. The main

ar!ument a!ainst this theory is not that addiction causes creativity #ut rather that those

who have creative tendencies are more prone to addiction. The addiction does not cause

the creativity.

In one study #y @app, ollins and I55o a control !roup was !iven water and another

!roup was !iven vod*a to see the effect alcohol had on creativity. They found the

creativity of #oth !roups was not affected. However interestin!ly they did find an

improvement in creativity #y those who thou!ht they were into"icated.



Examples of Creative People Linked to this Theory: 'ohnny ash $sin!er,

amphetamines%, 'immy Hendri" $sin!er, alcohol and #ar#iturates%, 3minem $sin!er%, >r

>re $sin!er%

The !"manistic Theory of Creativity

Main Proponents of this theory: Maslow, )o!ers and &romm.

Major Tenets: The major tenet of this theory is that humans have si" #asic needs. These

needs need to #e met #efore we can thrive. 1nce these needs are met we can reach self-

actuali5ation and are now free and comforta#le enou!h to e"press ourselves in a

creative manner.

This theory ar!ues that environment is not a factor in creativity. This is #ecause if the

person is a#le to meet the si" #asic needs they can then choose to #e creative. reativity

is central to our !rowth and learnin! processes and as such help us to advance ourselves

within society. 2elievers of this theory #elieve self-actuali5ation allows us to live a

meanin!ful life and #rea* out of social and cultural control #ecomin! an individual

rather than just another face in the crowd.

Adler ar!ues that our main motivation for creativity is to compensate for a perceived

physical or intellectual disa#ility. &ear of death for e"ample pushes us to create

somethin! that will outlive us there#y creatin! a sense of immortality.

The humanist school of thou!ht leans towards the development of techniques that

prevent defensiveness, and developin! trust, acceptance, lac* of jud!ement and creatin!

a freedom of e"pression. Applications of these tenets lead to the use of peer review,

#rainstormin! techniques and focus or encounter !roups to aid in the development of

creativity.

Maslow divided creativity into three types Primary creativity, 7econdary creativity and

Inte!rated reativity.

Primary creativity is creativity that allows us to escape from the stress of day to day life.He theorises that we channel this stress into creative art such as paintin!, drawin!,

sculpture and writin!. It is a more spontaneous form of creativity.

7econdary creativity requires a hi!her level of thou!ht to achieve. It tends to #e more

thou!ht out and involved than Primary creativity. These forms of creativity are more

thou!ht out prior to commencement.

Inte!rated creativity on the other hand comes from com#inin! #oth of the a#ove forms.

Althou!h it may #e spontaneous when we commence our creative wor* a lot more

thou!ht has !one into what we hope to achieve #efore we #e!in. This form is #elieved

to #e the #asis of most of the !reat art, philosophy and scientific discoveries or

achievements.



There is not much opposition to this theory. This may #e #ecause it is widely accepted

that we cannot #e creative if we are distracted #y other thin!s. 2y meetin! the si" #asic

needs most distractions have #een dealt with #efore we #e!in.

My Eval"ation of these Theories

Psychoanalytical Theory of Creativity:

/hen I loo* around me at the various artists I *now re!ardless of their art form I see

case after case of people who to me showcase this theory. Most, myself included, have

had e"periences throu!hout their past in which our creative ener!ies have #een

supressed #y those around us, deli#erately or otherwise. In most cases this is from

parents who have discoura!ed us from pursuin! a creative path, and the usual ar!ument

#ein! “there is no money to #e made from it.

Many !o throu!h periods of depression for various reasons and as they overcome thesefeelin!s they come out with their #est wor*. sually it0s some sort of e"pression of their

feelin!s.

The more they e"press these feelin!s the more creative their wor* seems to #ecome.

They also !radually overcome any fears of rejection or ridicule with each creative piece

they come forward with.

To me this appears to #e one of the stron!est and most realistically !rounded theories of

those I have e"amined here.

Mental Illness Theory of Creativity:

As someone who has suffered depression I identify stron!ly with the whole notion of

the reflective phase we !o throu!h. Most of my #est wor* has come from such periods,

!oin! over and over thin!s until reachin! a point that I must either act upon it in a

creative manner to e"press these feelin!s, to !et them out of our system.

@oo*in! at all the creative people around me I see many that also suffer usually from

depression and I see them !o throu!h the same cycles I do and see them deal with it the

same way.

I don0t #elieve that e"treme cases of mental illness of any *ind contri#ute to creativity. I

do however #elieve that creativity is a !ood copin! mechanism for those of us with mild

cases. 1ur creativity may not necessarily #e caused #y our condition however it

certainly helps us to deal with it on a level that prevents us from slidin! deeper into it.

1ur stron! feelin!s a#out the issues facin! us are funnelled into our creative wor*s, the

stron!er these feelin!s are the more creative our wor* #ecomes.

Theory of Psychoticism:

The more I have dealt with creative people the more I have learnt to accept the wholenotion of the mad artist. ?ot so much #ecause I thin* we are nuts #ut more #ecause I



identify with the notion that we see the world around us differently to others. sually in

a way many people would consider nuts.

1ur personalities are usually the thin! that attracts us to each other, the thin! that others

notice a#out us first. I #elieve it is our devil may care attitude that ena#les us to #e

creative. /ithout it many people won0t create for fear of their wor* #ein! rejected. 2utit0s not usually an attitude we were #orn with #ut more somethin! we have developed

over time to allow our creativity to come forth.

2ut the other thin! I do see is a lot of these character traits can also #e from an under

lyin! mental illness and so I do see this theory and that of the theory of mental illness

#ein! closely lin*ed and very valid theories.

ddiction Theory of Creativity:

This theory to me holds little value. Most people who suffer from addiction suffer from

it #ecause of depression. 7o for the most part it would #e not so much the addiction that

helps creativity #ut the mental illness. 7o most people who would appear to fall under

this theory would in fact fall under the theory of mental illness.

7ome use of alcohol or illicit dru!s may help creativity #y loosenin! our inhi#itions #ut

even this would fall more under the cate!ory of Psychoanalytical theory, after all how

did we !et the inhi#itions in the first place to need a su#stance to help us throu!h itB

Most people usin! dru!s to enhance their creativity do so to overcome fear, #ut how did

they !et that fear in the first placeB sually this is #ecause of traumatic e"periences in

their past. 7o they would fall heavily under Psychoanalytical theory to me.

Most addicts stru!!le day to day with their addiction and have little ener!y to e"pend on

creativity.

!"manistic Theory of Creativity:

>efinitely a theory I #elieve stron!ly in. I *now for myself that if I am distracted #y

other thin!s it #ecomes very difficult to #e creative. If I am creative when I have other

distractions the quality of my wor* definitely suffers.

Most of the techniques we use in our creative process ori!inate from this theory. Thin!s

li*e #rainstormin!, constructive critique sessions from our peers etc. all stem from thequalities this theory places its emphasis upon.

In fact it could #e ar!ued that this theory ne!ates many of the thou!hts of the school of

psychoanalytical creativity. They ar!ue that we need to overcome childhood trauma to

#ecome creative. /e need to overcome the fears that this trauma causes such as the fear

of failure. 2ut the humanistic theory pushes that we need to #e encoura!ed to advance

creatively, re!ardless of these challen!es. It0s not the suppression of creativity that

ma*es us creative #ut the encoura!ement that ma*es us creative.

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Diferencial the Five Major Theories of Creativity