Creative people have a tendency to think outside the box. They’re nonconformists and can be rebellious in their approach to life and work, yet at the same time they are well-grounded and have deep knowledge of their subject matter. They are able to take risks and see their ideas through to completion, but they also know how to deal with rejection. This ability to accept criticism and negative feedback is one of the reasons why creatives have a reputation for being able to bounce back from failure so quickly.
They are energized by challenging activities, which means that they have a high level of intrinsic motivation. Having a drive to complete a task for its own sake is essential for creativity because it allows the person to find their unique way of looking at and solving problems.
Having an insatiable curiosity is another key creative trait, as is a need for variety and change. Creative people are always looking for new ways to look at old problems or come up with fresh solutions that have never been thought of before. They can be restless and even a little bit ADD when it comes to their work, which is why many of them will work late into the night and persist with their projects long after others would give up.
Their restlessness is a result of their need to be challenged by their work. Creatives have a tendency to seek out difficult, complicated or risky challenges that will allow them to demonstrate their skills. When they are given a task that is easy, they tend to struggle because it doesn’t challenge their creative thinking.
Creatives are able to tap into their imaginations and fantasies in order to generate innovative solutions to problem-solving. Often, they are described as “dreamers,” but that doesn’t mean that they don’t have the discipline to turn their daydreams into realities. They’re able to take their imaginations and turn them into practical solutions that can make the world a better place.
In his book Wired to Create, author and psychologist Michael Sternberg explains that creative people are “able to engage in both schizotypal personality traits and traditional ones at the same time.” They have a sense of emptiness or an existential void that is necessary for their creativity. This can be triggered by their lack of recognition, the feeling that they are not good enough or that there’s nothing important for them to do in this world.
This sense of emptiness can lead to feelings of sadness or depression when they are not working on their passion project. However, they are able to turn these feelings around by being confident in their own ability to succeed and having faith that they will be able to overcome any obstacles that may come up along the way. They also know how to handle rejection, because they’re able to take it in stride and view it as part of the process.