Your happiness and self-fulfillment might have a direct impact on how creative you are, according to new research from the University of Georgia.
Researchers from the UGA Mary Frances Early College of Education found that positive emotions can translate to increased engagement in creative activities like drawing, writing and playing music.
This study suggests that day-to-day emotions are more influential than personality when it comes to engaging with creative actions. And that creativity may also improve well-being.
"When people are more creative, they tend to feel better. But at the same time, when they feel positive emotions, they tend to be more creative," said Sakhavat Mammadov, lead author of the study and an associate professor in the department of educational psychology. "Positivity was a robust predictor of not only today's creativity but tomorrow's creativity as well."
Independence, optimistic attitudes lead to bouts of creativity
In analyzing weeks of daily diaries from over 100 college students, the researchers pinpointed specific characteristics that helped promote creativity.
Students who reported feeling more content also reported an inclination to take up anything creative, from writing a poem to trying to cook a new recipe.
"Everyday creativity looks like any activity that is new and useful without recognition needed from society," Mammadov said. "You may not be an expert painter. But if you are engaging with painting and trying to learn new skills, that's creative."
You may not be an expert painter. But if you are engaging with painting and trying to learn new skills, that's creative."
College of Education
The researchers found participants who reported feeling autonomous and capable felt more empowered to engage in creative behaviors across multiple days.
Frustration over external stressors also fueled creative actions. The more limited someone felt due to work or other circumstances, the more motivated they appeared to be to find something to exert control over, like deciding to read a book, for example.
"People often rely on autonomy to manage their busy lives as a student, parent, worker or a combination of these roles. We found those people do well in terms of creativity," Mammadov said. "Even if there are some specific controllers, like a deadline, there's also a feeling of competence and satisfaction that's important for success that bleeds into creative behavior."
Intelligence and negativity don't alter creative outcomes
While a good day-to-day mood had a positive impact on creative actions, the study revealed that alternatively, feeling sad or angry didn't decrease creative output.
Additionally, factors like overall intelligence also didn't determine whether a person engaged in creative activities.
Traits like these may not make as much of an impact on artistic works as regulating emotions and well-being, Mammadov said.
"Perhaps you can't always control your emotions, but you can curate environments where you can support positive emotions with good relationships and autonomous support. If we want creativity to be an outcome, we can change things. We can change the environment. We can have support for people where they feel more competent," he said.
This study was published in the Journal of Creative Behavior and includes Zuchao Shen, assistant professor in the department of educational psychology, Ph.D. student in the educational psychology department Ayse Hilal Avci and Kristen Lamb of the University of Alabama.
