Wired to Create

November 9, 2015
Psychologist Kaufman (Ungifted: Intelligence Redefined) teams up with journalist Gregoire to amplify ideas put forth in the pair’s Huffington Post article “18 Things That Creative People Do Differently.” As advertised, the authors explore 10 “habits of mind” that great creative thinkers—artists, writers, and innovators—cultivate in themselves, such as daydreaming, intuition, and sensitivity. They devote a chapter to each habit, pulling examples from the lives of great figures. Introductory material gives an overview of the history of research into creativity. Kaufman and Gregoire survey new findings suggesting that, contrary to previous belief, the creative process is a whole-brain activity, not confined to one hemisphere. Moreover, it is a messy, not orderly, process and “is both the realm of a select group of geniuses through history, and the domain of every human being.” By studying the standouts in creativity, they conclude, we can all learn how to enrich our well-being and express ourselves creatively in every endeavor. This guide is well-documented, never pedantic, and always educational and inspiring.

September 15, 2015
A close look at how the minds of creative people work. "It should come as little surprise that creative people tend to have messy minds," write the authors. "Highly creative work blends together different elements and influences in the most novel, or unusual, way, and these wide-ranging states, traits, and behaviors frequently conflict with each other within the mind of the creative person, resulting in a great deal of internal and external tension throughout the creative process." Kaufman (Scientific Director/Imagination Institute, Positive Psychology Center/Univ. of Pennsylvania; Ungifted: Intelligence Redefined, 2013, etc.) and Huffington Post senior writer Gregoire delve into different traits and characteristics that separate creative minds from the minds of others. Using quotes from well-known writers, artists, and musicians as examples and backing their statements with numerous references and scientific data, the authors break down each aspect of the creative mind into a separate chapter. They cover passion, imagination, daydreaming, solitude, intuition, openness to experience, mindfulness, sensitivity, introversion, overcoming adversity, and how the combination of some or all of the above helps creative people think differently. Creative people are willing to take risks, to be nonconformists, and to strive and fail and try again. Not only do the authors make it easy to understand how the creative mind works; they also encourage those who have any of these traits "to embrace their own paradoxes and complexities, and in doing so, open themselves up to a deeper level of self-understanding and self-expression." For artistic people who've always wondered why they might not fit the norm, Kaufman and Gregoire provide some valid answers. For those curious about how writers, artists, and musicians manifest their art seemingly from nothing, the authors pull back the curtains on the fascinating world of creativity and offer a wide-ranging view of what it takes to be artistic. Solid evidence and numerous examples show the many traits that comprise the creative mind.

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Starred review from January 1, 2016

Creativity may be the epitome of paradox. Its processes and products, often messy and enticing, can be the ideal toward which humans strive, or from which we shy away. Creativity makes individuals exactly that--surrounded by chaos while maintaining an allure--yet all the while, highly inventive people tend to engage in particular activities or possess specific attributes including imaginative play or sensitivity that help others decipher the mystery. Kaufman (scientific director, Science of Imagination Project, Positive Psychology Ctr., Univ. of Pennsylvania; Ungifted) and Gregoire (senior writer, Huffington Post) delineate the untidy ins and outs of inventiveness and how a person might also dislike his or her creative potential. This explorative how-to guide expands on the authors' Huffington Post article, "18 Things Highly Creative People Do Differently," paring down the list to ten, and offers historical references, research, and quotable snippets that will have readers recognizing aspects of themselves on every page. VERDICT This book would be useful to any number of professionals, hobbyists, and more, inspiring each to not just invoke creativity but to live creatively. Fascinating and clearly written, this book fits perfectly into any collection of self-improvement, self-awareness, and modern brain science titles.--Kaitlin Connors, Virginia Beach P.L.

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