Have you heard someone say, “Oh, John – he’s so creative! I wish
I was creative like that.” It makes it sound as if creativity is
a natural skill or talent, like the ability to sing or paint.
Other times people say “I’m going to a seminar to learn how to
be more creative.” That makes it sound as if creativity is a
skill that anyone can learn. So, which is it? Well, kind of both
and kind of neither. Four Types of Creativity – Arne Dietrich
(2004) identifies 4 different types of creativity with
corresponding different brain activities. Think of it like a
matrix: Creativity can be either emotionally or cognitively
based, and it can also be spontaneous or deliberate. That gives
you the four quadrants. #1: Thomas Edison – Deliberate and
cognitive creativity is the kind of creativity that comes from
sustained work in a discipline. For example, Thomas Edison, the
inventor of the electric light bulb, was a deliberate and
cognitive creator. He ran experiment after experiment before he
would come up with an invention.