The idea of creativity is wonderful: that a spark of inspiration
can eventually bring something new and useful into the world,
perhaps even something beautiful. Something, as it were, from
nothing. That spark may only be the start of a journey towards
the finished article or idea, but it is still a wonderful
moment. Without the initial spark there will be no journey. It's
no exaggeration to say that our ability to be creative sits at
the heart of our achievements as a species. Do incentives work?
So, what methods do people naturally use to encourage
creativity? In the creative industries the usual method is
money, or some other related incentive. So, can incentives
encourage people to be creative? According to the research, they
can, but crucially these incentives need to emphasise that
creativity is the goal (Eisenberger & Shanock, 2003). Studies
find that if people are given an incentive for just completing a
task, it doesn't increase their creativity (Amabile et al.,
1986). In fact, incentives linked to ta