Who Says Creativity Can’t Be Learned?

By Sean Peek
Updated Jan 16, 2024
Business News Daily

Creativity tends to be viewed as a vague, unattainable trait that only the most artistic, innovative people receive at birth. The truth is that everyone has creativity; enhancing it only takes a bit of time and practice.

Tina Seelig, faculty director of the Stanford Technology Ventures Program, the entrepreneurship center at the Stanford University School of Engineering, said the notion that “creativity can’t be learned” is a myth. Creativity, she believes, is a renewable resource that we can tap into at any time. And yes, she says, it’s a process that can be taught.

In her book inGenius: A Crash Course on Creativity, Seelig introduced a revolutionary model she calls the “Innovation Engine” that offers a practical set of tools everyone can use to radically increase creativity and foster innovation. She demonstrated how creativity can be fueled and enhanced, leading to an outpouring of fresh ideas from individuals, teams, and organizations.

Seelig shared some of those ideas with Business News Daily.

Business News Daily: How do you define creativity?

Tina Seelig: Creativity is easily defined – it is the process of generating new ideas. It is particularly important in industry because the world is changing incredibly quickly, and breakthrough ideas are required to stay competitive. Generating fresh ideas is actually quite challenging because most people find it difficult to get beyond obvious, incremental solutions. True creativity requires the ability to break new ground, which requires significant effort.

BND: What are the tools and techniques of creative thinking?

TS: There is no one path to creative ideas, just as there isn’t one way to get from San Francisco to Sao Paulo. However, there are ways that are easier than others. We can make the pathways to innovation much smoother by teaching people specific tools and techniques. At the core is the ability to look at problems from different angles, to connect and combine concepts, and the ability to challenge traditional assumptions. These are job skills that look great on a resume but require practice to master.

BND: Is creativity a learned skill or an innate talent?

TS: We are all naturally creative and, like every other skill, some people have more natural talent than others. However, everyone can increase his or her creativity, just as everyone can increase his or her musical or athletic ability, with appropriate training and focused practice. We can all learn tools and techniques that enhance creativity, and build environments that foster innovation…[MORE]

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To read the entire article by Sean Peek at the Business News Daily website, visit: Who Says Creativity Can’t Be Learned?