I’m always curious about how people define creativity for themselves. And what kind of creativity they’re craving.

Here’s a quick pop quiz. Don’t sweat it; there are no right or wrong answers!

What comes to mind first when you think of creativity?

• • • Artistic activities
    • Ingenuity and innovation

Do you tend to think of yourself as a creative person?

• • • Yes, in many ways
    • Depends, in some ways
    • Not really

Where do you feel you can be the most creative right now?

• • • Personal life
    • Professional life
    • My community

What kind of creativity are you craving the most?

• • • Expressing myself through some form of art or craft
    • Getting unstuck with a problem
    • Inventing a business product or service
    • Tackling a community need

Value of Creativity

Creativity is typically one of those “I know it when I see it or feel it” things. It surprises us with a unique twist. It breaks through a sticky problem, or takes care of a need we didn’t even know we had. It fills us with satisfaction as our imaginations take shape.

The value of nurturing creativity across the different dimensions of our lives is well-documented. I like the way this article by Jan L. Bowen describes benefits to our mental health, stress reduction, cognitive abilities and more.

2 Types of Creativity

I’ve been curious for a long time about how I can fully embrace creativity in both my personal and work lives, along with how creativity benefits our communities. Creativity consultant and author David Parrish proposes 2 types of creativity and this resonated with me:

• aCreativity (artistic)
• iCreativity (ingenuity)

Does this mean I need to learn how to paint? Not if I don’t want to.

Do I need to invent a product and try to get it produced for the masses? Nope, unless that’s what gets me leaping out of bed in the morning.

But it does mean I might reap more benefits from paying attention to how both artistic and ingenious creativity can apply to my life.

These don’t have to be sweeping, costly activities, either.

My aCreativity

For example, my interests right now include writing, knitting and needle felting. I’m an arts and crafts dabbler, trying out new things at least once and then adding them into the mix if they’re enjoyable. At work, I try to weave in some a-creativity when I can within the scope of what I do. I use canva.com to make materials more interesting and experiment with creative messaging. And I even have an occasional alliteration competition with a colleague just for fun.

My iCreativity

On this side of things, busting through sticky problems at work is a regular activity. I may facilitate a creativity exercise with a team, or do my own brainstorming about possibilities to get out of rut on an issue. Now I’m realizing how much I do this at home, too. Some needs are serious, and some are more about everyday life stuff.

I also can pay attention to how I might contribute, recognize and support creative solutions by non-profits and individuals that make our communities better places to live. Here’s a past blog I wrote highlighting practices of innovative nonprofits.

Learn More

Visit David Parrish’s website to learn more about the 2 types of creativity.

I’m a diagram kind of person and couldn’t resist making a visual reminder (yes, in Canva). You can save this to reference (maybe even turn it into a desktop background) if you’d like.

What Do You Think?

Does this help you think about creativity in a way that can provide momentum in your own life?