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Creativity has long been associated solely with artistic abilities, but it’s so much more than that. Human beings are essentially born creative—from infancy on we find innovative ways to negotiate through life. Whether it’s deciding what to wear or figuring out the most efficient way to finish chores, everyone uses their own creativity styles every single day.
To put it simply, creativity is the act of using unique and unusual ways to solve a problem—common or not. And just like adults, children have an innate creativity style that helps form the way they learn and develop. While no two children are alike, they are likely to fall into one of the following creative styles: visual, lateral, divergent or conceptual.
Discover your child’s creativity styles
VISUAL “Artistic” CREATIVITY STYLES
Visual Creatives are the artsiest of the creative minds. They like movement, making things with their hands and physical learning. They often feed off their sense of wonderment, love of color and chaos. They have a natural eye for taking the ordinary and turning it into something beautiful, utilizing whatever elements are at their disposal.
Visual Creative Careers: Architects, Designers, Painters, Singers, Actors.
Famous Visual Creatives: Frank Lloyd Wright, Frida Kahlo, Picasso, Beyonce
LATERAL “Ideation” CREATIVITY STYLES
Lateral Creatives are “out of the box” thinkers that look for new, unique ways to solve a common problem. They have a tendency to discard the obvious and take the least likely path in the hopes of stumbling upon new, exciting discoveries. Their curiosity and hunger to explore is at the center of their soul. To lateral creatives, there are no limitations – anything is possible!
Lateral Creative Careers: Inventors, Innovators, Physicists
Famous Ideation Creatives: Thomas Edison, Amelia Earhart, Nikola Tesla, Steve Jobs
DIVERGENT “Multi-Solution” CREATIVITY STYLES
Divergent creatives test the boundaries and like to explore unique ideas that may seem out of the norm. They are the biggest risk-takers of the creatives, with an insatiable curiosity and unique ability to elaborate, and think of diverse and original ideas quickly. They respond well to independent study and introspection, often honing their emotions to create their masterpieces.
Divergent Creative Jobs: Psychologists, Composers, Journalist, Songwriters
Famous Divergent Creatives: Beethoven, Emily Dickinson, Sigmund Freud, Ayn Rand
CONCEPTUAL “Abstract” CREATIVITY STYLES
Conceptual creatives are very aware of their environment and amazing at “connecting the dots”. They are naturals when it comes to exploring patterns, abstract ideas and understanding how things are interrelated. This sort of creative thinking is deliberate, and often comes with bursts of clarity and focus, leading to extraordinary experiences and creations.
Conceptual Creative Jobs: Scientists, Engineers, Philosophers, Sociologist
Famous Conceptual Creatives: Albert Einstein, Marie Curie, René Descartes, Stephen Hawkings, Rosalind Franklin
