Cultivate Creativity

Guest: Arthur B. Markman, Ph. D., Professor of Psychology at the University of Texas at Austin  Mozart, Shakespeare, Picasso. . . such creative genius is surely innate on some level . . so seemingly effortless to those of us who are not born prodigies.  But psychologist Art Markman says the ability to create is something people can develop, regardless of their natural gifts. Dr. Markman has made the quest for creativity his life’s work. He works at the University of Texas, where he’s a professor of psychology and marketing. He’s also editor of the journal Cognitive Science.  “The problem of practicing creativity is most of us don’t know what that means,” says Markman. Yet you can develop knowledge, skills, and habits to learn how to be more creative. According to Markman, creativity isn’t a “talent,” but something “anyone can nurture, anyone can improve.”  "You need to unlearn the unwillingness to make mistakes," says Markman. The American school system punishes us for mistakes, especially—but true creativity cannot be achieved without doing so. “You’re finding new ways for old knowledge.”