Psychology is all about understanding our own thoughts and emotions more fully and putting them to use effectively and powerfully in our lives.
Knowing what you’re skilled at and where you have strong talents puts you ahead in self-awareness and ready to capitalize on your strengths.
In this article let’s take a look at the top indications that you have a massively creative mind and an intuitive approach to life.
If you relate to the following behaviors and patterns, then all signs point to yes!
1) You frequently daydream
You’re a bit of a daydreamer by nature.
You can often be found lost in thought, imagining new possibilities and ideas.
You have a vivid imagination.
Many of your best inspirations and ventures have come out of these moments of creative daydreaming, and many epiphanies and unique ideas have also emerged.
“A review of the latest science of daydreaming has shown that mind wandering offers very personal rewards,” explain Scott Kaufman and Carolyn Gregoire of the Greater Good Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley.
“They add that these benefits include “creative incubation, self-awareness, future planning, reflection on the meaning of one’s experiences, and even compassion.”
In addition to daydreaming, you’re very observant about what’s going on around you and how it flows, morphs and combines in unique ways.
Which brings me to the next point:
2) You quickly recognize patterns and trends
You’re highly adept at spotting patterns and tendencies in people, places, nature and ideas.
Creativity comes naturally to you in a thousand forms.
It often starts from a mixture of observations combined with questions, such as:
“People are becoming more and more interested in environmental causes and spending more time at home. But loneliness rates are also increasing and overuse of social media is linked to mental health issues.
“What if there were a way to make staying at home more fun, social and active while also still reducing environmental impact?”
3) You have a traditional and rebellious streak
There’s a tendency to stereotype creative folks as being highly alternative, avante-garde, culturally rebellious and resistant to orthodoxy.
It’s certainly true that an adventurous spirit and open mind is a key part of being creative.
But psychologists also point to an enduring love of tradition and ancient wisdom and ideas that can also be found in the most creative individuals.
Creativity “requires being both traditional and iconoclastic,” explains psychosocial rehabilitation specialist and psychology educator Kendra Cherry, MsEd.
“This means being able to appreciate and even embrace the past as a source of knowledge, while still seeking improved ways of creating new solutions.”
If you find that you want something new and different but you still feel admiration and reverence for beautiful and noteworthy ideas and aspects of the past, then it points to you’re highly creative nature.
4) You’re highly sensitive emotionally
You’re deeply attuned to your own and others’ emotions, often leading to insightful understanding.
You come up with unique ideas and insights partly because you’re so open to the world of sensory and emotive experience.
Exquisite music can bring you to tears, and a funny colleague at work can inspire an idea for a new sitcom.
A walk through a beautiful field can bring you ideas about a new design for a fashion line you want to create:
A dream about a friend who passed away can evoke a desire to create a more compassionate society in a creative way that brings people together.
You’re always in tune with your emotions, and this comes across in how you relate to others and to the world at large.
5) You’re full of curiosity and wonder
You’re filled with a relentless desire to explore, ask questions, and learn new things.
Boredom is a world that barely exists in your vocabulary, because there’s always something interesting to ponder, look at or find out about.
As Cherry notes:
“Creative and artistic people are imaginative, curious, and spend a great deal of time at rest, quietly reflecting on the topics that hold their interest and allowing their minds to wander.”
“You may just be swinging in a hammock for an hour. But in your head you’ve thought out a new way to recycle, or started thinking through deep questions about society and art.”
Your mind and heart are open to the winds of change and inspiration, and you go where they guide you.
6) You’re driven by your dreams, not rewards
Success is great, and outer accomplishment can mean a lot.
But it’s far from your primary motivator in life.
As a highly creative person, you’re much more driven by personal satisfaction and interest than you are by external rewards.
Practical considerations are still something to consider, and you’re hard-working and responsible as much as possible:
But the power of your dreams and inspirations can’t be denied.
You’re much more drawn by a passion project and a great group of fellow creatives who you can work with than you are by a routine, consistent life that might be more profitable.
You want that edge of excitement, exploration and reaching beyond the usual. Your creative mind longs for it.
7) You engage in non-linear thinking
You approach problems and solutions in a non-sequential, innovative manner.
Your desire to discover what’s really going on and how to comprehend it far exceeds your available crystallized (stored) intelligence in many cases.
So you start thinking outside the box, letting your curiosity wander, having unique conversations, digging around the internet or an old library.
“Research has found that the desire to learn and discover seems to have significantly more bearing on the quality of creative work than intellect alone,” observe Kaufman and Gregoire.
As a highly creative person, questions like your IQ score or how skilled you are at math would not necessarily be notable to observers:
What is noticeable is the way you think of people, situations and ideas in a way that’s outside the typical framing, narrative or set pattern.
You’re able to come up with truly striking and original concepts and inspirations in many areas of life, love, business and art.
8) You’re able to tolerate ambiguity and complexity
When a subject, person, situation or idea is unclear, it only intrigues you more.
You’re capable of handling uncertainty and capable of thriving without clear structure or direction.
Your creativity thrives in an open-ended environment without much sequential or logical structure:
You’re able to think about subjects and issues which may not have a clear answer or consensus and to ponder them deeply.
You keep the question alive, accepting and even enjoying the open-ended mystery and the creativity and invention that can come from many of life’s mysteries.
9) You’re strongly in touch with your gut feelings
Your gut feelings are more than just spooky, happy or compelling emotions that come and go:
They’re something that you rely on to help guide you in life.
Regardless of whether you’re spiritual / religious or not, your gut instinct is something you’ve been in touch with from a young age.
When you get a funny feeling about somebody, you pay attention…
When you have a premonition that a friend is in trouble, you ring them up…
When you are at a crossroads and wondering where to go next in life, you tap into that quiet inner space and try to hear what your heart and gut really want.
10) You’re open-minded about new ideas and perspectives
You may disagree with some points of view and find some ideas stupid, but you’re willing to hear people out.
Fresh perspectives and other experiences in life are fuel for the creative fire. You don’t dismiss anything out of hand.
You’re willing to consider new ideas and perspectives without immediate judgment.
This goes in your home life and at work, where you’re all ears from inventive and creative colleagues.
“When collaborating with others, creative people want to hear all the possibilities and explore them further,” notes Indeed.
“Due to their open-mindedness, they do not judge others’ ideas or perspectives. Instead, they take the time to listen to others so they can better understand them.”
You may decide that an idea isn’t your cup of tea in the end, but you always like hearing people out! Your creative juices never stop flowing.
