Tag Archives: intelligence

Are introverts or extroverts more creative?

I could review numerous research studies of the most common personality traits of creative people. Numerous researchers have analyzed, studied, and found the magic “personality formula” for being most creative. I won’t highlight such studies because I don’t believe them–everyone is creative. However, one of the most important personality attributes, from a creativity standpoint, is to seek out time for self.

Pin itTwin studies find that extraversion/introversion has a genetic component.

Being creative means accepting and honoring our unique personality and gifts. Also we want to honor our extroversion or introversion pattern. It is important to know that whether your dominant creative center is your head, heart or gut center that you can be introverted or extroverted. Our intelligence centers do not discriminate between being extroverted or introverted–our dominant intelligence center can be a full range of “E” versus “I” on this continuum.

Author Susan Cain says, “Studies suggest that many of the most creative people are introverts, and this is partly because of their capacity for quiet. Introverts are careful, reflective thinkers who can tolerate the solitude that idea-generation requires. On the other hand, implementing good ideas requires cooperation, and introverts are more likely to prefer cooperative environments, while extroverts favor competitive ones” (2013, Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking).

Most comprehensive personality models include the introversion/extroversion concept in various forms. According to Carl Jung (the pioneering psychologist who wrote Psychological Types in 1921), extroversion is a primary personality orientation to things, events, and persons external to oneself. This is a basic attraction leading extroverts to prize “facts,” social networking, and commonly held values.

Introversion, on the other hand, is a primary orientation to, and interest in, one’s own conscious insights, feelings, intuitions, and logical conclusions. According to Jung’s theory, introversion and extroversion are coordinated in various degrees with four basic personality functions. He emphasized, “There is no such thing as a pure extrovert or a pure introvert. Such a man would be in a lunatic asylum.”

According to studies by psychologist Hans Eysenck, introverts require less stimulation from the world in order to be awake and alert than extroverts do. This means introverts are more easily over-stimulated.

People falling near the middle of the spectrum are called “ambiverts” and are equally extroverted and introverted. The important thing is that one is not better than another. Steve Jobs, an extrovert, invented Apple with Steve Wozniak, an introvert. Both famously creative, both honoring and using their temperaments to their advantage. It is very likely that extroverts will do better in high arousal environments than introverts. Each type needs to be cognizant of their preferences in order to enhance their own creativity.

 I am pretty sure that Leonardo da Vinci was more extroverted along this spectrum– sorry Susan! Many Meyers-Briggs personality experts agree with me, with their definition being whether someone prefers to focus on the outer world or their own inner world.

Leonardo is widely considered one of the greatest painters of all time and perhaps the most diversely talented person whom ever lived–yet he is also famous for a vast number of uncompleted creative works. His interests were very diverse including–but not limited to–painter, sculptor, architect, musician, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, geologist, cartographer, botanist and writer. His preference for mental stimulation (head center dominant) shines through loudly! The small number of his paintings that survive is due to his constant, and frequently disastrous, experimentation with new techniques, and his chronic procrastination. The last sentence of a mathematical theorem in Leonardo’s notebook states: “Perche la minesstra si fredda.” This translates as, “Whatever – the soup is getting cold.”

So–what do you think creatives, are introverts or extroverts generally more creative? I guess that all depends on whether you think you are an introvert or extrovert!

Thank you for reading my post (excerpts from my recent book). My core message of everyone is creative resonates with people of all ages and walks of life. I invite all to become the best version of themselves in my book and at my website and find true meaning by pursing long term creative quests.

How are you creative? Free Self-Assessment

“It turns out that creativity isn’t some rare gift to be enjoyed by the lucky few…
In too many of us it gets blocked. But it can be unblocked.
“And unblocking that creative spark can have far-reaching implications…” 
Tom Kelley

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There have been three centers of intelligence observed in humans dating back to Ancient Greece: Head (thinking), Heart (feeling) and Gut (intuitive doing). All three centers are active in each person, and are necessary for survival. However, we don’t access each of them equally because this is part of our brain’s conditioning. For example, I’m primarily a gut-based person. This means I operate mostly out of my gut reactions first, with support from my heart and/or head. Others describe themselves as primarily heart based, with support from their gut intuition and/or head. We all know thinkers who predominantly operate from the head center because their internal thinking is deeply valuable to them.

Clearly, our centers need each other. They independently and interdependently bring out our creativity. The slow hunch from our gut needs to be nourished. Even if it’s a flash of insight from the gut, we need the head center to prove it and the heart center to nourish it. To befriend our total experience is to accept all of our responses. To allow information to flow without judgment from all three centers and experience events, good or bad, painfully or joyfully, is to be truly alive.

Our task is to consider every moment, and our reaction to it, as potentially interesting, challenging, and revealing to our creative process. To be fully creative we need an open heart, open head, and open gut willingly befriending each other. We need to be aware when any of our centers are closed or blocked. We need self-confidence to solve problems or exploit ideas creatively. You absolutely can develop the self-belief and confidence in your own creativity by experimenting with and trusting in your three intelligence centers as THE sources of your creativity.

The key is to build an awareness of where your fire comes from regarding your ideas or problems. Does it originate from your heart, head, or gut intelligence center? In what proportion is the fire burning to solve problems from each center? From your heart/head/gut’s perspective is it 80/10/10 or 34/65/1 or 33/33/33? To facilitate this awareness, I offer a free three-center self-assessment on my website.

By discovering which center is your dominant, supportive and under-used center–you will build your awareness and confidence in your creative self.

Why a self-assessment and not some kind of creativity test? The answer is because creativity is not simply a set of personality traits or skills. It’s not familiarity with a set of behaviors that facilitate pre-fabricated strategies. Creative people are inventors; they invent both problems and solutions.

Creativity happens when a person with the right set of skills and knowledge (from the head, heart, and gut) invents or finds a meaningful problem that cannot be solved using any existing approach. The problem is solved creatively only by the person uniquely executing their own set of experiences (from the head, heart, and gut). Who knows who is going to hit the jackpot? Only people who have chosen to embark on this quest. I can’t “teach” creativity because it is a very personal quest. My quest is to facilitate your creative quest.

Thanks for reading my post. This is an excerpt taken from my recent book: The Three Sources of Creativity: Breakthroughs from your Head, Heart and Gut. My core message of everyone is creative resonates with people of all ages and walks of life. I invite all to become the best version of themselves at my website and find true meaning by pursing long term creative quests.

“Ask, Seek and Knock”: uses all 3 intelligence centers

“Ask, seek, and knock.” These are Jesus’ iconic words: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. Notice how our three intelligence centers are used differently here.

knocking-on-heavens-door “Asking” comes from our head intelligence center and is cerebral and verbal; we ask for what we most need and want. Please, please, please I want to create something really beautiful!

“Seeking” focuses on our heart intelligence center. This is more than asking; it is an exploration of what will be most meaningful, authentic and satisfy/answer our heart’s emotions and desires.

Namuth_-_PollockTo “knock” involves our body/gut intelligence center. It requires physical movement, one where we take action. Asking and seeking are essential (head and heart centers), however they would be incomplete without knocking (gut/body center). One of the exemplars in my book, Jackson Pollock knocked on a different artistic door– by painting vertically instead of horizontally– he broke convention with his gut centered creativity.

In my worldview, it’s good to pray and seek God, but if I do not also act in faith, all is for naught. It’s no accident Jesus said we should love God with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind (all three intelligence centers). We know a universal law is, “we reap what we sow.” This is true in many world views,  including the Buddhist Law of Karma and in the Holy Qur’an.  In Hinduism, Karma is a causality system where beneficial effects are derived from past beneficial actions and harmful effects from past harmful actions.

Mute Swan, Loch Ard, Trossachs

Mute Swan, Loch Ard, Trossachs

When considering our creative pursuits it starts with asking and seeking– but ultimately it is about what we do, our executions, that eventually comes back to us in a transformed state. As a writer I am prolific in the “asking” mode with many questions (regarding my subject), which leads to intense and pleasurable researching, which in turn can lead me down wild goose chases…  leaving my manuscript deserted of words for weeks or months. Or perhaps if I’ve shifted to the “seeking” mode, such as moving from nonfiction writing  to “seeking” to do a fictional allegory for my next book– then I hit the wall. Major obstacle, overwhelmed. I am inexperienced in this style of writing and doubt my abilities.

I can stay stuck “seeking”  and “asking” how to overcome obstacle(s) or I can KNOCK. Bang away by JUST WRITING, fully expecting my lack of confidence obstacle will transform into a door! A door which is the portal for me to write it my way. Its no time to be suffocating on my doubts and weak-kneed. I write in faith, which means pounding on that door boldly. If that door is not the portal for me, than I’ll pound on another door (idea) with my ideas in order to best tell my story. Because I have been asking and seeking, I believe the door will be opened for me. The process is cyclical, involving asking, seeking and knocking.

knocking-on-heavens-door024

Creativity is not static, routine, repetitious or dull  but is dynamic (involves many doors) and all three of our intelligence centers. The “knocking” will eventually open the right door and bring the “aha” moment needed for clarity.

What about you– do you find yourself doing more asking, seeking or knocking?

Thank you for reading my post. I am an organizational and business consultant living in the mountains of Santa Fe, New Mexico with my husband and dogs. My core message of everyone is creative resonates with people of all ages and walks of life. I invite all to become the best version of themselves and find true meaning by pursing long term creative quests.

Read more in my book: The Three Sources of Creativity: Breakthroughs from Your Head, Heart and Gut

Own your creativity

Your creativity is a composite of your head, heart and gut centers acting as distinct sources. Many don’t believe they are creative, which is baloney! However, your creativity may be lying dormant within you and in need of waking up… Get in touch with your three centers and learn to trust them as sources. You can start with the free center assessment available on this website.

My new book is available now at:
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