Can Creativity Be Learned?

“I’m not a creative person at all” is a phrase we hear far more often than it deserves. It usually reflects a rather narrow understanding of creativity: the belief that it must involve being able to draw, compose music, develop advertising campaigns, or put together unusual outfits.

But creativity does not begin with a blank canvas or a career in the creative industries. It begins with a simple question: could this be done differently?

We are not born with ready-made ideas — we are born curious

A child does not need to be taught how to be creative. They can turn a cardboard box into a spaceship, build a city out of cushions, and invent their own language. They freely connect things that seem incompatible to an adult and do not wonder whether their idea is original enough.

The Italian designer and educator Bruno Munari considered this curiosity to be the foundation of creative thinking. He expressed one of his central ideas in the following words: “To preserve the spirit of childhood throughout one’s life means preserving curiosity, the pleasure of understanding, and the desire to communicate.” Munari placed this phrase at the beginning of his major exhibition in Milan in 1986.

Photo by Michelle Wang (DUPE)

As we grow older, however, we gradually learn to search for the one correct answer. We begin comparing our ideas with those of others and become afraid of making mistakes, being judged, or being laughed at. We grow accustomed to following instructions and choose a proven solution before we have had time to consider other possibilities.

Our creative ability does not disappear. Rather, it becomes hidden beneath layers of habits, external expectations, and internal censorship.

Creativity is a way of paying closer attention

n his book The Creative Act: A Way of Being, music producer Rick Rubin suggests abandoning the idea of creativity as a rare talent. For him, the creative act is neither a separate profession nor even a particular result. It is a way of interacting with the world.

“To live as an artist is a way of being in the world. A way of perceiving. A practice of paying attention,” Rubin writes.

In other words, creativity begins before we actually create anything. It reveals itself in our ability to notice details, listen to our own reactions, collect impressions, and see connections between things that previously appeared unrelated.

This is why inspiration rarely emerges from nothing. New ideas are formed from images we have seen, conversations, chance observations, books we have read, unsuccessful attempts, and solutions that already exist. The task of a creative person is not to invent something out of nothing, but to gather material attentively and give it a new form.

Being serious should not exclude play

Paula Scher, one of the most influential designers of our time and a partner at Pentagram, puts it this way: “Good design is serious, not solemn.” In her talks, she often explains that the best work frequently emerges from a state of “serious play”: when a person is deeply engaged in the process but is not yet constrained by the fear of doing something wrong.

Another of her quotes sounds even more radical:

«Creativity is a small, defiant act of disobedience.»

This does not mean that rules must be broken simply for the sake of rebellion. To find a new solution, however, we sometimes need to question the usual order of things: why is it done this way? What would happen if the sequence were changed? Could something unnecessary be removed, two stages combined, or the task viewed through another person’s eyes?

Scher has also said that many of her ideas came to her in taxis, airports, and other situations of forced inactivity — moments when nothing distracted her from her own thoughts. Sometimes an idea requires not more information, but a little free space between the impressions we have already gathered.

There are no “uncreative” people

Creativity is often confused with artistic self-expression. In everyday life, however, it primarily means the ability to find solutions that are new, useful, and appropriate.

A teacher demonstrates creativity when searching for a different way to explain a difficult subject. A doctor does so when analysing an unusual combination of symptoms without disregarding medical protocols. A lawyer uses creativity to build a convincing system of arguments. An accountant applies it when making a complex process clearer and more efficient.

Engineers, programmers, managers, entrepreneurs, and professionals in supposedly “non-creative” fields encounter problems every day that cannot be solved by mechanically repeating instructions.

In any profession, success belongs not only to those who know the rules well, but also to those who understand when a standard solution is no longer enough. They do not reject the system; they simply see more possibilities within it.

Professional expertise and creative thinking do not contradict one another. On the contrary, knowledge provides the material and the limitations within which a person can search for a more precise solution.

Can creativity be developed?

Yes. And this is not merely an inspiring idea from self-help books. A meta-analysis of studies examining creativity-training methods for adults has shown that creative abilities can be improved through education and regular practice.

You do not need to enrol in a painting class immediately or attempt to write a novel. Creativity can be developed through small everyday actions.

Look for several answers, not just one

Even when the first solution seems obvious, try to think of three more. Some may be absurd or unrealistic, but those are often the ideas that help us move beyond the familiar scenario.

Separate creation from evaluation

One of the main causes of creative block is trying to criticise an idea at the same moment it appears. First, allow yourself to collect different possibilities. Choose, assess, and edit them afterwards.

Observe

Write down phrases, shapes, colour combinations, unusual solutions, and everyday inconveniences that catch your attention. The creative process often begins with carefully noticing what other people have stopped seeing.

Make room for boredom

A walk without headphones, a journey without endlessly scrolling through your phone, or a few minutes of silence allows thoughts to connect freely.

Work through small experiments

You do not need to create a perfect result immediately. Make a draft, prototype, or test version, see what works, and continue from there.

Returning to what has always been inside us

Learning creativity does not mean becoming an artist or constantly producing original ideas. It means giving yourself permission to ask questions, notice, play, make mistakes, and try again.

Photo by Ebony Forsyth (DUPE)

Perhaps we are not born with a fully formed creative style. But we enter the world with curiosity, openness, and a desire to explore. Adult creativity emerges where this childhood freedom meets knowledge, experience, and discipline.

The main question, therefore, is not “Am I creative enough?” but something else: do I allow myself to look at familiar things from a new perspective?