Research links wellbeing to heightened creativity

Creative professionals with a positive emotional state are more likely to experience day-to-day feelings of creativity, according to research from Goldsmiths, University of London.

The study looked at a sample of 290 creative professionals who engage in at least 20 hours of creative activities per week. Over a two-week period, participants provided daily responses on their creative behaviours and emotions.

Results found those participating were increasingly creative in both their work and everyday lives when they felt a strong sense of wellbeing and positive emotions.

Researcher Kaile Smith said the motiviation for the research “stemmed from this belief that seems to permeate our culture that creative people are inherently troubled.”

“Our research finds that creative individuals have a highly adaptive psychological profile: the most creative individuals are more open, more conscientious, and have higher emotional stability as well as greater overall wellbeing.”

Study Lead Professor Joydeep Bhattacharya added that while the results suggest a strong correlation between creative behaviour and mental wellbeing, further research is needed to prove whether positive emotions ultimately lead to more creativity. 

“However, it is also possible that wellbeing and creativity are mutually reinforcing,” he said.