Do you know how to help people to be creative?

Some people need structure to become creative

Some people need structure to become creative

Giving people who like structure ‘steps’ helps them become creative.

Folklore says creativity happens in a free and easy and unstructured way. Also, people who need structure, and like detail, are often seen as being uncreative. For many people, this folklore view may be true.

However, this isn’t the whole story. Recent research (Reitzschel. et al., 2014) suggests that some people who prefer to work in more structured and defined ways are also creative. In contrast to the folklore view, their creativity tends to emerge when they are provided with information and strategies that help them in approaching a creative task. The reason for this is that for them structure reduces ambiguity and so unlocks their creativity.

So, how do you help people who need structure to become creative?

  • Give them information about how to undertake a task. For example, if you want them to draw what a bridge may look like, then provide the steps:
Provide an outline structure

Provide an outline structure

1.create a stick-frame outline;

2. fill in the key features

3. finalise the building materials…

  •  Don’t tell them what to do – avoid over-clarification of the expected outcome.


Basically, motivate those who need structure by providing them with information about how to approach a task.

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Marjorie Raymond

Marjorie Raymond

T: 07779 345 499




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