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The personality attributes of the creative individual, as well as the
characteristics of creative performance, can be seen as, in part,
deriving from or serving the Sensation-seeking temperament... Dr. Cramond identifies several studies which describe creative people
as having unusually high energy levels... as do individuals diagnosed
with ADHD.There are some relationships between Sensation-seeking and creative life.
Psychological researcher Bonnie Cramond proposes that the search for variety and intensity of stimulation of the Sensation-seeking individual will lead to:
Openness to experience, flexibility, risk taking, preference for complexity, and playfulness.
Receptivity to new and novel ideas and experiences are qualities that are held to be characteristic of the creative person.
The personality attributes of the creative individual, as well as the characteristics of creative performance, can be seen as, in part, deriving from or serving the Sensation-seeking temperament.
Stimulation seeking, ADHD and creativity
Flexibility of performance, generation of performance variety, novelty, complexity, and so on are important attributes of creative performance.
Dr. Cramond identifies several studies which describe creative people as having unusually high energy levels... as do individuals diagnosed with ADHD.
High energy also characterizes sensation-seeking individuals.
Research by Farley (1981) concludes that Sensation-seeking is implicated in the symptoms of the childhood disorder of hyperactivity (ADHD).
He advises that children so diagnosed should be treated with adaptive education rather than medication and proposes that such children will often do well when offered sensation-rich experiences such as exposure to "arousing education".
He suggests open-space classrooms, more unstructured conditions, discussion and discovery instructional modes, divergent creativity experiences and extroverted teachers.
In short he proposes to foster their creativity.
Creative people and ADHDers are both sometimes described as having difficult temperaments.
In order to achieve a satisfying amount of neurochemicals in the brain, the Sensation-seeking individual must receive a high level of mental stimulation.
An ADHDer in the in a non-stimulating environment is similar to a drug addict needing a fix: he or she becomes irritable and difficult. This is often experienced as intolerance of boredom.
Not just artists but also inventors, researchers and entrepreneurs rely on creativity to generate new ideas.
It is no surprise then, that many famous inventors and artists were not well rounded, "normal" individuals who did well in school.
Sometimes the qualities that cause problems for creative individuals are the same ones that may facilitate in their creative efforts.
- High energy, verbal diatribes,unique ways of thinking and behaving may be misinterpreted as inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity.
- Creative people typically have a broad range of interests and show a tendency to play with ideas, sometimes losing interest in one subject and turning to another because their interests are many and diverse.
- Daydreaming or focusing on internal thoughts may appear to others as inattention. Creative people often have a tendency to concentrate on their inner workings.
Dr. Cramond reflects that, "Perhaps what differentiates individuals who use their rapid ideation to create versus those who are disruptive and unproductive is the talent and opportunity to express their energies and ideas in some creative mode."
Reference:
The Coincidence of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Creativity by Bonnie Cramond, Ph.D., The University of Georgia, March 1995
Susan Meindl, MA, is a licensed psychologist in private practice in Montreal Canada. She has a special interest in Jungian ideas and practices a Jungian approach to psychodynamic psychotherapy
http://therapists.psychologytoday.com/rms/59983
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Susan_Meindl
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Images are from books :
Delivered from Distraction: Getting the Most out of Life with Attention Deficit Disorder, by Edward M. Hallowell, MD and John J. Ratey, MD.
Fostering Creativity in Gifted Students, by Frances Karnes, Bonnie Cramond
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