Creativity

Articles, Films and practical Guides on creativity, part of Psyche’s coverage of creativity and the arts.
Photo of a person’s closed eyes with colourful ribbons in red and yellow partially obscuring the face.
THE BODY AND PHYSICAL HEALTH

Painting myself back to life

I’d dealt with many illnesses. But when lupus left scars on my face, my suffering was suddenly visible

by Krystal Sital

A smiling woman with tattoos at an outdoor festival, surrounded by blurred people and trees in the background.
PERSONALITY
6

The trait that makes some people so frustrating – and alluring

Conscientiousness is constantly touted as a virtue, so what’s life like for people with the opposite trait – disinhibition?

by Janan Mostajabi

Photo of an elderly man speaking at a podium with a microphone onstage, wearing a dark suit and glasses.
CREATIVITY

James Earl Jones reads Kurt Vonnegut on why art is central to a meaningful life

Video by Letters Live

Photo of a hand using a black marker to redact text on paper several words are boxed to be emphasised.
POETRY

Reignite your creative fire with blackout poetry – the art of framing what’s already there

Directed by Andrew Lavers

Close-up of hands holding clear frogspawn with visible black eggs in a natural outdoor setting.
Psyche Exclusive
CREATIVITY

A filmmaker’s never-realised ideas become an exploration of self-doubt

Directed by Cameron Nicoll

Black and white drawing of stylised smoke or clouds rising from the ground in swirling patterns.
THE SELF

Why bad doodles can reveal more about you than good drawings

For Marion Milner, ‘not being able’ is a valuable state – one that allows for new and unexpected forms of learning

by David Russell

Black and white photo of a person sleeping on a train with their head on a blanket near a window with a blurred view outside.
SLEEP AND DREAMS
6

The brain’s twilight zone: when you’re neither awake nor asleep

Neuroscientists are demystifying this in-between state, uncovering its role in memory processing and its creative potential

by Célia Lacaux

Abstract painting of a vibrant landscape with trees, buildings, and a river in bold geometric shapes and colours.
CREATIVITY

A key part of creativity is picking up on what others overlook

We all constantly filter a flood of details coming in. This process helps explain what gives some brains a creative edge

by Madeleine Gross

A wide empty road with buildings on either side under a blue sky filled with fluffy clouds.
CREATIVITY
1

Your 10-step plan for achieving a creative breakthrough

We often think of Aha! moments occurring by fluke, but there are evidence-based ways to make it more likely they will occur

by Nick Kabrel

Silhouette of person standing before an orange light, creating a glowing halo effect on a neutral background.
PAINTING AND SCULPTURE

Toxic materials become sculptures of light and air in this artist’s hands

Directed by Anika Kan Grevstad

Photo of a paint colour swatch booklet with various shades of blue, yellow and neutral tones in rectangles.
CREATIVITY
4

How to use ‘possibility thinking’

Have you hit an impasse in your personal or professional life? Answer these questions to open your mind to what’s possible

by Constance de Saint Laurent & Vlad Glăveanu

Photo of a young child in a classroom sitting at a table playing with a padlock, with blurred shelves and children in the background.
THINKING AND INTELLIGENCE

Innovative three-year-olds expose the limits of AI chatbots

New experiments show that very young children are better at solving creative puzzles than ChatGPT and other AI models

by Shayla Love

Photo of two people partially obscured, with sunlight streaming through a window behind them and a thumb in the foreground.
PHOTOGRAPHY
4

How to take better photos

Anyone can learn the principles that are essential to capturing quality images. Follow these tips and see the difference

by Paul Pope

A hand-drawn pie chart titled “Why I Do Not Read Lips,” with segments like “Honey, it’s not game night – no charades please,” “Too much eye contact, I have my limits,” and “Olive juice my ass.”
CREATIVITY

This artist’s clever work moves Deaf culture from the margins to centre stage

Directed by Chiemi Karasawa

Abstract, surreal artwork featuring distorted shapes and figures in soft colours with a dreamlike, fluid appearance against a dark background.
CREATIVITY
2

Human and machine worlds converge into dizzying, dreamlike visual art

Directed by Robert Seidel