This article discusses the 1968 NASA creativity test and how it uncovered our colossally inept school system and how it’s been that way for decades.
The importance of working at the peak of your creative abilities has become critical for the survival of our society.
To do that you have to know that you can – consistently – generate ideas, solve problems, and be innovative.
People who tend to be more creative than others have learned to use two types of thought processes simultaneously.
The Divergent and Convergent thought process must be working in tandem so you can access your greatest level of creative capacity.
It takes a little practice, but we all can increase our creativity, much faster than you’d think, too.
We just need to start practicing using our divergent and convergent thinking processes simultaneously.
I like to think of it as using our Intuition and Logic.
Remember that when you first start to do this you’ll be “un-learning” many years of institutionalized schooling. It will be uncomfortable and probably a bit disorienting.
However, when you’re building creative skills, it often involves stepping out of your comfort zone.
Practicing creative skills regularly, and fostering a supportive environment that encourages experimentation and growth can catapult you’re creativity forward by leaps and bounds.
I believe it’s safe to say most adults would say they have a limited sense of creative confidence at best.
And science backs this up.
THE CREATIVITY TEST
In 1968, NASA contacted Dr George Land and Dr. Beth Jarman to develop a creativity test that would allow them to effectively measure the creative potential of NASA’s rocket scientists and engineers.
The test turned out to be very successful for NASA’s purposes.
Below is a chart based on the results of the creativity test Drs. Land and Jarman created;
This NASA study showed that:
98% of 5-year-olds test at a Creative Genius Level.
30% of 10 year olds test at the Creative Genius Level.
13% of 15-year-olds test at the Creative Genius Level.
Only 2% of adults test at the Creative Genius Level.
The great news is that Dr. Land says that we can turn that around IMMEDIATELY…
Much of how we improve our creative confidence has to do with HOW we think.
It’s by engaging both the Divergent (imagination/intuition) and Convergent (analytical/logical) thought processes of the brain.
The key is to employ BOTH processes at the same time.
Listen below as Dr. George Land tells us how to come back to our creative confidence during a TedTalk in 2011.
