Deliberate and cognitive creativity

Individuals who exhibit deliberate and cognitive creativity are research-oriented and favor
repeated experiments and investigations to achieve their creative goals. A part of the brain called
the prefrontal cortex (PFC) allows for extended periods of focus and information-gathering that
typifies this kind of creativity. Thomas Edison’s work on the light bulb, which required numerous
trials, is a perfect example of deliberate and cognitive creativity

Deliberate and emotional creativity

The amygdala and cingulate cortex regulate deliberate and emotional creativity, which combines a
reliance on logic and facts with emotional sensitivity. Individuals who fall under this category favor
quiet time, which helps generate random “a-ha” moments of clarity and creative inspiration.

Spontaneous and cognitive creativity

A “eureka” moment, like the one that reportedly inspired Isaac Newton’s theories on gravity,
defines spontaneous and cognitive creativity. Creative people in this category often need to shift
their focus from the problem at hand and focus on different activities. At these moments, the
basal ganglia of the brain activate unconscious awareness, allowing the PFC to draw on their body
of knowledge and connect information. Solutions arise when an idea or external inspiration
triggers the brain.

Spontaneous and emotional creativity

Great artists often meet the criteria for spontaneous and emotional creativity. The amygdala—
which oversees emotional thinking—generates epiphanies, or sudden moments of inspiration,
which allow them to see a situation from a completely new perspective. Epiphanies aren’t forced
or manufactured but simply require patience.

Divergent thinking

Divergent thinking is the process of thought where a person uses flexibility, fluency and originality
to explore as many solutions or options to a problem or issue as possible. It is the opposite of
convergent thinking, which has the characteristic to focus on only one idea or single solution.