Skip to main content Accessibility help

We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.

Close cookie message
×
Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-fbnjt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-10T07:35:32.249Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

21 - Everyday Creativity as a Pathway to Meaning and Well-Being

from Part IV - Emotions and Creative Products

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 February 2023

By
Molly Holinger  and
James C. Kaufman
Edited by
Zorana Ivcevic ,
Jessica D. Hoffmann  and
James C. Kaufman
Zorana Ivcevic
Affiliation:
Yale University, Connecticut
Jessica D. Hoffmann
Affiliation:
Yale University, Connecticut
James C. Kaufman
Affiliation:
University of Connecticut
Get access

Summary

This chapter explores the broader topic of creativity and positive outcomes, of which positive emotions are one. The other positive outcomes we focus on include socialization, personal growth, meaning/legacy, and flow. We first describe the various models of well-being that feature these outcomes, such as subjective well-being (SWB; Diener, 1984), psychological well-being (Ryff, 1995), flourishing (Seligman, 2011), and self-determination theory (Ryan & Deci, 2017). In the bulk of this chapter, we discuss the existing research in the creativity field related to each of these five outcomes. Major progress on this topic has been made in recent years, offering much to discuss.

Keywords

flowlegacysubjective well-beingpsychological well-beingflourishingeveryday creativity
Type
Chapter
Information
The Cambridge Handbook of Creativity and Emotions , pp. 394 - 410
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2023

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Acar, S., Tadik, H., Myers, D., Van der Sman, C., & Uysal, R. (2020). Creativity and wellbeing: A meta-analysis. Journal of Creative Behavior, 55, 738–751. https://doi.org/10.1002/jocb.485CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Almond, S. (2012, March 23). Why talk therapy is on the wane and writing workshops are on the rise. The New York Times. www.nytimes.com/2012/03/25/magazine/why-talk-therapy-is-on-the-wane-and-writing-workshops-are-on-the-rise.htmlGoogle Scholar
Amabile, T. M., Barsade, S. G., Meuller, J. S., & Staw, B. M. (2005). Affect and creativity at work. Administrative Science Quarterly, 50, 367–403. https://doi.org/10.2189/asqu.2005.50.3.367Google Scholar
Arndt, J., Greenberg, J., Solomon, S., Pyszczynski, T., & Schimel, J. (1999). Creativity and terror management: The effects of creative activity on guilt and social projection following mortality salience. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 77, 19–32. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.77.1.19Google Scholar
Asakawa, K. (2004). Flow experience and autotelic personality in Japanese college students: How do they experience challenges in daily life? Journal of Happiness Studies, 5, 123–154. https://doi.org/10.1023/B:JOHS.0000035915.97836.89CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Baas, M., De Dreu, C. K., & Nijstad, B. A. (2008). A meta-analysis of 25 years of mood-creativity research: Hedonic tone, activation, or regulatory focus? Psychological Bulletin, 134, 779–806. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0012815Google Scholar
Beghetto, R. A., & Kaufman, J. C. (2007). Toward a broader conception of creativity: A case for “mini-c” creativity. Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, 1, 73–79. https://doi.org/10.1037/1931-3896.1.2.73Google Scholar
Boldt, G., & Kaufman, J. C. (in press). Creativity and meaning at work. In Reiter-Palmon, R. & Hunter, S. T. (Eds.), Handbook of Organizational Creativity (2nd ed.). Academic Press.Google Scholar
Burnett, W., & Evans, D. J. (2016). Designing Your Life: How to Build a Well-Lived, Joyful Life. Alfred A. Knopf.Google Scholar
Calhoun, L. G., & Tedeschi, R. G. (2001). Posttraumatic growth: The positive lesson of loss. In Neigmeyer, R. A. (Ed.), Meaning Reconstruction and the Experience of Loss (pp. 157–172). American Psychological Association.Google Scholar
Cho, , S., Johanson, M. M., & Guchait, P. (2009). Employees intent to leave: A comparison of determinants of intent to leave versus intent to stay. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 28, 374–381. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2008.10.007Google Scholar
Cohen, G. D. (2006). Research on creativity and aging: The positive impact of the arts on health and illness. Generations: Journal of the American Society on Aging, 30, 7–15. www.jstor.org/stable/26555432Google Scholar
Collins, A. L., Sarkisian, N., & Winner, E. (2008). Flow and happiness in later life: An investigation into the role of daily and weekly flow experiences. Journal of Happiness Studies, 10, 703–719. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-008-9116-3.Google Scholar
Conner, T. S. DeYoung, C. G., & Silvia, P. J. (2018) Everyday creative activity as a path to flourishing, The Journal of Positive Psychology, 13, 181–189. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2016.1257049Google Scholar
Conner, T. S., & Silvia, P. J. (2015). Creative days: A daily diary study of emotions, personality, and everyday creativity. Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, 10, 287–295. https://doi.org/10.1037/aca0000022Google Scholar
Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. Harper & Row.Google Scholar
Csikszentmihalyi, M., & LeFevre, J. (1989). Optimal experience in work and leisure. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 56, 815–822. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.56.5.815Google Scholar
Cui, Y. X., Zhou, X., Zu, C., et al. (2020). Benevolent creativity buffers anxiety aroused by mortality salience: Terror management in COVID-19 Pandemic. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 3705. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.601027Google Scholar
Diener, E. (1984). Subjective well-being. Psychological Bulletin, 95, 542–575. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.95.3.542Google Scholar
Diener, E., Suh, E. M., Lucas, R. E., & Smith, H. L. (1999). Subjective well-being: Three decades of progress. Psychological Bulletin, 125, 276–302. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.125.2.276Google Scholar
Donnellan, M. B., & Lucas, R. E. (2008). Age differences in the Big Five across the life span: evidence from two national samples. Psychology and Aging, 23, 558–566. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0012897Google Scholar
Doron, E. (2017). Fostering creativity in school aged children through perspective taking and visual media based short term intervention program. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 23, 150–160. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2016.12.003Google Scholar
Ericsson, K. A. Roring, R. W., & Nandagopal, K. (2007). Giftedness and evidence for reproducibly superior performance: An account based on the expert-performance framework. High Ability Studies, 18, 3–56. https://doi.org/10.1080/13598130701350593Google Scholar
Erikson, E. H. (1982). The Life Cycle Completed. W. W. Norton.Google Scholar
Eschleman, K. J., Madsen, J., Alarcon, G., & Barelka, A. (2014). Benefiting from creative activity: The positive relationships between creative activity, recovery experiences, and performance-related outcomes. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 87, 579–598. https://doi.org/10.1111/joop.12064Google Scholar
Fisher, B. J., & Specht, D. K. (1999). Successful aging and creativity in later life. Journal of Aging Studies, 13, 457–472. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0890–4065(99)00021-3Google Scholar
Flood, M., & Phillips, K. D. (2007). Creativity in older adults: A plethora of possibilities. Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 28, 389–411. https://doi.org/10.1080/01612840701252956CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Forgeard, M. J. (2013). Perceiving benefits after adversity: The relationship between self-reported posttraumatic growth and creativity. Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, 7, 245–264. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0031223CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Forgeard, M. J. C., & Kaufman, J. C. (2016). Who cares about imagination, creativity, and innovation, and why? A review. Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, 10(3), 250–269. https://doi.org/10.1037/aca0000042Google Scholar
Frankl, V. E. (2006). Man’s Search for Meaning. Beacon Press. (Original work published 1946)Google Scholar
Gallup Poll. (1988). Omnibus, IIIGoogle Scholar
Gladding, S. T., & Martin, B. (2010). Creativity and self-esteem in later life. In Guindon, M. H. (Ed.), Self-Esteem across the Lifespan: Issues and Interventions (pp. 311–323). Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group. https://doi.org/10.1080/08952841.2011.561147Google Scholar
Glăveanu, V. P. (2015). Creativity as a sociocultural act. The Journal of Creative Behavior, 49, 165–180. https://doi.org/10.1002/jocb.94Google Scholar
Gocłowska, M. A., Baas, M., Elliot, A. J., & De Dreu, C. K. W. (2017). Why schema-violations are sometimes preferable to schema-consistencies: The role of interest and openness to experience. Journal of Research in Personality, 66, 54–69. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrp.2016.12.005Google Scholar
Gocłowska, M. A., Crisp, R. J., & Labuschagne, K. (2013). Can counter-stereotypes boost flexible thinking? Group Processes & Intergroup Relations, 16, 217–231. https://doi.org/10.1177/1368430212445076Google Scholar
Graham, E. K., Weston, S. J., Gerstorf, D., et al. (2020). Trajectories of big five personality traits: A coordinated analysis of 16 longitudinal samples. European Journal of Personality, 34, 301–321. https://doi.org/10.1002/per.2259Google Scholar
Greaves, C. J., & Farbus, L. (2006). Effects of creative and social activity on the health and well-being of socially isolated older people: Outcomes from a multi-method observational study. The Journal of the Royal Society for the Promotion of Health, 126, 134–142. https://doi.org/10.1177/1466424006064303Google Scholar
Groyecka-Bernard, A., Karwowski, M., & Sorokowski, P. (2021). Creative thinking components as tools for reducing prejudice: Evidence from experimental studies on adolescents. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 39, 100779. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2020.100779Google Scholar
Han, S. (1988). The relationship between life satisfaction and flow in elderly Korean immigrants. In Csikszentmihalyi, M. & Csikszentmihalyi, I. S. (Eds.), Optimal Experience: Psychological Students of Flow in Consciousness (pp. 138–149). Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Heintzelman, S. J., & King, L. A. (2014). Life is pretty meaningful. American Psychologist, 69, 561–574. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0035049Google Scholar
Herzog, A. R., & House, J. S. (1991). Productive activities and aging well. Generations: Journal of the American Society on Aging, 15, 49–54. www.jstor.org/stable/44876955Google Scholar
Hoever, I. J., Van Knippenberg, D., Van Ginkel, W. P., & Barkema, H. G. (2012). Fostering team creativity: perspective taking as key to unlocking diversity’s potential. Journal of Applied Psychology, 97, 982–996. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0029159Google Scholar
Holinger, M., & Kaufman, J. C. (2018). The relationship between creativity and feedback. In Lipnevich, A. & Smith, J. (Eds), Cambridge Handbook of Instructional Feedback (pp. 575–588). Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Huta, V., & Zuroff, D. C. (2007). Examining mediators of the link between generativity and well-being. Journal of Adult Development, 14, 47–61. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10804-007-9030-7CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ivcevic, Z. (2007). Artistic and everyday creativity: An act-frequency approach. The Journal of Creative Behavior, 41, 271–290. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2162-6057.2007.tb01074.xCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ivcevic, Z., & Mayer, J. D. (2009). Mapping dimensions of creativity in the life-space. Creativity Research Journal, 21, 152–165. https://doi.org/10.1080/10400410902855259Google Scholar
Johnson, C. M., & Sullivan-Marx, E. M. (2006). Art therapy: Using the creative process for healing and hope among African American older adults. Geriatric Nursing, 27, 307–316.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kapoor, H., & Kaufman, J. C. (2020). Meaning-making through creativity during COVID-19. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 595990. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.595990Google Scholar
Karwowski, M., Lebuda, I., Szumski, G., & Firkowska-Mankiewicz, A. (2017). From moment-to-moment to day-to-day: Experience sampling and diary investigations in adults’ everyday creativity. Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, 11(3), 309–324. https://doi.org/10.1037/aca0000127Google Scholar
Kaufman, J. C., & Beghetto, R. A. (2009). Beyond big and little: The Four C Model of Creativity. Review of General Psychology, 13, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0013688CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kaufman, J. C., & Beghetto, R. A. (2013). In praise of Clark Kent: Creative metacognition and the importance of teaching kids when (not) to be creative. Roeper Review, 35, 155–165. https://doi.org/10.1080/02783193.2013.799413Google Scholar
Kaufman, S. B. (2020). Transcend: The New Science of Self-Actualization. TarcherPerigee.Google Scholar
King, L. A., Heintzelman, S. J., & Ward, S. J. (2016). Beyond the search for meaning: A contemporary science of the experience of meaning in life. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 25, 211–216. https://doi.org/10.1177/0963721416656354Google Scholar
Kleine, A.‐K., Rudolph, C. W., & Zacher, H. (2019). Thriving at work: A meta‐analysis. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 40, 973–999. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.2375Google Scholar
Leder, H., Belke, B., Oeberst, A., & Augustin, D. (2004). A model of aesthetic appreciation and aesthetic judgments. British Journal of Psychology, 95(4), 489–508. https://doi.org/10.1348/0007126042369811Google Scholar
Lifton, R. J. (1979). The Broken Connection. Simon & Schuster.Google Scholar
Lifton, R. J. (2011). Witness to an Extreme Century: A Memoir. Free Press.Google Scholar
Malchiodi, C. A. (2012). Creativity and aging: An art therapy perspective. In Malchiodi, C. A. (Ed.), Handbook of Art Therapy (2nd ed., pp. 275–287). Guilford Press.Google Scholar
Martela, F., & Steger, M. F. (2016). The three meanings of meaning in life: Distinguishing coherence, purpose, and significance. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 11(5), 531–545. https://doi.org/10.080/17439760.2015.1137623Google Scholar
Martin, D. J., Garske, J. P., & Davis, M. K. (2000). Relation of the therapeutic alliance with outcome and other variables: A meta-analytic review. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 68, 438–450. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-006X.68.3.438Google Scholar
Maslow, A. H. (1943). A theory of human motivation. Psychological Review, 50, 370–396.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Massimini, F., Csikszentmihalyi, M., & Delle Fave, A. (1988). Flow and biocultural evolution. In Csikszentmihalyi, M. & Csikszentmihalyi, I. (Eds.), Optimal Experience: Psychological Studies of Flow in Consciousness (pp. 60–81). Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
McKay, A. S., Mohan, M., & Reina, C. S. (2022). Another day, another chance: Daily workplace experiences and their impact on creativity. Journal of Product Innovation Management, 39(3), 292–311. https://doi.org/10.1111/jpim.12573Google Scholar
Metzl, E. S. (2009). The role of creative thinking in resilience after hurricane Katrina. Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, 3, 112–123. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0013479CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Noice, T., Noice, H., & Kramer, A. F. (2014). Participatory arts for older adults: A review of benefits and challenges. Gerontologist, 54, 741–753. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnt138Google Scholar
Packer, J., & Ballantyne, J. (2011). The impact of music festival attendance on young people’s psychological and social well-being. Psychology of Music, 39, 164–181. https://doi.org/10.1177/0305735610372611Google Scholar
Pennebaker, J. W. (1997). Writing about emotional experiences as a therapeutic process. Psychological Science, 8, 162–166. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9280.1997.tb00403.xGoogle Scholar
Pennebaker, J. W., & Beall, S. (1986). Confronting a traumatic event: Toward an understanding of inhibition and disease. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 95, 274–281. https://doi.org/10.1037//0021-843x.95.3.274Google Scholar
Perach, R., & Wisman, A. (2019). Can creativity beat death? A review and evidence on the existential anxiety buffering functions of creative achievement. The Journal of Creative Behavior, 53, 193–210. https://doi.org/10.1002/jocb.171Google Scholar
Reiter-Palmon, R., Robinson-Morral, E. J., Kaufman, J. C., & Santo, J. B. (2012). Evaluation of self-perceptions of creativity: Is it a useful criterion? Creativity Research Journal, 24, https://doi.org/107-114. 10.1080/10400419.2012.676980CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Richards, R. L. (2007). Everyday creativity: Our hidden potential. In Richards, R. (Ed.), Everyday Creativity and New Views of Human Nature (pp. 25–54). American Psychological Association.Google Scholar
Rizkalla, L., Wertheim, E. H., & Hodgson, L. K. (2008). The roles of emotion management and perspective taking in individuals’ conflict management styles and disposition to forgive. Journal of Research in Personality, 42, 1594–1601. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrp.2008.07.014Google Scholar
Rogers, C. (1961). On Becoming a Person. Houghton Mifflin.Google Scholar
Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2001). On happiness and human potentials: A review of research on hedonic and eudaimonic well-being. Annual Review of Psychology, 52, 141–166. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.psych.52.1.141Google Scholar
Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2017). Self-Determination Theory: Basic Psychological Needs in Motivation, Development, and Wellness. Guilford Press. https://doi.org/10.1521/978.14625/28806Google Scholar
Ryff, C. D. (1989). Happiness is everything, or is it? Explorations on the meaning of psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 57, 1069–1081. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.57.6.1069CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ryff, C. D. (1995). Psychological well-being in adult life. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 4, 99–104. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8721.ep10772395Google Scholar
Seligman, M. E. P. (2011). Flourish. Simon & Schuster.Google Scholar
Seligman, M. E. P., Forgeard, M., & Kaufman, S. B. (2016). Creativity and aging: What we can make with what we have left. In Seligman, M. E. P., Railton, P., Baumeister, R. F., & Sripada, C. (Eds.), Homo Prospectus (pp. 305–350). Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Sherman, A., & Shavit, T. (2018). The thrill of creative effort at work: An empirical study on work, creative effort and well-being. Journal of Happiness Studies, 19, 2049–2069. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-017-9910-xGoogle Scholar
Shoshani, A., & Russo-Netzer, P. (2017). Exploring and assessing meaning in life in elementary school children: Development and validation of the meaning in life in children questionnaire (MIL-CQ). Personality and Individual Differences, 104, 460–465. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2016.09.014Google Scholar
Silvia, P. J., Beaty, R. E., Nusbaum, E. C., et al. (2014). Everyday creativity in daily life: An experience-sampling study of “little c” creativity. Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, 8, 183–188. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0035722Google Scholar
Silvia, P. J., & Cotter, K. N. (2021). Researching Daily Life: A Guide to Experience Sampling and Daily Diary Methods. American Psychological Association.Google Scholar
Simonton, D. K. (1989). The swan-song phenomenon: Last-works effects for 172 classical composers. Psychology and Aging, 4, 42–47. https://doi.org/10.1037//0882-7974.4.1.42Google Scholar
Simonton, D. K. (2009). Genius 101. Springer.Google Scholar
Simonton, D. K. (2012). Creative productivity and aging: An age decrement – or not? In Whitbourne, S. K. & Sliwinski, M. J. (Eds.), The Wiley-Blackwell Handbook of Adulthood and Aging (pp. 477–496). Wiley-Blackwell.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Smith, J. K. (2014). The Museum Effect: How Museums, Libraries, and Cultural Institutions Educate and Civilize Society. Rowman & Littlefield.Google Scholar
Specht, J., Egloff, B., & Schmukle, S. C. (2011). Stability and change of personality across the life course: The impact of age and major life events on mean-level and rank-order stability of the Big Five. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 101, 862–882. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0024950CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Spreitzer, G., Sutcliffe, K., Dutton, J., Sonenshein, S., & Grant, A. M. (2005). A socially embedded model of thriving at work. Organization Science, 16, 537–549. https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.1050.0153Google Scholar
Sternberg, R. J., Pretz, J. E., & Kaufman, J. C. (2003). Types of innovations. In Shavinina, L. (Ed.), The International Handbook of Innovation (pp. 158–169). Erlbaum.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tang, M., Hofreiter, S., Reiter-Palmon, R., Bai, X., & Murugavel, V. (2021). Creativity as a means to well-being in times of COVID-19 pandemic: Results of a cross-cultural study. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 601389. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.601389CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tedeschi, R. G., & Calhoun, L. G. (1996). The posttraumatic growth inventory: Measuring the positive legacy of trauma. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 9, 455–471. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02103658Google Scholar
Wells, A. J. (1988). Self-esteem and optimal experience. In Csikszentmihalyi, M. & Csikszentmihalyi, I. (Eds.), Optimal Experience: Psychological Studies of Flow in Consciousness (pp. 327–341). Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zuckerman, H. (1977). Scientific Elite: Nobel Laureates in the United States. Free Press.Google Scholar

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure coreplatform@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×