We tend to think that creativity is innate -- you've either got it or you don't. Our "creative type" friends are artsy, full of wonder and always wanting to dig into something deeper. The rest? They're investment bankers.


Contrary to popular belief, no one is born without a creative bone in his or her body, and not all creative types are starving artists. In other words, we've all got it, but our personalities play a role in the kind of creative we are, and how we best feed into it.


"Our creative process is how we see the world and how we make decisions," David B. Goldstein, artist, researcher, management consultant and the co-author of "Creative You: Using Your Personality Type to Thrive[1] " told The Huffington Post.


While we might typify creativity, Goldstein says this is limiting. "There's more than one way to be creative -- everyone is creative and can be creative in their own way."


In his book, Goldstein reveals 16 different paths in which people can unearth their creativity, all of which depend on their psychological preferences. The author connects the personalities dictated by the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator assessment[2] , a test developed on the basis that we all have particular preferences in the way we translate our life experiences and values.


Since many of us still think of creativity as a rote personality type of its own, there's a lot about the phenomenon about which we're misinformed. Below, find five creativity myths that, hopefully, once you see past, will unleash your inner creative genius.


Stepping "outside of your comfort zone" is the best way to elicit creativity.

"Creativity comes from finding our comfort zone and standing in it," Goldstein says. "When we're comfortable and acting in our preferences, we have the courage to take risks." The artist explains that when you're not comfortable, you're less likely to take the risks that could lead to that bright idea.


Plus, some of our best ideas come in the most unexpected places -- like in the car driving home -- where we feel mighty comfortable. These physical locations aren't new to us, but they give our minds the "OK" to wander. As Woody Allen recently told Esquire[3] , his creative thoughts brew best in places like the shower. "It's the change of venue, the unblocking the attempt to force the ideas that's crippling you when you're trying to write."


Brainstorming sessions are the best ways to come up with brilliant ideas.

Some, namely extroverts, feel most alive when surrounded by a group of people. But this is not the case for all -- especially the introverted types who experience a sense of draining when they're around others for too long, Goldstein explains. The trick is to find what setting works best for you. "Often for an introvert, their best ideas come when they’re driving home," says Goldstein. And that could have huge implications for creativity in the workplace.


Being creative means being spontaneous.

Some of the most inspiring, creative works came with a set of plans. Painter Henri Matisse[4] , for example, constructed all of his paintings before he began. He even wore a suit and tie while he created -- not exactly the splattered, ragged overalls we associate with artsy folk. Edward Hopper and Norman Rockwell were also big planners, says Goldstein, who admits to meticulously strategizing the layout of his paintings before he puts the brush to canvas.


Creative people must invent something new.

Only 30 percent of the population have the personality of the "intuitive types." These are the Einsteins and the Edisons -- big picture thinkers who create something out of nothing. (The lightbulb, for example, did not exist until Edison decided it should.) Goldstein says these kinds of thinkers are abstract and impractical -- they contemplate the future and solve "future problems."


And yet, the "sensers" -- the majority of us -- aren't any less creative, just a different kind. Sensers create by combining existing ideas. Think of Henry Ford, who didn't invent the car, but thought up many ways to improve it.


Of course, a person isn't necessarily strictly a senser or an intuitive: "There's an overlap," Goldstein explains. "The intuitives can pay attention to detail and do think in the moments, and sensers can look into the future and see the bigger picture."


Creativity means having a finished product.

You don't need to create something worthy of display to be considered creative. Those with a "perceiver" personality type tend to never see things as entirely complete, because they're always inspired to add more. "If you're a perceiver, you prefer endlessly modifying, editing, repainting and revisiting since there is an unlimited and continuous flow of data to consider," Goldstein writes in his book.


Picasso, undoubtedly a perceiver, had strong feelings about this: "To finish a work? To finish a picture? What nonsense!

To finish it means to be through with it, to kill it, to rid it of its soul.”



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  • Post-Vacation Blues


    With a vacation on the horizon, life can seem a little bit brighter. Looming deadlines don't seem so hard to meet, to-do lists become nearly fun, daily annoyances are brushed aside. The problem with a great vacation is that, like all good things, it eventually must come to an end. And when vacation ends, the brightness of everyday life seems, for many people, to dull. All too soon that vacation feeling -- the excitement and sense of peace that was alive and kicking just a few days prior -- can seem like a far-off memory. In fact, research shows it takes a really superior break to instill lasting happiness. In a 2010 study, researchers found that <a href="http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs11482-009-9091-9" target="_hplink">only vacationers who deemed their breaks "very relaxing" felt notably happier upon returning to everyday life</a>. Vacationers who reflected on their time off as "relaxing", "neutral" or at all stressful noted no change in happiness after re-entry. For those who had "very relaxing" holidays, that <a href="http://www.rodale.com/vacations-and-stress?page=0,0" target="_hplink">post-vacation glow lasted eight weeks</a>(!) after returning to work, Rodale reported. So how do you capitalize on those eight weeks of potential bliss? "It is to be expected that you would feel a little let down [after vacation]," says Robin Haight, PsyD, a clinical psychologist in Tyson's Corner, Virginia, "but it's not inevitable. If you've really given yourself a good vacation, coming back to your routine doesn't have to feel bad." One way to do that? "Make sure you are <em>on vacation</em> when you're on vacation," Haight says. <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/02/stress-free-vacation-prepare_n_3518955.html" target="_hplink">Taking some time to prepare</a> can ensure that you have that key "very relaxing" time away. And a few easy steps can help you avoid the irritability, anxiety, lack of motivation and problems focusing that all together add up to the dreaded <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111903648204576552652359497910.html" target="_hplink">post-vacation syndrome</a> upon your return. [Note: Should your funk persist, the problem may not be simply post-vacation letdown. Consider consulting a mental healthcare provider, says Haight.]




  • Set boundaries


    The "tyranny" of email or social media is a real stressor for many people, says Haight, and vacation often offers a little more wiggle-room when it comes to going off the grid. It's a lesson that's easily applied once back in the real world, she says. "I like the idea of being more mindful about the ways you're going to be plugged in during the day." Maybe that means no work email after dinner or turning the phone off a couple of hours before bed. Setting aside a few of times a day to check in rather than checking in constantly can help you feel more in control, she says.




  • Relive the experience


    If you really loved your vacation, take some time to share what was so special about it with close family and friends. Relish looking over your photos from the trip. Reliving the time you spent away can keep that relaxation response going, says Haight. While you'll have to acknowledge that you are indeed back to the daily grind, you now have a new and memorable experience to carry with you.




  • Don't do anything just because you have to


    Sure, you're obligated to return to work. But during the first few days back at your desk, <a href="http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/how-to-get-the-benefits-of-a-t-149174" target="_hplink">allow yourself to slack on chores or cancel dinner plans</a> that just weren't exciting you, Cambria Bold wrote for Apartment Therapy. "Ask yourself this question," she wrote: <blockquote>Do I feel happiest doing this thing right now, or am I doing it out of a sense of obligation? Is there something else I would rather be doing? You may find that this is a particularly hard thing to do: it feels selfish to focus purely on what you want to be doing. But for one day, it's the key to feeling reinvigorated, rather than rundown.</blockquote>




  • Schedule in some fun


    Plan an activity during your first few days back that's a little out of your ordinary routine, like a nice dinner out during the middle of the week, says Teri Bourdeau, Ph.D., clinical associate professor at Oklahoma State University's Center for Health Sciences. That way, you get to spend some time focusing on pleasure (just like when you're on vacation) rather than going about your week with an "all work and no play" attitude.




  • Consider a new job (really!)


    "Vacation is an escape from our routines, our responsibilities and our roles," says Haight. And when we come back, we have to re-confront what we left behind. Many people feel refreshed after a vacation and ready to tackle the day-to-day, she says. For others, re-entry isn't so easy. "I think vacation gives people some perspective and reminds them of areas of life they're not satisfied with," she says. "If it has felt like a wake-up call, it's time to start reevaluating things in your life," she says. If you absolutely dread going back to the office, it could be <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111903648204576552652359497910.html" target="_hplink">more than the post-vacation blues and time for a real change</a>, The Wall Street Journal reported. Just don't mistake missing your beach chair for a sure sign, and give yourself more than a couple of days to mull over any big decisions.




  • Start planning the next one


    You don't have to harbor that sense of "I need another vacation" dread if you're already getting started organizing your next trip. This time away may have made you realize how much you truly love to travel or how nourishing it was to spend time with your chosen travel companions. Ask yourself how you can make that happen <em>more</em>, says Haight. "Start thinking about what you want your life to look like, how you want your life to unfold," she says. "Now is a perfect time to reflect and even make plans to take steps to make this possible again."