Gifted people are also called creatively (highly) gifted people. They think associatively and come up with new solutions quickly. A very unique form of creativity. But are all gifted people creatively gifted? And is there also a link between introversion and creativity? Five questions about creative giftedness.
What does it mean to be creatively gifted?
Someone who is creatively gifted is quick to think and makes connections between things. New information is linked to existing information in order to arrive at new insights and ideas. It is a way of thinking that is not necessarily related to someone's IQ. So you don't have to be highly gifted to be creatively gifted.
Are all gifted people creatively gifted?
Not necessarily, but various studies show that this is usually the case for gifted people. Creativity is often mentioned as a characteristic of giftedness, but it's not so much about being artistic, but more about the ability to come up with original solutions.
Creative gifted people look at the world in a different way, which often makes them feel misunderstood. They are usually two steps ahead and excel in seeing opportunities for improvement. They love to innovate and change and always challenge themselves to do so. In addition, they like autonomy and do not hesitate to teach themselves new things.
What are the challenges of the creatively gifted?
Many creatively gifted people do not match well with the current school system. Simply because the lessons cover things that are different from where their talent lies. The creatively gifted person feels misunderstood and can therefore underperform. Sometimes this goes unseen, because the results are still in line with those of the rest of the class. But a creatively gifted person can also feel so bad about himself that it leads to behavioral problems.
The creatively gifted person often keeps on feeling misunderstood in working life. Due to his different view of things and the high thinking pace, it is difficult to connect with colleagues. Their unique qualities are often overlooked because creatively gifted people tend to keep their ideas to themselves and to adapt to such an extent that they lose their own identity.
How can this be solved?
Schools and teachers are well advised to learn more about the learning process of the creatively gifted person. He or she prefers to learn top-down, so by first gaining an overview and then diving deeper into the learning material. They also always look for the underlying idea, the why. By explaining that first, the creatively gifted person will better understand the usefulness of the curriculum.
For companies it is important to know what a creatively gifted person needs to function properly. For example, the work must be sufficiently challenging, must offer sufficient autonomy and the work environment should be a place where the creatively gifted person feels at home. In some cases, entrepreneurship can be a solution for creatively gifted people, because they find both the autonomy and the challenges that they are looking for.
Is there also a link between introversion, giftedness and creativity?
Various studies show that there is a link between giftedness and introversion. According to these, about 75 percent of people with an IQ of 160 or higher are introverted. This means that about the same percentage of the creatively gifted people are introverted.
There are also connections between introversion and creativity. Researcher Gregory Feist discovered that creative people (within both science and the arts) like to isolate themselves and also quickly get overwhelmed in social situations. These are both characteristics that are linked to introversion. The creative process requires some alone time.
If you are an introverted creative gifted person, then you can both associate well and are more artistic/ scientifically creative. In addition, it is important that you properly guard your own boundaries, because conserving your energy is of vital importance to you.
Do you run into the challenges of the (introverted) creative gifted? Then my Put Your Strength Into Action program is for you. This program starts with a personal intake, in which we discuss your specific situation. Are you in the right place or not? Is perfectionism getting in your way? Or do you feel that others underestimate or misunderstand you? Based on this conversation, we determine where the focus of your personal development program will be. We then work on your specific challenges in a four-month process.
