8 examples of creativity and innovative thinking

Creativity is undoubtedly one of the most valued skills today, both in the workplace and on a personal level. And it is that it is a capacity that allows changes to occur with respect to the above, for better or for worse.

But... what is creativity? Can we think of someone who is to help us understand it? In order to answer this last question throughout this article let's see examples of creativity, many of them great geniuses and historical figures of great relevance whose capacities supposed a change in different areas.

• Related article: "The 9 types of thinking and their characteristics"

What do we call creativity?

Before going on to see some examples of creative people and how they have used such creativity, it is advisable to first establish what we can consider this concept implies.

In a general way, we can consider creativity as the cognitive ability that allows us to create or generate new and original ideas, thoughts or strategies, which differ from the strategies or products existing up to now or available in the medium and that although they may start from fragments of reality and experience differ from typical procedures that have been used so far or learned through experience.

One of the elements on which this ability is based is lateral thinking, that is, the ability to leave what is established or learned to what throughout life to generate something new and different: generate possible and viable options even though they are not among those that are given to us beforehand.

This capacity is one of the most relevant and valued at the social level, since allows the generation of new procedures, products and ways of doing that promote development and allow learning and improvement of the personal and sociocultural situation. In fact, having a high creative capacity is one of the main criteria required to consider that a person has traits of genius.

Great examples of creativity

Once the concept of creativity has been defined in a generic way, we can go on to see a series of eight examples of highly creative people and how they have applied their capacity in different areas.

1. Leonardo da Vinci

Without a doubt, in a list that speaks of great examples of creativity, Leonardo Da cannot be missed. Vinci, one of the historical figures and considered a genius whose creativity continues to amaze today. today. Leonardo da Vinci excels in many branches of the arts and science: painting, sculpture, chemistry, medicine, mathematics and even physics were fields with which he dealt and in which he would be considered a genius.

Among many other contributions, we are going to cite a few: at a technological level, this genius came to develop ornithopter prototypes, (its well-known flying machine similar in appearance to today's delta wings) and even submarines.

On an artistic level, some of his paintings are "La Gioconda" or "The Last Supper", and on a medical level, his detailed descriptions and drawings of human anatomy stand out. All of this tells us of great creativity in multiple domains, something especially commendable in the time in which he lived.

2. Charles Darwin

An example of a historical character that he has stood out for his ability to elaborate and synthesize one of the most relevant theories in the study of life and living beings: the theory of evolution.

While this theory is something we take for granted today, back then it challenged the majority beliefs regarding how we had appeared in the world, of a character mystical-religious. Although his was not the only evolutionary theory (for example, the theory of Lamarck), without a doubt its development and the studies that this man carried out is highly creative, original and different from what was mostly accepted by then.

• You may be interested: "The psychology of creativity and creative thinking"

3. Albert Einstein

Another great genius whose work has required high creativity, Albert Einstein is widely known as one of the most brilliant physicists of modernity. His studies on Brownian motion and especially the creation of the theory of relativity were not only brilliant but also represented a paradigm shift within the world of physics.

4. Nicholas Tesla

Another highly creative genius, Nikola Tesla was an engineer and inventor and his contributions have helped change the world: now only the alternating current motor (and the Tesla coil) and its theoretical studies linked to the fields electromagnetic they have changed the technology that we have today.

To him and other great historical figures such as Thomas Edison we owe much of the progress technologies that led to the Second Industrial Revolution, including the popularization of energy use electrical.

5. Sigmund Freud

Although psychoanalysis is a theoretical current that is often criticized and the subject of controversy, it is undoubtedly one of the most creative and original theories of the psyche, and it was a revolution thanks to which the science of psychology and psychiatry has advanced greatly.

Although his theory is often criticized for not being falsifiable or empirically verifiable, the truth is that it has helped a large number of people throughout history and allowed the emergence of other currents theoretical.

The discovery of the unconscious and the theoretical development of psychic structures, theories of psychosexual development and studies on the hysteria were completely groundbreaking in his time, as well as his treatment and interest in the sexual sphere and the study of drives and repressions It is necessary to remember that he was born in Victorian times, in which there was a very high sexual repression and especially in regard to sexuality female).

6. Galileo Galilei

Although he had to back down in order to survive, Galileo Galilei was a man whose thought, while heir to some traditions and thoughts, had the value and originality of breaking with Aristotelian theories and proposing heliocentrism at a time when such a break could have meant the execution. In fact he is considered one of the fathers of modern astronomy, and his works were source of inspiration for the Copernicus Revolution and the development of other great scientific theories.

7. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Perhaps one of the areas in which creativity can be seen the most is within the arts. One of the most famous musicians of all time, his great creativity and genius were already visible from his earliest childhood and they would be throughout his life.

Even in his last years he came to compose great works, despite being seriously ill and having lost popularity. Even the great Beethoven was inspired by him (another great creative genius, who even after losing his hearing continued to compose some highly relevant works).

8. Pablo Picasso

The art world also has a host of highly creative geniuses. Among them we highlight some such as Salvador Dalí or Pablo Picasso. The latter was a co-founder of the pictorial style known as cubism, as well as one of the pioneers in the use of collage (together with Braque).

Bibliographic references:

• Johnson, D. M. (1972). Systematic introduction to the psychology of thinking. Harper & Row.
• Monreal, C. TO. (2000). What is creativity. Madrid: New Library