We love all of this piece…but glom the subtitle:
“(Hint: You Might Be a Bit of a Jerk)”
If you’re like us, that has to make you want to read on. So:
by Jennifer Miller
Forget Myers-Briggs. A study out of BI Norwegian Business School has determined the signposts of a “creative” personality. Conducted by Professor Øyvind L. Martinsen, the study posed 200 questions to 481 people. The subjects fell into three categories. One group of “baseline” subjects such as lecturers or managers, and two groups of people who are generally considered to be creative, such as students of advertising and performing artists. Martinsen says he found meaningful differences between the creative and noncreative groups.
There are seven elements of a creative personality, so if you’re thinking about quitting your job as a lawyer or stock analyst to go on tour with your band or finally write that novel, you might want to consider the list below.
You’re Creative If:
Your Mind Has an Associative Orientation. This means that you have an active imagination. “You can fluctuate between daydreaming and perceiving reality,” says Martinsen. “You’re playful and have an experimental attitude.” But you are also able to become deeply absorbed in your work. For example, you might be so involved in your work that you forget to eat lunch. Interestingly, the advertising students scored slightly higher with associative orientation than the artists. But both these groups ranked higher than the baseline sample.
You Hunger for Originality. The managers and lecturers were all about rules and systems. They lacked a rebellious spirit, which the advertising students and artists had in spades.
You’re Highly Motivated. All three groups were generally motivated to succeed, but the artists and ad students had just a bit more get-up-and-go.
You’re Ambitious. Artists demonstrated less of a craving for recognition and fame than the advertising students. Martinsen says this is because artists tend to be more introverted, which makes them less exhibitionist. Maybe he hasn’t heard of Lady Gaga.