The Science of Creativity

Dr. Amy Climer is a thought leader in creativity and innovation. She argues that creativity emerges from a deliberate process. Creativity can be learned, practiced, and repeated. Researchers have discovered a lot about how to teach this effectively, and this is the theme of her new book, Deliberate Creative Teams. In Dr. Climer's view, creativity is an intentional, structured process. For over 20 years, she’s been facilitating creativity workshops with teams and organizations. She helps companies learn how to foster an innovative culture through her company Climer Consulting. She’s the developer of the Deliberate CreativeⓇ Team Scale and the ClimerⓇ Cards, both powerful tools for enhancing team creativity. For more information: Amy’s company: Climer Consulting Amy’s book: Deliberate Creative Teams  Music by license from SoundStripe: "Uptown Lovers Instrumental" by AFTERNOONZ "Miss Missy" by AFTERNOONZ "What's the Big Deal" by Ryan Saranich   Copyright (c) 2024 Keith Sawyer

Dr. Yoed Kenett studies the types of thinking and knowledge that support creativity. His research helps us understand the core mental processes of creativity, including associative thinking and question formulation. In this episode, we talk about the practical implications of his research and we show how that research can be used to enhance your creativity. He’s done research at the Hebrew University at Jerusalem; Bar-Ilan University; Brown University; and the University of Pennsylvania. Since 2020, he’s been a Senior Lecturer (Assistant Professor) in the Faculty of Data and Decision Sciences at The Technion: Israel Institute of Technology. 

How can leaders foster creativity in their teams? How can you inspire people to reach their potential? Today's guest, Dr. Adam Galinsky, has spent decades studying these questions, doing research in social psychology, leadership, and organizational behavior. His latest book, Inspire: The Universal Path for Leading Yourself and Others, gives research-based advice for how to increase motivation, creativity, and collaboration. These are important skills for leaders but also for everyone in their daily lives. Adam is also the co-author of Friend & Foe: When to Cooperate, When to Compete, and How to Succeed at Both. Adam Galinsky is a professor at Columbia Business School. For more information: Adam's web site Inspire: The Universal Path for Leading Yourself and Others Friend & Foe: When to Cooperate, When to Compete, and How to Succeed at Both Music by license from SoundStripe: "Uptown Lovers Instrumental" by AFTERNOONZ "Miss Missy" by AFTERNOONZ "What's the Big Deal" by Ryan Saranich   Copyright (c) 2025 Keith Sawyer

Dr. Robert Sternberg, a professor of psychology at Cornell University, is one of the best-known psychologists in the United States. He’s done groundbreaking research on the most important issues in psychology, including scientific studies of wisdom, love, hate, leadership, and of course, creativity. Dr. Sternberg is known for reforming college admissions requirements to include measures of creativity, which he did while a dean at both Tufts University and at Oklahoma State University. He’s published literally thousands of books and scientific articles and his research has been cited by other scholars over 250,000 times. Dr. Sternberg’s research represents the best that we have in The Science of Creativity. For more information: Robert J. Sternberg, 2007. Wisdom, Intelligence, and Creativity Synthesized. Robert J. Sternberg, 2002. Defying the Crowd: Cultivating Creativity in a Culture of Conformity. Music by license from SoundStripe: "Uptown Lovers Instrumental" by AFTERNOONZ "Miss Missy" by AFTERNOONZ "What's the Big Deal" by Ryan Saranich   Copyright (c) 2025 Keith Sawyer

Dr. Anna Abraham, a neuroscientist and creativity expert at the University of Georgia, shares fascinating insights into the complexities of the creative brain. She debunks common myths, linking creativity to emotional well-being and inclusive education. The discussion highlights the role of neuroscience in creativity, showing it as a networked process rather than a single function. Abraham also advocates for expanding creative opportunities in schools and emphasizes that creativity is a skill anyone can develop through practice and community engagement.

John Hendrix is a New York Times bestselling author and illustrator. His latest book is a graphic novel called The Mythmakers: The Remarkable Fellowship of C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien. In this episode, John and I talk about his new book and about his own creative process. John’s work has appeared in numerous publications, such as Newsweek, Sports Illustrated, Entertainment Weekly, Rolling Stone, The New Yorker, Esquire, The New York Times, Time Magazine, National Geographic, among many others. His images also appeared in advertising campaigns for ESPN/ABC, AT&T, Pfizer, and Target. I interviewed John about his creative process for my 2025 book Learning to See: Inside the World's Leading Art and Design Schools. John is the Kenneth E. Hudson Professor of Art and the founding Chair of the MFA in Illustration and Visual Culture program at the Sam Fox School of Design and Visual Arts at Washington University in St. Louis. For more information: John Hendrix Illustration: www.johnhendrix.com The Mythmakers: The Remarkable Fellowship of C. S. Lewis & J. R. R. Tolkien Sawyer's new book Learning to See will be published in April, 2025. Music by license from Soundstripe: "Uptown Lovers Instrumental" by AFTERNOONZ "Miss Missy" by AFTERNOONZ "What's the Big Deal" by Ryan Saranich   Copyright (c) 2024 Keith Sawyer  

The perfect podcast for the Christmas season! This is a special Christmas episode of The Science of Creativity. Many of the traditions that we love—gift-giving, Santa Claus, kissing under the mistletoe—were invented across the generations, and are always evolving. This special holiday episode gives you the creation story of the secular, non-religious traditions that we celebrate at Christmas. The collective creation of these Christmas traditions is what I call social innovation, a kind of collective creativity where everyone plays a role. Five hundred years ago, Christmas was a wild party, where young men got drunk and roamed in packs around town. Children didn’t start getting gifts until about 200 years ago. In the late 1800s, the Santa Claus myth was invented, along with the elves and the sleigh and the workshop at the North Pole. It started two thousand years ago, in Ancient Rome, it picked up steam in the 1800s, and we’re still creating new Christmas traditions today. Chapters 0:00 Teaser 1:11 Introduction to the Special Episode 2:12 Tradition and Invention 5:28 Wassailing 12:23 Toys 16:06 Santa Claus 21:25 The War on Christmas 25:24 The Holiday for Everyone 27:54 Closer 28:44 Outro Music by License from Soundstripe: “Blues for Oliver” by Cast of Characters “Silent Night” by Cast of Characters “O Christmas Tree” by O Christmas Tree Jazz Trio “Just Walkin’” by Ryan Saranich “Uptown Lovers” by AFTERNOONZ  Notes The Pagan Origins of Christmas: Saturnalia, Yule, and Other Pre-Christian Traditions | History Cooperative Wikipedia entries: “The war on Christmas” and “Wassailing” and “Syncretism”  Copyright (c) 2024 Keith Sawyer

Kit White is the author of the international best-selling book 101 Things To Learn In Art School, which is based on his experience as a professor of art for 21 years at the Pratt Institute in New York. Many of the original drawings from the book are in the collection of the Luther W. Brady Art Gallery at the Corcoran School of Art and Design, George Washington University. He’s had more than 25 solo exhibitions of his artworks in galleries and museums. His artworks are in the permanent collections of the Guggenheim Museum, New York, and many others. He's frequently featured in magazines, newspapers, and television, including The New York Times, The New Yorker, and The Nation. In addition to Pratt, he’s taught at Vanderbilt, McGill, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Frick Collection. His work is the subject of a monograph by Carter Ratcliff, Line Into Form. For more information: 101 Things To Learn In Art School www.kitwhiteart.com Music by license from SoundStripe: "Uptown Lovers Instrumental" by AFTERNOONZ "Miss Missy" by AFTERNOONZ "What's the Big Deal" by Ryan Saranich Copyright (c) 2024 Keith Sawyer

Dr. Ellen Winner, a retired Psychology Professor at Boston College and a Senior Research Associate at Harvard's Project Zero, discusses the fascinating psychology behind art. She explores the emotional responses people have to challenging themes in art and the unique value original works hold over forgeries. Winner highlights the diminishing creativity in children that resurges in adults, contrasting Eastern and Western approaches to art education. Her insights shed light on the significant role of creativity in understanding ourselves and the world.

Dr. Erica Halverson is one of the world’s leading experts in arts education. She’s a trained actor who’s founded two successful acting programs for school children, one in Chicago and one at her current home, the University of Wisconsin at Madison. She’s an expert in helping children realize their creativity. Her research shows that children learn much more from the arts than just painting or acting. They learn profound skills like collaboration, how to translate ideas into reality, and—most profound of all—they learn who they are. We’ll talk about her book called How the Arts Can Save Education. For more information: Dr. Halverson’s book How the Arts Can Save Education Dr. Halverson’s website Music by license from SoundStripe: "Uptown Lovers Instrumental" by AFTERNOONZ "Miss Missy" by AFTERNOONZ "What's the Big Deal" by Ryan Saranich   Episode notes and content Copyright (c) 2024 Keith Sawyer