The Creativity Choice: The Science of Making Decisions to Turn Ideas Into Action

A ＂groundbreaking＂ (Marc Brackett) correction to the myth that creativity is a trait that you’re born with--instead, a Yale scientist proves, creativity is a decision that you make again and again

Anyone who has ever participated in a brainstorming session will know that most of us do not lack ideas. Yet, many people never breathe life into these ideas. To turn inspiration into real achievement, you must decide to act--and then decide to act again and again, despite obstacles, until your thoughts take shape and come to life. This is what psychologist Zorana Ivcevic Pringle calls the creativity choice.

Drawing on decades of research into the science of creativity, The Creativity Choice teaches readers how to bring ideas out of your mind and into the world. With stories ranging from an entrepreneur who built a national nonprofit, to a YouTuber who turned a hobby into a professional career, to a business leader who established a company culture of innovation, Pringle illuminates how people make creative ideas happen. She shows what it takes to get started, the psychological and emotional tools needed to navigate the creative process, and the social conditions that allow creativity to succeed. Through this book, you’ll learn how to bridge the gap between having the first spark of an idea and actually doing something with it.

Dr. Zorana Ivcevic Pringle is a senior research scientist at Yale University’s Center for Emotional Intelligence. She is a regular contributor to Psychology Today and Creativity Post, and coeditor of The Cambridge Handbook of Creativity and Emotions and Crises, Creativity, and Innovation. She lives in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.