How to lead a more creative life

Summary

Life Kit: How to Lead a More Creative Life
Released on May 19, 2025 by NPR

In the episode titled "How to Lead a More Creative Life," host Marielle Segarra delves into the intricate world of creativity, challenging the common misconception that creativity is an innate, fixed trait. Through an insightful conversation with psychologist Zorana Ifcevic Pringle, the episode offers practical strategies to cultivate and enhance one's creative potential.

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1. Rethinking Creativity: A Learned Trait

Marielle Segarra opens the discussion by recounting a personal experience where a friend suggested that creativity is an inherent trait, something one is either born with or not. She introduces the central theme of the episode: creativity is a choice and a skill that can be developed.

"Creativity is a choice, and it's something you can grow and tap into."
— Marielle Segarra [00:18]

Psychologist Zorana Ifcevic Pringle emphasizes that creativity encompasses a range of behaviors and can manifest differently across individuals. She debunks the notion of a "fixed mindset" regarding creativity.

"Oftentimes, just the fact that we don't think of ourselves as creative is going to prevent us from ever attempting it."
— Zorana Ifcevic Pringle [01:55]

2. Understanding the Spectrum of Creativity

Zorana introduces the concept of creativity existing on a continuum, categorizing it into three distinct levels:

• Big C Creativity: Refers to eminent creators who have a significant impact on culture and their respective fields, such as Nobel laureates or influential artists.

• Pro C Creativity: Pertains to professional creativity within one's field of work, like designing software, writing novels, or producing podcasts.

• mini C Creativity: Involves everyday creative acts that may be witnessed or appreciated by a small audience, such as finding a unique way to learn or crafting personalized gifts.

"Creativity exists on a continuum for what we call mini C creativity and the process of learning."
— Zorana Ifcevic Pringle [02:10]

3. Building Creative Confidence

A significant portion of the discussion centers on fostering "creative self-confidence." Zorana outlines several strategies to achieve this:

• Observing and Emulating Others: By watching and learning from creative individuals we identify with, we can build the belief that we, too, can be creative.

  "We can build creative self-confidence by observing what other people do... the better that person is similar to us, the better."
  — Zorana Ifcevic Pringle [08:18]

• Learning by Doing: Starting with small creative projects can help overcome doubts and build momentum.

  "One action leads to another and progress makes you think, oh, if I have done something before now I can do it again in the next step."
  — Zorana Ifcevic Pringle [09:34]

• Breaking Down Projects: Tackling large creative endeavors by dividing them into manageable segments can prevent overwhelm and encourage sustained effort.

  "Breaking a larger project into smaller parts is going to be really helpful."
  — Zorana Ifcevic Pringle [09:44]

4. Giving Yourself Permission to Create

Zorana advocates for allowing oneself the freedom to engage in creative activities without the pressure of producing a masterpiece immediately. She suggests:

• Seeking Inspiration: Engaging with various forms of art, literature, or other creative outputs can spark one's own creativity.

• Embracing Small Projects: Starting with minor creative tasks can build confidence and pave the way for more significant projects.

"You don't have to set out to make the next masterpiece that day. Just get started with a small project to build your confidence."
— Burleigh McCoy [10:34]

5. Embracing Constraints to Enhance Creativity

Contrary to the belief that creativity thrives on complete freedom, Zorana explains that self-imposed constraints can actually enhance creative output. By setting specific limits, individuals are encouraged to think more deeply and innovatively within those boundaries.

"Creativity can be fueled by time put toward a passion or by working toward a cause, but is strongest when you have limits to what you can imagine."
— Burleigh McCoy [10:34]

She provides a practical example:

"If you want to gift something really creative to a friend, instead of thinking completely unconstrained, choose specific memories and objects to inspire a unique gift."
— Zorana Ifcevic Pringle [11:12]

6. Overcoming Creative Blocks

Creative blocks are a common hurdle, and Zorana shares personal experiences and strategies to navigate them:

• Taking Breaks: Stepping away from a project can provide emotional relief and a fresh perspective.

  "When we are experiencing a creative block, it's something very emotional. Start by taking a break."
  — Zorana Ifcevic Pringle [13:10]

• Reframing Problems: Looking at challenges from different angles can unlock new solutions.

  "Reconstructing the problem, saying, let me examine the problem in a different way."
  — Zorana Ifcevic Pringle [13:10]

• Practical Example: Zorana recounts overcoming a block while writing her book by physically rearranging sections to find coherence.

  "I printed out my draft chapter, cut it with scissors, and rearranged the parts until they fit like a puzzle."
  — Zorana Ifcevic Pringle [13:10]

7. Key Takeaways for Enhancing Creativity

1. Understand the Different Levels of Creativity: Recognize that creativity isn't limited to historical geniuses but exists in everyday actions and professional endeavors.

2. Build Creative Confidence: Engage in small projects, observe and learn from others, and gradually take on more significant creative tasks.

3. Give Yourself Permission: Allow yourself the freedom to create without the immediate pressure of perfection.

4. Embrace Constraints: Use self-imposed limitations to guide and enhance your creative process.

5. Overcome Creative Blocks: Take breaks, seek new perspectives, and employ practical strategies to navigate and resolve creative impasses.

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Through this episode, listeners are encouraged to view creativity as an accessible and cultivable trait. By implementing the strategies discussed, anyone can enhance their creative abilities and integrate more innovative thinking into their daily lives.

Transcript

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[Marielle Segarra]

You're listening to Life Kit from npr. Hey, it's Marielle. I remember talking to a friend one time, telling him about my latest creative pursuit and him saying something like, I'm just not creative like you are. He was talking about creativity like it's a fixed trait, something you're either born with or not. But actually, creativity is a choice, and it's something you can grow and tap into. Our friends at NPR's Science Podcast shortwave dug into this recently and they came back with some tips on how to nurture your creativity. Here's the episode.

[Burleigh McCoy]

Hi shortwavers. Burleigh McCoy filling the host chair today. And I'd like you to meet psychologist Zorana Ifcevic Pringle. When Zorana was an undergraduate, she was searching for a thesis topic to spark ideas. She was reading everything she could get her hands on, and she stumbled across work from the 1960s during the space age, about creativity. She read that creative people often have personality traits that don't seem to go together.

[Zorana Ifcevic Pringle]

Creative individuals at times can be extroverted, other times very introverted. They can be playful but also very serious about their work, can seem naive and see things with fresh eyes, but also so be very focused in their work.

[Burleigh McCoy]

In the two decades Zarana's been studying creativity, she's realized that even though creative people are unique, it's not because they're born with it, but that idea that some people are creative and some people aren't. What scientists call a fixed mindset can stop creativity in its tracks.

[Zorana Ifcevic Pringle]

Oftentimes, just the fact that we don't think of ourselves as creative is going to prevent us from ever attempting it.

[Burleigh McCoy]

But this idea is pervasive. We can sometimes think it's only the Einsteins or Beyonces of the world who are creative.

[Zorana Ifcevic Pringle]

Scientists call those people Big C creators, Big C as big influential creativity, eminent creators. But they are not the only ones. Creativity exists on a continuum for what we call minisi creativity and the process of learning.

[Burleigh McCoy]

One example of minisi might be your unique way of learning times tables, little.

[Zorana Ifcevic Pringle]

C in everyday interactions and activities like.

[Burleigh McCoy]

Gifting your friend a unique present, and.

[Zorana Ifcevic Pringle]

Pro C, that is professional creativity in.

[Burleigh McCoy]

Our work contexts like designing new software, writing a novel, or making a science podcast. So even if you aren't Big C level like Beyonce. You and anyone can always start by opting in to being creative, which Zorana learned the hard way. After years of limiting herself, I concluded.

[Zorana Ifcevic Pringle]

That I was not creative. But I also noticed somebody else, a best friend of mine who was creative and I wanted whatever she had. I wanted to understand how is she able to do things that I did not think that I could do at the time. In retrospect, I think I was able to do it, but that I was not willing to make that choice.

[Burleigh McCoy]

That has changed and it culminated into a very creative thing, a book called the Creativity Choice, about how creative people can stick with an idea. So today on the show the Science of Creativity, we cover how people can make choices to grow their creativity.

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[Ira Glass]

This is Ira Glass, the host of this American Life. So much is changing so rapidly right now with President Trump in office. It feels good to pause for a moment sometimes and look around at what's what to try and do that. We've been finding these incredible stories about right now that are funny and have feeling and you get to see People everywhere making sense of this new America that we find ourselves in, this American life. Wherever you get your podcasts.

[Burleigh McCoy]

So Zorana mentioned those different kinds of creativity that will help you start to see how creativity is happening in lots of ways. So take away one, get to know the different levels of creativity. There's many si like finding a better way to study like Zorana did in school when learning Latin and German.

[Zorana Ifcevic Pringle]

Just going through flashcards was a little bit boring. So I would record myself and then say the word, say it in, you know it's a translation and then test myself by playing it, pausing and trying to say it out loud. So I am sure I wasn't the first one ever to discover this trick. But for me personally, it was creative, it was something original, it was effective.

[Burleigh McCoy]

Then there's little C which we've mentioned.

[Zorana Ifcevic Pringle]

We sometimes call that everyday creativity. And there we are doing something that can be witnessed or enjoyed usually by relatively small number of people around us. So it can be something we are new game we are inventing on a long car trip with our children. It can be a way to keep a relationship alive. It can be a gift for a best friend.

[Burleigh McCoy]

Then there's pro C. That's the kind of creativity that happens in your field of work or expertise.

[Zorana Ifcevic Pringle]

We need a certain level of knowledge and expertise on which we build something new and original.

[Burleigh McCoy]

So like a professional composer or painter or author.

[Zorana Ifcevic Pringle]

Those are great examples, yes. And then finally at the highest level, which is usually where our mind goes when we hear the word creativity, are eminent creators. We can think of Nobel prize winners. When we talk about these big C creative individuals, we are thinking in terms of those who are changing our culture, changing a domain of work.

[Burleigh McCoy]

So you list different ways in your book as a way to build creative confidence, creative self confidence. Can you give me a case example of what this might look like in practice?

[Zorana Ifcevic Pringle]

We can build creative self confidence by observing what other people do. And we can say, hey, if they can do it, I can do it too. Here it helps. That other person is somebody we identify with. So more ways that person is similar to us, the better. And that is one of the ways how representation matters, how seeing yourself in somebody is really important because you can put yourself in that person's shoe and say, hey, I can do that myself. Then if we go to a different way to build creative self confidence, it is by learning from doing. What that looks like is you start with doubts, but you get going, you start making progress. One action leads to to another and progress makes you Think, oh, if I have done something before now I can do it again in the next step and the next one that comes afterwards.

[Burleigh McCoy]

So this kind of makes me think if you do a small creative project just to give yourself that confidence that you've done it, then you can move on to a bigger creative project.

[Zorana Ifcevic Pringle]

So oftentimes doing something smaller or breaking a larger project into smaller parts is going to be really helpful. When I started writing a book, I have never done it before. I was not sure whether I could do it and I needed to teach myself how to do it and teach myself that I really can. So I started writing a blog. And in doing so, these are very small, small pieces. I can write the small piece. I got positive feedback. I realized that I can write something creative that gets effect that I desire in communicating to the general audience. And I started learning, oh yes I can.

[Burleigh McCoy]

So takeaway 2. Give yourself permission to do something creative. Seek out inspiration. Maybe that's listening to music or reading a good novel and think, hey, I can do that. And you don't have to set out to make the next masterpiece that day. Just get started with a small project to build your confidence. So you also say creativity involves dancing between broad interests and self imposed constraints. Creativity can be fueled by time put toward a passion or by working toward a cause, but is strongest when you have limits to what you can imagine. So what, what does that look like for you?

[Zorana Ifcevic Pringle]

In all the research studies we have, there is this assumption that people make that creativity requires full freedom of expression and that it thrives on spontaneity and on having no limits posed on you. It turns out the exact opposite is true. Let's say you want to gift something really creative to friend. If you start thinking completely unconstrained, full freedom of expression, you are going to probably come up with some answers that are obvious. Those things that you have seen in ads or heard about. We are all human. We are influenced by by these things in our general culture. But what instead if you say I am going to think of three memories that I share with a friend of mine and these are going to be memories from different times in our relationship and I will pick an object from each of these different times and now I will work with these three different objects to come up with something that is a single gift for an upcoming birthday takeaway.

[Burleigh McCoy]

3. Give yourself some constraints. Try only using one color when you paint. Tell a story in only three paragraphs. See what comes from narrowing your options. So the flip side of creativity is creative blocks. You give the example of your book of how you got stuck and how you got unstuck. What was that like? 1 and what do you think other people could learn from that example?

[Zorana Ifcevic Pringle]

Lots of people get stuck at some point during their creative process. And I actually hit the wall when writing a chapter about creative blocks, which is rather funny. I had a creative block about writing about creative blocks. So what I did is I printed out my draft chapter that was not working and cut, physically cut with scissors, units of meaning and then started arranging them. And at one point they fit into place like a puzzle fitting into place. I think it is important to start with the moment where we give ourselves a break. What happens when we are experiencing a creative block is something very emotional. What would you say in this situation if a friend was experiencing it? And another way of broadening our thinking is working on reconstructing the problem, saying, let me examine the problem in a different way. Maybe there is an aspect of it I haven't looked at yet. And then if we have a mindset of we can do something about it, we can grow in our ability, we can develop it, different kind of decisions happen.

[Burleigh McCoy]

So takeaway four if you're feeling stuck, take a break. Try to talk to yourself like you would a friend. Try to comment the problem from a different angle. You might just get that aha moment you've been chasing. Zorana, thank you so much for talking to me today about creativity.

[Zorana Ifcevic Pringle]

Thank you.

[Marielle Segarra]

That was psychologist Zorana Ifcevitz Pringle talking to shortwave producer Burleigh McCoy. For more life Kit, check out our other episodes. We've got one on how to tell your story and another on how to start a creative habit. You can find [e-mail] LifeKit and if you love Life Kit and you just cannot get enough, subscribe to our [e-mail] LifeKitnewsletter Also, we love hearing from you, so if you have episode ideas or feedback you want to share, please email [e-mail] this episode of Life Kit was produced by Claire Marie Schneider and Rachel Carlson. Our visuals editor is Beck Harlan and our digital editor is Malika Garib. Megan Kane is our supervising editor and Beth Donovan is our executive producer. Our production team also includes Andy Tagle, Margaret Serino, Sam Yellow Horse Kessler and Sylvie Douglas. Engineering support comes from Kwesi Lee. Fact Checking by Tyler Jones. Special thanks to Rebecca Ramirez and Burleigh McCoy. I'm Marielle Segarra. Thanks for listening.

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