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Most creative geniuses most of the time will display an eccentricity that strays noticeably away from normalcy while stopping just short of the utterly crazy. ~Dean Keith Simonton
Despite so many challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the requirement for social distancing also created opportunities for me to spend more time doing virtual presentations for camera clubs and other photography groups, answering photographers’ questions on a variety of topics. To my surprise, topics related to psychology seem to have been a recurring theme.
Much writing about creativity highlights the beneficial effects of artistic expression, which are many, but the psychology of highly creative people (especially those predisposed to what researchers refer to as “major,” or “Big-C” creativity) is not all positive, or even benign. As creativity researcher Dean Keith Simonton put it, “Creative geniuses may not be the kinds of folks you normally would want as lovers, friends, in-laws, coworkers, or neighbours.”
A common definition for creativity is the production of novel and useful products.