Creativity is undoubtedly one of the most valued skills today, both in the workplace and on a personal level. It is a capacity that allows changes to take place, for better or for worse.

But… what is creativity? Can we think of someone who is creative to help us understand it? In order to answer this last question throughout this article we will see examples of creativity , many of them great geniuses and important historical figures whose capacities meant a change in different fields.

What do we call creativity?

Before going on to look at some examples of creative people and how they have used that creativity, it is advisable to first establish what we can consider this concept to involve.

In a general way, we can consider creativity as the cognitive capacity that allows us to create or generate new and original ideas, thoughts or strategies , which differ from the strategies or products existing up to now or available in the environment and that although they can start from fragments of reality and experience they differ from the typical procedures that have been used up to now or have been learned through experience.

One of the elements on which this capacity is based is lateral thinking, that is, the capacity to go beyond what is established or learned throughout life to generate something new and different: to generate possible and viable options even though they are not among those given to us beforehand.

This capacity is one of the most relevant and valued at a social level, since allows the generation of new procedures, products and ways of doing that promote development and allow learning and improvement of the personal and socio-cultural situation. In fact, having a high creative capacity is one of the main criteria required to consider that a person has traits of genius.

Great examples of creativity

Once the concept of creativity has been defined in a generic way, we can move on to see a series of eight examples of highly creative people and how they have applied their skills in different areas.

1. Leonardo Da Vinci

Undoubtedly, in a list that speaks of great examples of creativity, Leonardo Da Vinci cannot be missing, one of the historical characters and considered a genius whose creativity continues to amaze today. Leonardo Da Vinci stands out in many of the branches of arts and science : painting, sculpture, chemistry, medicine, mathematics and even physics were areas he dealt with and in which he would be considered a genius.

Among many other contributions, we will mention a few: at a technological level, this genius even developed prototypes of ornithopters , (his well-known flying machine similar in appearance to today’s hang gliders) and even submarines.

On an artistic level some of his paintings are “La Gioconda” or “The Last Supper”, and on a medical level his detailed descriptions and drawings of human anatomy stand out. All of this speaks to us of great creativity in many areas, something that is especially commendable in the period in which he lived.

2. Charles Darwin

An example of a historical figure who has stood out for his ability to elaborate and synthesize one of the most relevant theories in the study of life and living beings: the theory of evolution.

Although today this theory is something we take for granted, back then it was a challenge to the majority beliefs regarding how we had appeared in the world, of a mystical-religious nature. Although his was not the only evolutionary theory (for example, Lamarck’s theory is also well known), no doubt its development and the studies that this man carried out are highly creative, original and different from what was mostly accepted at that time .

3. Albert Einstein

Another great genius whose work has required a high degree of creativity, Albert Einstein is highly regarded as one of the most brilliant physicists of modernity. His studies on Brownian motion and especially the creation of the theory of relativity were not only brilliant, but also a paradigm shift within the world of physics.

4. Nikola Tesla

Another great and highly creative genius, Nikola Tesla was an engineer and inventor and his contributions have helped to change the world: only the alternating current motor (and the Tesla coil) and his theoretical studies linked to electromagnetic fields have changed the technology available to us today.

To him and other great historical figures such as Thomas Edison we owe much of the technological advances that led to the Second Industrial Revolution, including the popularization of the use of electrical energy.

5. Sigmund Freud

Although psychoanalysis is a theoretical trend that is often criticised and controversial, it is without doubt one of the most creative and original theories of the psyche , and it represented a revolution thanks to which the science of psychology and psychiatry has advanced to a great extent.

Although his theory is often criticized for not being falsifiable or empirically verifiable, the truth is that it has helped a large number of people throughout history and has allowed the emergence of other theoretical currents.

The discovery of the unconscious and the theoretical development of psychic structures, the theories of psychosexual development and the studies of hysteria were completely groundbreaking in his time, as was his treatment and interest in the sexual field and the study of drives and repressions (it is necessary to remember that he was born in the Victorian era, when there was a very high level of sexual repression and above all in relation to female sexuality).

6. Galileo Galilei

Although he had to recant in order to survive, Galileo Galilei was a man whose thought, although heir to some traditions and thoughts, had the courage and originality to break with Aristotelian theories and to propose heliocentrism at a time when such a break could have meant execution. In fact, he is considered one of the fathers of modern astronomy, and his works were a source of inspiration for the Copernican Revolution and the development of other great scientific theories.

7. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Perhaps one of the areas in which creativity can be seen most is within the arts. One of the most famous musicians of all times, his great creativity and genius were already visible from his earliest childhood and would be so throughout his life.

Even in his last years he composed great works, despite being seriously ill and having lost popularity. Even the great Beethoven was inspired by him (another great creative genius, who even after losing his hearing continued to compose some very important works).

8. Pablo Picasso

The art world also has a lot of highly creative geniuses. Among them we highlight some like Salvador Dalí or Pablo Picasso. The latter was co-founder of the painting style known as cubism, as well as one of the pioneers in the use of collage (along with Braque).

Bibliographic references:

  • Johnson, D. M. (1972). Systematic introduction to the psychology of thinking. Harper & Row.
  • Monreal, C. A. (2000). What is creativity. Madrid: Biblioteca Nueva