No one currently doubts that there are different factors that negatively influence creativity. And most of the authors establish a classification, very similar in all cases, that includes three types of limitations or blocks to creativity (Baños, 2006).
Blocks are certain information, attitudes, actions, omissions or situations that hinder, paralyze or inhibit the development or exercise of creativity. They are a wall between possibility and action, power and act.
Creativity blocks
Simberg (1975) establishes a classification of types of obstacles that coincides, in general lines, with that used by other important authors. Sikora (1979), although it uses the same classification, incorporates an important qualification by stating that blocks do not occur in a uniform way in all aspects related to creativity, but that each of its parameters has specific blocks, therefore He does not believe that we are looking at an exhaustive list, but rather a list of examples of different blocks that can inhibit people's creativity. This classification distinguishes between perceptual, cultural and emotional blocks, although there are variations when naming each of the categories. Thus, Sikora (1979) or García García (1984) refer to cognitive blocks,emotional and cultural. For his part, De Guzmán (1994) talks about blocks of affective origin, cognitive and cultural type, and environmental ones. In summary, they are usually grouped into three categories:
1. Cognitive blocks
These blocks refer to difficulties in some intellectual aptitude that negatively influence the ability to discover new solutions when faced with a problem. There is a wide variety of locks included in this category, of which we can highlight:
- Perceptual blocks. They are the most obvious because they affect our way of coming into contact with the outside world, contact that occurs through the senses that are responsible for transmitting information related to the environment to the brain. Throughout this process, errors may occur that limit the ability to propose new solutions to the problem. Functional clamping. It refers to the influence that previous experiences have, when facing the resolution of new problems, in relation to the search for solutions to a similar problem. Fixing the way to solve. It is about acting in a mechanical and rigid way when faced with problems; we know a way to fix them and we don't bother looking for other possible solutions that could offer greater efficiency.Dominant theories. When we place an excessive value on a dominant theory, creativity can be stunted by not encouraging the search for new ideas.
Simberg (1975) interprets perceptual blocks in a different way since he defines them as the impossibility of seeing what the real problem is or what is really wrong in a given situation; Every time we face the problem, we always see it in the same way, so it includes in that category the difficulty to isolate the problem, the inability to define terms, the difficulty due to an excessive limitation of the problem, the inability to use all the senses for observation, the difficulty of perceiving remote relationships, the difficulty in not investigating the obvious and the inability to distinguish between cause and effect.
On the other hand, we must take into account, as Estera Sanza (1994) points out, that the individual's state of mind has a great impact on perception; even different people often perceive the same situation in a completely different way. And de Bono (1992) when he suggests using “Six pairs of shoes for action” highlights the importance of routines to be able to pay more attention to the things that are truly important instead of having to worry about each and every one of the details; Thus, the brain, when faced with a new situation, instead of having to analyze it completely, recognizes that situation following a pattern of perception, and creativity arises precisely when we challenge those perceptions or those patterns.
2. Emotional blocks
For Simberg (1975), emotional blocks are within ourselves, and can come in different ways: sometimes they will be caused by the stresses of everyday life, others will be the result of very strong emotions that can blind us, also fears and anxieties that accompany new situations. Sikora (1979) includes in this section “all individual anxieties, fears, insecurities, which prevent the individual from acting creatively. We do not speak of anguish produced by social contact with other men, but rather of those conditioned by individual psychology ”. Among the most important locks of this type we have:
- The fear of making mistakes. The fear of being wrong, the fear of failure, the fear of making a fool of themselves, what will they say; and the best way to avoid these risks is to stay within the limits of what is already known, the need to quickly find a solution that leads us, too often, to accept as valid the first idea that It occurs to us to eliminate the anxiety associated with the need to find a solution to the problem Exaggerated desire for security that leads to not going beyond what is established to avoid the risks that arise from being outside the norm Distrust in our own creative abilities. Laziness at the beginning or lack of drive to face a problem until finding the most appropriate solution. Hypercritical spirit. It is the obsession to achieve perfection,which is practically impossible to achieve.Overmotivation to succeed quickly. In such a competitive environment, being the first is a success and that leads us to seek the fastest and safest paths instead of the most original and innovative. Fear of supervisors, bosses,… and distrust of colleagues and subordinates. Disgust. toward some tasks that we consider boring or routine.
Photography: FJ Ramírez Carro (Roman Bridge, Pradillo)
3. Cultural blockades
Much research has highlighted the influence that education has on creativity throughout the individual's training process. However, the results cannot be considered definitive and the conclusions reached by the different authors may even be contradictory. There are studies that seem to show that creativity suffers a marked decline in children around 5, 9 and 12 years, which are the ages, according to Torrance (1969), which correspond to transition periods in the educational stages. To demonstrate the lack of unanimity, Barron (1976) affirms that the creative capacity of the subject is constantly growing and that it increases with the years in the same way that it happens with verbal intelligence.
In any case, cultural blocks refer to limitations to creativity caused by education. Sikora (1979) includes in this section, "those norms and values that in a complex process of socialization are transmitted to the next generation and whose preservation is ensured by an elaborate system of sanctions and social controls."
De Bono (1974) in Lateral Thought writes that teaching is directed fundamentally to Vertical or Logical Thinking, which implies an incomplete education by forgetting the creative qualities. Society creates norms of conduct as well as of thought or action, rules that must be obeyed in order to be within custom, an obedience that usually goes against creativity. Society rewards some behaviors and sanctions others, and among the latter is the nonconformity that is usually seen in a negative way on most occasions.
Among the most prominent cultural blocks we have:
- The pressure of conformity that leads us to adapt to the norms established within the group. Work-play dichotomy. Usually the game is perceived socially as opposed to the achievement of something practical and putting them together is meaningless. Perhaps one of the symptoms of sclerosis that our society suffers is the dichotomy between play and work. However, as H. Jauoi has said, (it cannot be invented if it is not playing. To take things seriously is to take them as they are, it is to consider them as definitive and not modifiable). Creation brings with it the joy of finding and the effort to realize and elaborate. Exaggerated tendency to success. For some authors, it is the blockage that we have seen previously as an overmotivation to succeed quickly, being part of the emotional ones, however, here it comes from the environment.The need to fulfill the role assigned by sex or age at all times. Considering not being educated to be curious or doubting the established values. Excess or lack of knowledge on the subject.
De Prado (2006) presents a classification of creativity blockers, depending on the level of consciousness in which they are located:
- Blockers anchored in the unconscious. Deep level of the individual where the fears and traumas accumulated throughout their existence would be found, the duties in positions of the elders, the sense of duty, the taboos, the myths, the examples and the induced models. The semi-conscious ingrained blocks. Here the ingrained patterns of logical processes, rational learning, the systemic organization of knowledge, the tendency to evoke and remember logically and in an orderly manner, would act, blocks associated with rational and social consciousness. We have the habituation of the response of automatic thought, decision, activities and language; the imposing or imposing authority of the one who commands and obliges; the solution, endorsement or social approval; the external and imposed social order;the moral order of socially accepted values. The blocks of the humanitarian creative supraconsciousness. De Prado (2006) includes in this fourth type of blockages the existence of a primary and primitive thought, yours different and segregated from all beings, discrimination and social segregation, depersonalization due to an excess of affirmation of one's own self and self solid, firm and immutable.
And for each of these four levels, the author proposes different unblocking formulas and techniques that release trapped and gagged creativity.
Finally, it is interesting to remember the role that the people around us have in stimulating or limiting the creativity of the individual. Clark (1975) writes a text with the suggestive title, The crushing of ideas, where he talks about the murderous phrases that frustrate new ideas. Many other authors have incorporated different classifications of these types of phrases that, sometimes inadvertently, destroy creativity, even before it can demonstrate its effectiveness. And before the murderous phrases, the only solution is usually the defensive phrases that for these authors can become as destructive and dangerous for creativity as the others, since they try to justify the proposals by presenting them in a way that, continuing with this type of expressions, we can call suicidal.
Here is a video that summarizes the ideas we have discussed and the example of a teacher and his "unlocking" creative process, the way in which "his" certain information, attitudes, actions or omissions that hinder, paralyze or simply overcome forever They cut off the exercise of creativity, the blockages that creative beings lurk and suffer, all of us without exception.
The previous video is part of the MOOC on Creative Thinking and Innovation that you can enjoy totally free by simply registering at the following link:
MOOC Course on Creative Thinking and Innovation
Bibliographic references
- Baños, M. (2006). Teaching Project. URJC. MadridBarron, F. (1976). Creative personality and creative process. Madrid: Ediciones Marova Clark, CH (1975). The crushing of ideas. In Davis and Scott (Comp.), Strategies for creativity (pp.142-145). Buenos Aires: Ed. Paidós. De Bono, E. (1974). Lateral thinking. Barcelona: Editorial Paidós.Guzmán, M. de (1994), To think better, Ediciones PIRÁMIDE SA, Madrid.De Prado, D. (2006). Activators and inhibitors of creativity. In De la Torre and Violant (Coords.), Understanding and evaluating creativity, vol. I (pp. 215-227). Malaga: Aljibe Editions. Estera Sanza, J. (1994). In search of the creative method. Madrid: ESEI. García García, F. (1984). Creativity studies in school-age children. Madrid: Complutense University.Sikora, J. (1977). Creative methods manual. Buenos Aires: Ed.Kapelusz, Simberg, AL (1975). The obstacles to creativity. In Davis and Scott (Comp.), Strategies for
creativity (pp. 123-141). Buenos Aires: Ed. Paidós.Torrance, EP (1969). Orientation of creative talent. Buenos Aires: Ed. TROQUEL.
Key Words: Creativity, Blocks, MOOC, Iseadx, Creative Thinking, Innovation, Balagueró, Fear, Cognitive blocks, Emotional blocks, Cultural blocks, Perceptual blocks, Functional restraint, Dominant theories, mood, fear of making mistakes, Supraconsciousness, block categories, perception, education.
Note: When we refer to a "problem" we include approaches, situations, challenges and opportunities where we can be more or less creative in its "solution or answer". (Back ↑)
