James Kaufman is interviewed about the science of creativity.

James Kaufman is quoted on Justin Timberlake’s recent arrest.

James Kaufman was a guest panelist on tortured poets and the nature of creativity.

James Kaufman is interviewed about creativity and a book he co-authored.

James Kaufman is interviewed about creativity and a book he co-authored.

Professor James C. Kaufman, author of Creativity 101 and the forthcoming Creativity Advantage, explains that by associating creativity with geniuses, we fail to recognize everyday creativity in ourselves and others. “We have certain fixed ideas about creativity. A lot of people . . . assume, well, Shakespeare’s creative, Einstein’s creative,” he says. “But there are all these gradations and levels of creativity. Creativity is not just about the arts; it applies to everything that involves the process of problem solving.”

What defines a mortifying moment? “There is a potential window where you might or might not have the resilience to withstand criticism,” says Beghetto, who was also influenced by James C. Kaufman, author of the forthcoming book The Creativity Advantage. “What I found in the initial exploratory study is a particular shame, which is really an indictment of the self coupled with the belief that you can’t get better.”

Any evidence supporting the link between creativity and mental illness is extremely tenuous, says Prof James C Kaufman at the University of Connecticut. “Historiometric” analyses, for example, have plumbed the biographies of notable artists. While these studies seem to suggest that mental illness is more prevalent in creative personalities, any post-hoc diagnoses, based purely on a text, have to be treated with great caution. “They are not super objective,” says Kaufman. “Very few creativity researchers believe there is a strong connection.” And the idea that mental anguish may inspire great art certainly shouldn’t be grounds for avoiding treatment for a serious conditions, he says.

Sponsored by Sacred Heart University and CEA, the Institute will feature three outstanding keynotes: Peter Gamwell (pictured above), co-author of Thinker, Learner, Dreamer, Doer: Innovative Pedagogies for Cultivating Every Student’s Potential; James C. Kaufman, author and editor of more than 50 books, including Creativity 101; and Timothy D. Walker, coauthor of In Teachers We Trust: The Finnish Way to World-Class Schools.

“Parents who want their kids to be more creative may be tempted to enroll them in arts classes or splurge on STEM-themed toys. Those things certainly can help, but as a professor of educational psychology who has written extensively about creativity, I can draw on more than 70 years of creativity research to make additional suggestions that are more likely to be effective – and won’t break your budget,” says James Kaufman, a professor of educational psychology at the Neag School of Education.