Creative Mindset Versus Growth Mindset

Mindset influences everything you do. It shapes the way you perceive the world and how you think, feel and behave at all times. This mindset even dictates how you see yourself and often determines whether you succeed. Should you need any more reason to pay close attention to mindset?

In this article, we compare the nuances between a creative mindset with a growth mindset and how these two mindsets will often go together.

Overview: Fixed Mindset Vs. Creative Mindset

Carol Dweck is probably the best-known expert to dig deep into the topic of mindset and the role it plays in terms of success and achievement. According to the Stanford psychologist, there are two main types of mindsets. Individuals with a fixed mindset believe their talent and abilities are set, while those with a growth mindset believe they can change and improve through experience.

This research also states how every situation triggers a specific mindset in people and those with a growth mindset are more likely to outperform individuals with a fixed mindset. At the same time, the above is a slight generalization because the number of variations for mindset is endless with a productive mindset, lazy mindset, and business mindset just to name a few.

In this article, we focus on the contrasts between a growth mindset and a creative mindset and why these types of mindsets will often go together.

Let’s take a closer look at each one before comparing the two.

What is a Creative Mindset?

Creative people can think up unique ideas and innovative solutions that others may not imagine. A creative mindset opens these individuals to new possibilities and opportunities and allows them to see the world in a more curious light. A creative mindset is a way to broaden the mind and find new perspectives that help shape a brighter or more appealing future.

Here are some ways in which people stand out with a creative mindset:

Ready to Take Risks

Creative people are risk takers and would rather take a chance on creating something meaningful than producing a version of something which already exists. This exposure to risk is also useful to a creative mindset because it challenges the person to expand their search and find more than one solution.

Willing to Stand Out

People with a creative mind are willing to feel vulnerable and ready to do things differently even if it exposes them to ridicule or criticism. What other people think of their ways is not important, they care more about the task at hand and making decisions that will bring them closer to their goal/objective.

Always Thinking Outside the Box

Creative minds think outside the box and tend to do things which lie outside the boundary of conventional thinking. They consistently ask questions like ‘What if’ or ‘Can we try’ and this is usually the birthplace for many of the greatest ideas that we know today.

Receptive and Open to Feedback/Perspectives

Creative minded people are open to feedback and other perspectives. This is a hugely powerful trait because it enables these individuals to follow new lines of enquiry that will often lead to solutions. It’s also well known that doing the same thing over and over is likely to produce the same results - the same applies to ways of thinking.

Creative Minds Lean Towards Non-Conformity

Creative individuals will typically have a non-conforming attitude which allows them to consider ideas outside of societal norms and expectations. They challenge common thought and assumptions, while using reverse engineering to explore other solutions that lie beyond mainstream thinking.

Humor is Necessary for a Creative Mindset

Humor is often necessary for developing a creative mindset as it can help people take a less serious approach to thinking and creating. This less serious approach is likely to provide a more flexible framework from which to come up with ideas instead of a rigid way of thinking that stifles creativity.

Now, let’s move on to the growth mindset and you might now notice how these two types of mindsets overlap one another.

What is a Growth Mindset?

People with a growth mindset looks at everything that happens and everything that “is” as another opportunity to grow. They believe talents, abilities and intelligence can all be improved, and that growth is the key to developing as quickly as possible. While this might seem obvious, not everybody believes they can grow in this way - as often evidenced in people with a fixed mindset.

Here are some ways in which people stand out with a mindset:

Willingness to Start Now

It doesn’t matter how much talent, skills, or abilities they have at any one time, people with a growth mindset believe they can improve upon the traits they already embody. This essentially enables people with a growth mindset to “start wherever they are” and not wait for the right time or any other reason.

Ready to Work Toward Solutions

Individuals with a growth mindset look past any setbacks and rarely think they cannot do something or don’t have the necessary skills to move forward. They think to themselves ‘I can learn something new’ and orient toward the version of themselves that they want to be.

They Know How to Praise and Reward Effort

A growth mindset will praise effort and not just the results. You can see this within company culture just as much as individuals, for many companies like to encourage their employees to take risks despite what the outcome might be.

Applying Empathy to the Creative Process

The power of empathy is often understated, and this can elicit immersive potential that can help provide new ideas to grow. You might say this happens because empathy enables the individual to feel what other people are feeling and applying this sense of knowing to guide their own behavior.

They Calculate Risks and Take Action

A growth mindset requires one to know when to take risks. This means the person will calculate the risk-to-reward in every scenario but then commit to taking action. On the other hand, those with a steadfast mindset are likely to wait and perhaps not take any action at all in hope that no mistakes are made.

Courage to Pursue their Growth

Courage underwrites almost every trait in this article. Growth-minded people need courage to assess what they are doing wrong and to listen to all sides of a “story”. It also takes courage to start anything new and especially when this comes to doing something which has never been one before!

Final Thoughts - Creative Vs. Positive Mindset

People with a creative mindset can also utilize a growth mindset and essentially fall into both camps. They often retain a “We can” attitude and try to remain open to new ideas. Creative minds also have a tendency toward non-conformity and don’t mind taking a stand in the name of creativity.

Meanwhile, a growth mindset is always trying to cultivate new qualities through effort. These people believe their traits and talents can be developed which is the opposite of a fixed mindset. With this mind, both mindsets are necessary for significant creative achievements and fostering or encouraging these mindsets is the key to unlocking the true potential that lies within an individual.