Creativity

In general, extensive - but still uncoordinated - research shows that regularly creative individuals display clear differences towards non-creatives.

Diagnoses such as dyslexia, ADHD, ADD, HSP, Aspberg's syndrome and autism are considerably overrepresented in these people. Many of history's most creative individuals have been diagnosed with learning difficulties (see selection).

In short, there is absolutely no link between 'creativity' and 'grade of education'. Nevertheless, most western societies evaluate their citizens based on the degree of their education.

This is really a silent disaster considering society's need for continuous problem solving in all areas; culture, economy, climate threats, technological development, social systems, welfare, etc.

Creativity is not merely a central component particularly for the entertainment industry. Creativity is - in short - a the special catalytic ability to solve problems in all areas of human activity.

Several researchers estimate that a proportion of between 2 - 5% of a population possess this particular talent.
It is, in fact, biologically / anatomically measurable.

Researchers at the University of Helsinki have, for instance, found that "musical creativity indicated a double set of the galactose mutarotase gene (Galm). Galm has an effect on the release of serotonins as well as membrane communication of the human serotonin transporters. Interestingly, genes related to serotonergic systems have been shown links, not only to creativity and musicality, but also to mental disorders."

The nerve band 'Corpus Callosum' connecting the left and right brain hemispheres is physically narrower in serially creative people. Their dopamine secretion is also higher (brain reward system, indicating a greater need for 'kicks' for the creative '), the amount of serotonin is larger etc.

The knowledge of creativity took a giant leap in 2008, when Charles Limb and Allen Braun published their study "Neural Substrates of Spontaneous Musical Performance: An fMRI Study of Jazz Improvisation". Limb, Assistant Professor at Johns Hopkins Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery wanted to know how the world's largest jazz improvisers could perform high-complex tone series without any preparation or templates. A mini-keyboard was linked to a fMRI scanner, professional jazz musicians were put in this scanner and their brains were studied while they played, both from memory and improvised.

When the musicians did not improvise, their brain's 'execute' regions were activated. Their brain then closed off areas linked to free thinking and language and leaned on what it had just learned: in this case, a simple piece of music and one that was more complex.

But in improvisation, the roles were now shifted: the executive control and self-discipline were now shut down. The musicians used more of their medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC), supposedly controlling personal expression. Without the distraction of self-analysis, they could just let the music flow.

The researchers did a follow-up study in 2012 when they instead studied a professional rapper. They found striking similarities in brain activity between the rapper and the former jazz musicians.