The social side of creativity

Years ago, a student told me, “I’m not creative.”

At the ripe old age of 18, she’d already decided she wasn’t the kind of person who could innovate, imagine, or bring new ideas into the world. There was a quiet hopelessness in her voice, like her dreams had gone silent. That moment has stayed with me.

I’ve seen it again and again. Sometimes those 18-year-olds become 38, 48, or 58-year-olds who still believe they’re not “creative.” Over time, the feeling hardens into belief, and that belief leaves people trapped inside systems and roles that no longer fit.

But here’s the truth: we are all creative.

Creativity isn’t a luxury or a personality type. It’s a birthright. It’s how we adapt, imagine new ways forward, and solve what’s never been solved before.

Why We Lose Touch With Creativity
In a longitudinal study commissioned by NASA, 98% of 5-year-olds tested at the “creative genius” level in divergent thinking. By age 10, that dropped to 30%. By 15? Just 12%. Adults scored only 2%.

As we move through school, work, and life, we’re taught to value certainty over curiosity, logic over imagination, and compliance over exploration. Risk-taking starts to feel unsafe or irrelevant. So we adapt. We edit. We perform. Eventually, we forget.

But creativity isn’t gone—it’s buried. And it can be uncovered.

The Social Side of Creativity
Neuroscience and psychology show that being with and around others measurably boosts creativity. The brain regions active during imagination overlap with those used for social thinking, like perspective-taking. Interaction triggers the very networks that help us connect ideas in novel ways.

• Diverse perspectives expand possible solutions.

• Conversational turn-taking links unrelated concepts.

• Even quiet proximity can sharpen thinking.

This “diversity bonus” effect works best in spaces of psychological safety, where half-formed ideas can surface without fear of ridicule.

Serendipity and the Adjacent Possible
Innovation often comes from connecting existing ideas in new ways—the “adjacent possible.” Social environments accelerate this through informal chats, overheard thoughts, and collaborative play. That’s why companies like Pixar design spaces to encourage chance encounters.

Reclaiming Creativity
This is why I do what I do. Using tools like design thinking, emergent strategy, and liberating structures, I help people reconnect with their innate creativity—not alone, but amplified by others.

If you want to boost your own or your team’s creativity, try:

• Working in proximity with others.

• Mixing disciplines and invite unexpected voices.

• Hosting playful, low-stakes “idea jams.”

• Making curiosity and experimentation safe.

Your creativity was never lost—but, maybe, it’s been waiting for the right spark. And often, that spark is another person. ✨ 

Rachel
The Connection Lab 🧠♥️

p.s. Speaking of getting creative… I have a new website! It’s been on the list to bundle up what I do into one tidy(ish) little corner of the internet. A prospective client recently asked for my website and I didn’t have one. But I took the hint, rolled up my sleeves and turned it into a little creative sprint. And now, by golly, I think I have one.

If you check it out, please let me know if the link works & what you think of it:
🔗rachelcrane.my.canva.site