Around the world, research is mounting that demonstrates the benefits of creativity. Find below some of our favourite research highlights and articles on the topic:

• ‘Does Engineering Need More Right-brain Thinking?‘ – Sourceable
• Surprising Benefits of Playing an Instrument – Guitar Signal
• ‘To Be More Creative, Cheer Up’ – Christina Gransow, Nautilus
• Paint, Write, Sing: How the Arts Help Heal Patients – US News Health
• Secrets of the Creative Brain – The Atlantic
• Adapt For Gen Y, Or Die – Victor Finkel, Australian Business Solutions
• A New Tool for Creative Thinking: Mind-Body Dissonance – Scientific American
• An Easy Way to Increase Creativity
• Creative Destruction and the Financial Crisis
• Creative Development – Tim Stockhil
• Creativity and the role of the Leader
• Creativity vs Innovation – “The Innovation Pipeline” extract
• Creativity: The Strategic Tool Of The Twenty-first Century – Tania de Jong AM, ABS
• Increase Your Creativity: Live Abroad
• Is it true that creativity resides in the right hemisphere of the brain?
• The Unleashed Mind: Why Creative People Are Eccentric – Scientific American
• Report: The C-Factors – Allison and Partners

Video

• How playing an instrument sparks fireworks in the brain

  – TED-Ed talk, Anita Collins

• Edward de Bono on Creative Thinking – Edward de Bono
• Hands Up Part 1: “How Creative are you?” – Andrew and Gaia Grant
• Hands Up Part 2: “Creativity secrets from the kids”
• Hands Up Part 3: “Creativity secrets from the Experts”
• Where Good Ideas Come From – Steven Johnson

Audio

• Audio Podcast: Young at Heart: How to Be an Innovator for Life – Tom Kelley
• Audio Podcast: Stimulating Innovation and Creativity in the Workplace – Bob Sutton
• Audio Podcast: Nine Lessons Learned about Creativity at Google – Marissa Mayer

Positive Psychology

As the incidence of mental illness and stress continues to increase, the benefits of participating in activities which create a more positive psychology are becoming widely known and accepted. From a positive psychology perspective, there are several different explanations for the effectiveness of singing and making music in improving physical and psychological wellbeing.

For example:

Self-Determination Theory
Making music alone and in groups fulfills the three fundamental human needs for autonomy, competence, and relating to others.

Flow theory
Making music is the ultimate flow experience.
Playing an instrument is challenging, and as we develop our skill levels, we move on to more demanding pieces. The same goes for singing in unison – not only must you hit the right notes, you have the challenge of keeping time too. Thus the experience of flow is maintained whether you’re a complete beginner or an expert.

Hope and Optimism
These programs will enable people to start believing that their lives can actually turn out for the better.  They can start setting meaningful goals, for example, and develop ways to achieve them.

Strengths
Finding something you can excel at and that you enjoy, then being given the opportunity to do it regularly is one of the most enduringly positive experiences that we know.

“I felt uncontrollably joyous!” 
“I could not stop my lips from turning upwards and smiling during the session.”
“It made me feel so happy and alive!”
“The group felt so much closer.” 
“We all felt like creative beings – now anything is possible!”  

Comments: Employees of Accenture, Macquarie Bank, Department of Education – Finding Your Voice workshop, Australia Cares Conference