Creativity and intelligence are complex traits that have long fascinated psychologists and the general public alike. While creativity is often associated with the arts, it is a multifaceted construct that is important across many domains. Likewise, intelligence is much more than an IQ score and involves a diverse range of cognitive abilities. The relationship between creativity and intelligence has been extensively studied, but there is still much debate around how they interact and the IQ levels of highly creative people.
What is creativity?
Creativity has been defined in many ways by psychologists. Most definitions include the ability to produce work that is both novel (original, unexpected) and appropriate (useful, adaptive concerning task constraints). Some additional common components include:
- Divergent thinking – The ability to generate diverse ideas and think flexibly.
- Everyday creativity – Being creative in daily problem-solving, not just in arts and sciences.
- Insight and imagination – Making mental leaps, envisioning things in a new way.
Creativity often draws on knowledge, technical skills, and work ethic, in addition to novel thinking. It can be displayed in any domain, including sciences, humanities, social leadership, business innovation, and the arts. Some researchers distinguish between “Big C” creativity that leads to eminent creative work and “little c” everyday creativity. Other models suggest creativity exists on a continuum rather than as a dichotomy.
What is intelligence?
Intelligence is a broad concept involving the ability to learn, understand, apply knowledge, think abstractly, and adapt to new situations. While IQ tests measure some important cognitive skills, researchers agree intelligence is multidimensional and cannot be reduced to a single score. Major components include:
- Fluid intelligence – Reasoning skills, problem-solving ability, processing speed. Tends to decline in later adulthood.
- Crystallized intelligence – Accumulated knowledge and verbal skills. Remains steady or increases with age.
- Quantitative reasoning – Mathematical and logical thinking skills.
- Spatial abilities – Visualizing in two and three dimensions.
- Memory – Encoding, storing, and retrieving information.
- Emotional intelligence – Self-awareness, empathy, managing emotions.
There are also multiple theories of intelligence, such as Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences. This proposes broad ranges of abilities beyond those measured by IQ tests, including musical, bodily-kinesthetic, naturalistic, interpersonal, and intrapersonal intelligence.
The relationship between creativity and intelligence
Researchers have long studied the intersection of creativity and intelligence. Findings have shown:
- Creativity and intelligence are distinct constructs but interact in complex ways. They utilize some shared and some distinct cognitive processes.
- Creative people tend to have above-average intelligence. However, intelligence is not sufficient for high creativity.
- There are only modest correlations between intelligence test scores and creative thinking or achievement. But intelligence thresholds may exist, under which creativity is limited.
- Extremely high IQ scores do not necessarily correlate with creative eminence or productivity.
- Both fluid intelligence and crystallized intelligence are important to creativity, in different ways.
In summary, intelligence and creativity are intertwined, but there are key differences. High intelligence may set the stage for creativity by enhancing cognitive abilities like working memory, making associations, and learning technical skills. But other factors like personality, motivation, experience, and environment are also critical for determining creative outcomes.
What is the average IQ of highly creative people?
Looking specifically at the IQ levels of highly creative people yields a more complex picture with much debate and uncertainty. Some key findings include:
- The threshold hypothesis proposes an IQ of around 120 as necessary for elite creative work and scientific contributions.
- Longitudinal studies have found childhood IQ predicts creative accomplishments later in life, but only to a limited degree.
- Meta-analyses suggest creative people often have above-average IQs between 110-120, but IQ and creative achievement correlate only modestly (r = ~0.3). Extremely high IQ is not typical.
- Eminent creative achievers appear to average around the 120-130 IQ range. But individual variation is enormous.
In his influential 1993 study, Robert Sternberg reviewed major creativity researchers and found estimates of average IQ scores for creative professions like:
| Profession | Avg. IQ Estimate |
|---|---|
| Visual artists | 116 |
| Performing artists | 110 |
| Writers | 122 |
| Scientists | 130 |
However, all of these estimates have large variability amongst individuals in the occupations. Many eminent creators do not have extremely high IQs, while others do. For example, Charles Darwin’s estimated IQ was around 140 while William Faulkner’s was 110.
Benefits of above-average intelligence for creativity
It is clear creative achievers in arts and sciences are unlikely to have below-average intelligence levels. Moderately high IQ levels appear common, though not universal. There are likely several benefits to above-average fluid intelligence when generating novel and useful products:
- Cognitive flexibility – Thinking flexibly helps make new connections between ideas and use materials in novel ways. Fluid intelligence supports flexible thinking.
- Working memory – Temporary storage and manipulation of information in working memory aids complex creative thought. Above-average working memory is linked to higher fluid intelligence.
- Making remote associations – Connecting concepts that are not normally associated facilitates creative insights and imagination. This ability correlates with IQ.
- Learning ability – Acquiring technical skills and domain knowledge aids creativity in most fields. Faster learning is associated with higher fluid intelligence.
Through enhancing these cognitive processes, an above-average IQ facilitates creativity – up to a point. Once a threshold around 120 IQ is reached, the additional benefits to creative potential seem modest based on research.
Why extremely high IQ scores do not guarantee creativity
While an average or moderately high IQ facilitates creative work, having an extremely high IQ score does not necessarily lead to greater creative productivity or eminence. Several reasons high IQ scores above 130-140 do not guarantee creativity include:
- IQ tests best measure convergent thinking – finding the single correct solution to a well-defined problem. Creativity also requires divergent thinking – generating many diverse ideas.
- Real-world achievement involves personality, motivation, opportunity, and persistence. High IQ alone does not confer advantages in these areas.
- High IQ individuals may be capable of creativity but choose other pursuits like academic research or analytical fields.
- Extremely high IQ levels are sometimes associated with social and emotional difficulties which could impede creative collaboration and productivity.
- Very high IQ alone sometimes leads to dogmatism or overconfidence that inhibits questioning assumptions and creative exploration.
Additionally, IQ scores have measurement error – especially at the extremes. The ceiling on standardized tests makes it difficult to precisely estimate intelligence for highly gifted individuals. Overall, while moderate IQ levels facilitate creativity, very high IQ appears neither necessary nor sufficient for creative eminence.
Fostering creativity at different IQ levels
Everyone has the potential for some degree of creativity. How can creativity be supported at different IQ levels? Some suggestions include:
- For lower IQ (under 100): Provide external structure, goals, and scaffolds. Emphasize playful everyday creativity rather than eminent achievements.
- For average IQ (90-110): Leverage strengths in emotional intelligence, humor, hands-on activities. Provide creativity training.
- For high IQ (120-130): Seek intellectual stimulation, self-expression. Guide creative energies with mentoring and opportunities.
- For very high IQ (over 140): Work on social development and collaboration. Encourage questioning assumptions. Avoid dogmatism.
The environment also has powerful effects. Openness to experience, motivation, resources, and sociocultural surroundings influence the translation of cognitive potential into real-world creative achievement. Optimal creativity emerges from the complex interplay between intellectual abilities and environmental forces over the course of development.
Conclusion
In summary, creativity and intelligence interact in complex ways.Creative people often have moderately high IQs, but extreme IQ scores are not typical among highly creative individuals. An average or above average IQ appears to facilitate creativity by enhancing cognitive abilities, but many other factors are critically important as well. With the right environmental supports, most people have the potential for developing their creativity, at any IQ level.