Upon my reading of the article “The Creative Personality,” by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi I was enlightened that there are in fact 10 common traits among creative people. Interestingly, each of these traits may seem counterintuitive, in that often they seem to be in conflict with each other. Csikszentmihalyi argues that it is these conflicting personality traits, which enable the creative person to think in obscure manners, yielding creative thought.

Below is a list of the 10 traits identified by Csikszentmihalyi and with each trait I have identified a creative person in whom I have witnessed such traits.

1. A great deal of energy, but often found at rest.

Jimmy- A good friend of mine, who is now a microchip designer at IBM, is the most energetic person I know. He also happens to be the most well rested person that I know of…

2. Smart yet naïve.

Sarah- My wife is absolutely brilliant, and very creative. She however often allows jokes and other things to slip right past her.

3. Combination of playfulness and discipline.

Jon Stewart- My favorite “newscaster.” His ability to report on serious subjects with the degree of humor and wit that he approaches his work with is amazing.

4. Operate between fantasy and reality.

Stephen Colbert- My 2^nd favorite “newscaster.” He does not allow himself to be bogged down by what the actual news is, and reports on things as he sees them.

5. Extroverted and introverted simultaneously.

Myself- I have a very strong tendency to be extremely chatty in certain circumstances and shy as a mouse in others. I need my “alone time,” but often when I get it I then feel the need to be around others.

6. Humble and proud at the same time.

Tommy – A previous student of mine. He was very proud of his accomplishments, but at the same time appreciated that he still had much to learn.

7. Escape gender role stereotyping.

Prince (or whatever he calls himself now)- A wonderful singer/songwriter. His extremely flamboyant mannerisms and outfits often made him come across as androgynous.

8. Rebellious and conservative.

Mark Twain- I know that is not his real name, but that is how most people refer to him. His ability to challenge his societal norms through backhanded sarcastic and often sardonic satire still impresses me to this day.

9. Passionate yet objective.

Jon Stewart- Often when interviewing people about serious subjects, (stock market issues, health care reform, war…) Jon becomes fired up, and confident in himself. He then is able to back away and give the other side a chance to explain their case.

10. Openness and sensitivity leads to suffering and joy.

All comedians- I have heard many comedians speak about what it is like being a comedian and having a bad night, it is often demoralizing. However, apparently the joy of having a successful night often brings them back to the stage soon.

While I may not be able to attribute all 10 of these characteristics to 1 person I certainly am able to see more than one in many of the creative people that I know/know of. Also, it may simply be the case that not all creative people are willing/able to show all of these inner workings that display many of these traits.