Creative Omnivores: An Experience Sampling Study of the Variety and Diversity of Everyday Creative Activities

Abstract

Studies of everyday creativity suggest that some people are like creative omnivores, dabbling in a broad range of creative pursuits, but others are like picky eaters, focusing on a single creative passion. A week-long experience sampling study examined the breadth vs depth of 125 university students' everyday creative activities. Several times a day, people were asked if they were doing something creative, and if they were, to describe what they were doing. Diversity statistics quantified the variety (number of distinct domains) and balance (the relative predominance of any domain) of their creative activities. The sample varied widely in both aspects of diversity, reflecting differences in whether people's creative efforts were relatively broad or focused. Notably, people who were high in openness to experience showed significantly higher variety (they did more kinds of creative activities) yet lower balance (one or two activities predominated), suggesting that they had a broad creative diet but a few favorite foods.