Navigating the Paradox of Creativity: Pathways to Fostering Talent and Innovation

Creativity serves as a fundamental driver of human learning, personal development, and societal progress. This study synthesizes recent empirical and theoretical advances in educational psychology and creativity neuroscience to characterize the paradoxical nature of creative processes. We conceptualize creativity through three interdependent dimensions-novelty with usefulness, persistence alongside flexibility, and divergence in convergence-illuminating both its cognitive architecture and neurophysiological dynamics. By integrating evidence across levels, we bridge individual cognitive mechanisms with group dynamics and cultural contexts to propose actionable strategies for cultivating creativity. These findings offer critical insights into how these dimensions operate synergistically, informing the design of educational and applied interventions that promote sustained, adaptive creative development.

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Publication Details

Journal
Behavioral Sciences
Published
2026-01-16
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/bs16010129
Primary Topic
Creativity in Education and Neuroscience
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
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article

Navigating the Paradox of Creativity: Pathways to Fostering Talent and Innovation

Shen Wang, Lin Huang, Yong Shao, Chenchen Zhang et al.
Behavioral Sciences
Creativity in Education and Neuroscience
article

Navigating the Paradox of Creativity: Pathways to Fostering Talent and Innovation

Shen Wang, Lin Huang, Yong Shao, Chenchen Zhang, Yuan Yuan, Yan Sun
article en

Abstract

Creativity serves as a fundamental driver of human learning, personal development, and societal progress. This study synthesizes recent empirical and theoretical advances in educational psychology and creativity neuroscience to characterize the paradoxical nature of creative processes. We conceptualize creativity through three interdependent dimensions-novelty with usefulness, persistence alongside flexibility, and divergence in convergence-illuminating both its cognitive architecture and neurophysiological dynamics. By integrating evidence across levels, we bridge individual cognitive mechanisms with group dynamics and cultural contexts to propose actionable strategies for cultivating creativity. These findings offer critical insights into how these dimensions operate synergistically, informing the design of educational and applied interventions that promote sustained, adaptive creative development.

Behavioral SciencesVol. 16(1)
Jiangnan University (CN), Nanjing Normal University (CN), Hohai University (CN), Government of Jiangsu Province (CN), Nanjing University (CN)
Industry, innovation and infrastructure
Openalex Percentile: Top 88%
Creativity in Education and Neuroscience
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