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.
Authors
- Shen Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8285-846X)
- Lin Huang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7529-4782)
- Yong Shao
- Chenchen Zhang
- Yuan Yuan
- Yan Sun
Institutions
- Jiangnan University (CN)
- Nanjing Normal University (CN)
- Hohai University (CN)
- Government of Jiangsu Province (CN)
- Nanjing University (CN)
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