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7 - Attention, Affect, and Creativity, from Mindfulness to Mind-Wandering

from Part II - The Development of Creativity

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 February 2023

By
Stephanie J. Kane ,
Kim N. Awa ,
Joshua D. Upshaw ,
Kent Hubert ,
Carl E. Stevens  and
Darya L. Zabelina
Edited by
Zorana Ivcevic ,
Jessica D. Hoffmann  and
James C. Kaufman
Zorana Ivcevic
Affiliation:
Yale University, Connecticut
Jessica D. Hoffmann
Affiliation:
Yale University, Connecticut
James C. Kaufman
Affiliation:
University of Connecticut
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Summary

This chapter explores the relationships between attention, affect, and creativity, including a discussion of creativity in the context of mindfulness and mind-wandering. First, we discuss the effects of different forms of attention on different types of creativity, such as divergent and convergent thinking, and real-world creative achievements. We then follow with a discussion of the relationship between creativity, emotional functioning, and the power of positivity on fostering creative ideas. The chapter concludes with a review on how mindfulness meditation and mind-wandering, both separately and jointly, impact creative thinking. This includes a discussion of the effects of different types of mindfulness meditation on creativity, as well as the core facets thought to constitute mindfulness. Overall, this chapter provides an engaging overview of the various attentional and emotional states thought to be implicated in creativity, as well as an intriguing look at how mindfulness and mind-wandering work independently and in tandem to influence creative thinking.

Keywords

attentionaffectcreativitymindfulness meditationmind-wanderingemotionsidea generationdivergent thinkingconvergent thinking
Type
Chapter
Information
The Cambridge Handbook of Creativity and Emotions , pp. 130 - 148
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2023

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