Nevertheless, even if we can improve our creativity, there is just some individuals that being creative is something innate for them, they are creative in every single aspect of their everyday life. And how not, many scientists came up with the following question: does their brain work differently?
Well, different studies have been done along history that led to different findings. First of all, creativity is a complex construct in which not only a single hemisphere or brain region intervenes. The brain structures that are activated when creating ideas include practically the entire neocortex and the archicortex, as well as subcortical structures, the amygdaloid nucleus, and the diencephalic structures (hypothalamus and thalamus), which together form part of the limbic system, the reticular formation that maintains the mental state of normal consciousness and attention behaviour, essential in the creative process, and other nuclei of the brain stem related to the autonomic nervous system, which determine the associated visceral response.
Furthermore, it was observed by functional magnetic resonance imaging (a technique that allows to obtain images of the brain’s activity) that creative thinking involves cooperation between several brain networks. First, those associated with spontaneous thinking, which are the default network used when imagining. Then those associated with cognitive control which is activated to take decisions. The so-called prominence network, used to discern the importance of a thing and functioning as a switch between the two networks mentioned above. And finally, the mechanisms of retrieval of information through semantic memory.
Therefore, by studying these networks in different individuals, it was observed that people who have more original ideas had a different pattern in their brain connections. Leading to the next question: do these differences in their brain connections affect other neurological aspects?
Already before it was thought that creative individuals manifest behavioral alterations that affect social relationships and eventually it was found a strong relation between creativity and affective disorders, especially bipolar spectrum, in artists. In addition, other studies on psychopathology and creativity have shown that manic-depressive psychosis has a significant impact on creative individuals and their families, however, statistically similar figures have been also obtained in the general population.
The truth is that extremely creative people take everything that make up their external and internal world, including their systemic or mental pathology, and use all of this to create.
It has been suggested that there are personality characteristics (such as overexcitability), that predispose both to creative activity and to the appearance of psychiatric symptoms and disorders. So, whether someone is just creative or has a mental disorder is something that remains to the person itself.