2.6 Creativity and personality
Creativity can be expressed in a number of different forms，depending on unique people and environments.A number of different theorists have suggested models of the creative person.One model suggests that there are kinds to produce growth，innovation，speed，etc.These are referred to as the four“Creativity Profiles”that can help achieve such goals.
（1）Incubate（Long-term Development）
（2）Imagine（Breakthrough Ideas）
（3）Improve（Incremental Adjustments）
（4）Invest（Short-term Goals）
Research by Dr Mark Batey of the Psychometrics at Work Research Group at Manchester Business School has suggested that the creative profile can be explained by four primary creativity traits with narrow facets within each.
（1）“Idea Generation”（Fluency，Originality，Incubation and Illumination）
（2）“Personality”（Curiosity and Tolerance for Ambiguity）
（3）“Motivation”（Intrinsic，Extrinsic and Achievement）
（4）“Confidence”（Producing，Sharing and Implementing）
This model was developed in a sample of 1000 working adults using the statistical techniques of Exploratory Factor Analysis followed by Confirmatory Factor Analysis by Structural Equation Modelling.An important aspect of the creativity profiling approach is to account for the tension between predicting the creative profile of an individual，as characterized by the psychometric approach，and the evidence that team creativity is founded on diversity and difference.
One characteristic of creative people，as measured by some psychologists，is what is called divergent production.Divergent production is the ability of a person to generate a diverse assortment，yet an appropriate amount of responses to a given situation.One way of measuring divergent production is by administering the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking.The Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking assesses the diversity，quantity，and appropriateness of participant responses to a variety of open-ended questions.
Other researchers of creativity see the difference in creative people as a cognitive process of dedication to problem solving and developing expertise in the field of their creative expression.Hard working people study the work of people before them and within their current area，become experts in their fields，and then have the ability to add to and build upon previous information in innovative and creative ways.In a study of projects by design students，students who had more knowledge on their subject on average had greater creativity within their projects.
The aspect of motivation within a person's personality may predict creativity levels in the person.Motivation stems from two different sources，intrinsic and extrinsic motivation.Intrinsic motivation is an internal drive within a person to participate or invest as a result of personal interest，desires，hopes，goals，etc.Extrinsic motivation is a drive from outside of aperson and might take the form of payment，rewards，fame，approval from others，etc.Although extrinsic motivation and intrinsic motivation can both increase creativity in certain cases，strictly extrinsic motivation often impedes creativity in people.
From a personality-traits perspective，there are a number of traits that are associated with creativity in people.Creative people compared to people with less creativity tend to be more open to new experiences，are more self-confident，more ambitious，self-accepting，impulsive，driven，dominant，and hostile.
From an evolutionary perspective，creativity may be a result of the outcome of years of generating ideas.As ideas are continuously generated，the need to evolve produces a need for new ideas and developments.As a result，people have been creating and developing new，innovative，and creative ideas to build our progress as a society.
In studying exceptionally creative people in history，some common traits in lifestyle and environment are often found.Creative people in history usually had supportive parents，but rigid and non-nurturing.Most had an interest in their field at an early age，and most had a highly supportive and skilled mentor in their field of interest.Often the field they chose was relatively uncharted，allowing for their creativity to be expressed more in a field with less previous information.Most exceptionally creative people devoted almost all of their time and energy into their craft，and after about a decade had a creative breakthrough of fame.Their lives were marked with extreme dedication and a cycle of hard-work and breakthroughs as a result of their determination.
Another theory of creative people is the investment theory of creativity.This approach suggest that there are many individual and environmental factors that must exist in precise ways for extremely high levels of creativity opposed to average levels of creativity.In the investment sense，aperson with their particular characteristics in their particular environment may see an opportunity to devote their time and energy into something that has been overlooked by others.The creative person develops an undervalued or under-recognized idea to the point that it is established as a new and creative idea.Just like in the financial world，some investments are worth the buy in，while others are less productive and do not build to the extent that the investor expected.This investment theory of creativity views creativity in a unique perspective compared to others，by asserting that creativity might rely to some extent on the right investment of effort being added to a field at the right time in the right way.