Understanding the Connection Between Perfectionism and Creativity

What is it about?

Does perfectionism interfere with creativity, or does it perhaps facilitate creativity instead? In this study, 92 adults completed a survey measuring perfectionistic tendencies and several activities designed to assess different aspects of creative thinking. We found that people with higher levels of perfectionism reported generating and engaging with ideas more frequently in everyday life. However, perfectionism was not related to performance on tasks that measured creative idea generation or problem solving. Age did not change these relationships, although older participants tended to report lower levels of self-critical and self-focused perfectionism. Overall, the findings suggest that perfectionists may see themselves as more engaged with ideas, but this does not necessarily translate into better performance on creativity tasks.

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Photo by Dragos Gontariu on Unsplash

Photo by Dragos Gontariu on Unsplash

Why is it important?

Many people believe that perfectionism affects creativity, but it is not clear whether it helps people generate new ideas or holds them back. Understanding this relationship is important because both creativity and perfectionism influence success in school, work, and personal pursuits. By clarifying how perfectionism relates to different aspects of creativity, this research can help individuals better understand their own thinking styles and inform efforts to foster creativity in educational and professional settings.