Most of us have heard the “left brain verses right brain” argument enough times to make both sides of our brain hurt. Creative people are said to use their right brain, while more analytical people are said to use their left side. While this is based on neurology, the assumption that one side is “better” than another is not.
In college, I minored in psychology which means that a large portion of each semester was geared toward the study of the human body, and, more specifically, the brain. So I know the science behind the argument that right-brained people are more creative than left-brained people. But I find this knowledge to have severely crippled society and led people to believe that there is only one type of creativity.
In addition to my psych minor, I majored in Creative Advertising, which included a course called Introduction to Creativity. In this class we studied the theories of creativity – yes, it’s a science. And one of the most beneficial nuggets that I learned was the concept of multiple intelligences. Intelligence here is described as having a well-developed aptitude for something. In short, it means that everyone can be innovative, we just use our creativity in different ways.
What are the Multiple Intelligences?
Musical – rhythmic and harmonic
Visual – spatial
Verbal – linguistic
Logical – mathematical
Bodily – kinesthetic
Interpersonal – interaction with others
Intrapersonal – self-reflective
Naturalistic – relating with natural surroundings
Existential – spirituality
Basically, I value the idea of right/left brain, because it’s based on science and how our brain actually functions. But, I refuse to let it define whether or not you can be creative, because our creativity is what makes us uniquely human.
Haley Robinson 