Tolulope Popoola is a Creative Writer, Author, Writing Coach and Publishing Consultant. She is the founder of Accomplish Press, a coaching and publishing company, where she works with aspiring authors of all ages to write and publish the books they really want to.
There are so many beliefs about creativity, what it is and how to harness it that are simply not true. These myths are psychological barriers that prevent people from pursuing their true creative desires. They persist, because they are easier to believe than for people to look beneath the surface and explore the truth. In my work as a Writing Coach, sometimes, I talk to people, and they say things like, “I’m not creative” or “people like me don’t write books.”
In our culture, books and movies often show creative breakthroughs as sudden "eureka" moments. People misunderstand the creative process that often involves long periods of thinking, many small decisions and revisions. We rarely see the early attempts, practice work, or abandoned projects. So, it is easy to assume that creativity means perfection, and creative projects show up out of the blue, and in complete form.
But ask any creative person, whether they’re a writer, an artist, an architect, a fashion designer, a chef, a musician, a baker, etc. They will tell you that they usually go through several steps of refining their ideas, tweaking, editing or reworking the execution, before they get to the final product. Dr Mykim Tran, an expert in humanistic psychology, talks about the types and process of creativity in her article here.
In this article, I want to explore some of these myths about creativity and why they are wrong, so that you can overcome these psychological barriers to your own creativity.
Creativity is an innate talent—you either have it or you don’t
This myth is particularly pervasive in our society. People believe that they can’t be creative because they don’t have some mystical “creative talent”. But the truth is, creativity is a skill that can be developed through practice, just like any other ability. Everyone has the potential to be creative if they nurture it through experimentation, learning, and persistence. I believe that everyone is born with creativity, we just express it in different ways. A sculptor is creative, a photographer is creative, an interior designer is creative, a jeweller is creative, an architect is creative, and a writer is creative, even if they are doing completely different things. If you look at young children who have big imaginations, they are still discovering and exploring their creativity. If they are taught to channel their imagination creatively, they will hold on to it and apply it to their interests.
You can’t be creative unless you’re working in the arts
People assume that creativity only applies to certain occupations or hobbies and doesn’t apply to others. The truth is that creativity applies to all fields of work and study, not just the arts. We need creativity to solve all kinds of problems, to deliver new ideas and strategies, to innovate, to brainstorm, and to bring new solutions and updates. A lot of scientific breakthroughs happen because someone had to think of a creative approach to solving a familiar problem. In business, creative thinking is essential in problem-solving. Even in daily life, we can apply creativity to our tasks and problems to come up with new and better ways of doing things. Giles Varette, an experienced Business Coach, explores how creativity can be harnessed in our daily lives and in the workplace, in his article here.
Creativity is a solitary activity
This myth implies that you can only generate ideas when you are working alone and in silence. However, this is not true. While generating ideas or creating a piece of work can be done alone, many creative people benefit from collaboration, feedback, and community. Engaging with others, whether through critique groups, brainstorming sessions, or co-creation projects, can really enrich your creative process. Musicians, for example, often collaborate with each other to create new music and sounds.
You need to be highly educated to be a creative person
This myth is based on the wrong idea that only formal education can be the basis of creativity. Now, formal education can help, but many successful creative people come from diverse backgrounds. Creativity can be fuelled by many sources, including learning from life experience, personal observations, lived challenges, natural curiosity, problem-solving endeavours, practical experiments, and even trial and error.
Creativity can also be self-taught, and there are many examples of self-taught artists, musicians, painters, writers, and so on who have little or no formal training or university degrees. A healthy amount of curiosity, persistence, observation, willingness to experiment, openness to feedback and a drive to improve, trumps having a degree.
Creative people are disorganized and chaotic
The myth of the "chaotic creative" is one of the most persistent and misleading stereotypes about creativity. There is a cultural narrative that romanticises images of the "scattered artist" or "eccentric genius", and the media portrays creatives as inherently disorganized. While creativity often involves thinking outside the box, many successful creative people use structured systems, routines, and discipline to manage their creative projects. Organization can enhance creativity by providing a foundation for your ideas and creates mental space for creative thinking. For example, many creative writers follow a strict daily routine and spend a minimum length of time where they must write.
Creative people always wait for inspiration to strike
This myth about inspiration is one of the most damaging misconceptions about creative work. There’s a belief that creative people must wait for perfect moments of inspiration and that great ideas arrive fully formed and the work should feel effortless. This myth persists because it provides an excuse for inconsistency (for example, saying I’m not inspired right now). The reality is most creative people know that inspiration often comes from the act of doing. Consistently working on your projects, whether it is writing, painting, composing, drawing, designing, decorating, etc is what makes you become better at it. The more consistently you work and practice, the more likely you are to find ideas flowing. For example, writing daily or regularly can help train your brain to be creative on demand.
You can either be creative or logical, not both
Creativity and logic are often presented as opposing forces in our education and our society. For example, people are labelled as either "left-brain" (logical) or "right-brain" (creative) and there are so many stereotypes about artists vs. scientists. But this myth ignores how the most innovative solutions combine both approaches. Many creative people still use logic to structure and plan their work. And many scientists explore creatively in their work, for example, Einstein conducted imaginative thought experiments. Both logical and creative skills enhance problem-solving, and a combined approach leads to stronger solutions. Many fields of work and study require both creativity and logic, for example architecture, scientific research, video game design, programming, etc.
Creativity doesn’t follow rules, so anything goes
While creativity encourages free expression, most effective creative work still follows certain conventions regarding structure. Creativity thrives within some form of discipline, and understanding the "rules" helps you know when and how to break them. For example, in music, harmony and rhythm rules enable emotional expression and there are genres that create shared expectations. In creative writing, the rules of grammar and punctuation enables clear communication, and having structure in your story can shape the journey of the characters and create stronger emotional impact.
Creative work must always be original and unique
This myth places an enormous and unnecessary burden on creators. While originality is important, no idea exists in isolation. Many great works borrow themes, ideas, or tropes from others and put a unique twist on them. Creativity often involves reworking existing ideas in new and interesting ways or bringing fresh perspectives into familiar themes. Most creators often study their predecessor’s approach to their work, before they begin to put their own personal spin on it. For example, scientists often cite previous studies and other approaches to a problem, before they add their own contributions. Artists also study previous masters of a particular style, before they develop their own personal style. And new writers often start out writing stories similar to ones they’ve read or similar to writers they admire, before they develop their own personal voice. This process also takes time, and it should not make a creative person feel less than, because they borrow from, or are inspired by other people.
Good creative work happens quickly and effortlessly
The myth of effortless creation is particularly damaging because it sets unrealistic expectations. This is because most of the time, people only get to see the finished product, they often don’t see the work that happens behind the scenes. The narrative in the media also usually glamourises “Overnight success”, making it look as if it is the norm for people to just become instant creative geniuses. The actual creative process is different, and usually involves multiple iterations, extensive refinement, includes periods of frustration and demands sustained effort. This hidden work also involves preparation and planning, research, study, skill development, multiple drafts and revisions.
For example, even the best writers spend time drafting, editing, and rewriting their work. The first draft is just the beginning of the writing process. It’s normal for a first draft to be messy or incomplete. Writing is a process of refinement and editing and revising are essential steps to getting a polished piece. The final book or story might seem effortless to the reader, but that is because there have been hours of revision and editing in the process.
Removing these myths and embracing your creativity
These myths about creativity and creative writing often create unnecessary barriers, but once you debunk them, you can embrace the creative process with more confidence and freedom. The truth is creativity is not a magical thing that some people are born with, and some people are not. Inspiration doesn’t always feel like a magical flow. Many creative people, including writers struggle with self-doubt, distraction, and motivation. The key is discipline and persistence, rather than relying solely on moments of inspiration or limiting ideas about what anyone can do or achieve. Creativity is in all of us, and we can unleash it if we commit to the process.
If you are ready to embark on your journey to embracing your creativity through writing, reach out to me today. Let's work together to break free from the myths holding you back and embrace your true potential.
Tolulope Popoola, Writing Coach and Publishing Consultant
Tolulope Popoola is a Creative Writer, Author, Writing Coach and Publishing Consultant. She established Accomplish Press and The Creative Writing Academy to provide writers like herself with an opportunity to have their works written and published. She now works with aspiring authors of all ages to overcome their obstacles, clear their doubts and reconnect with their creative side, so that they can finally write and publish the books within them! Through her award-winning Creative Writing Club for Kids and Teens, Tolulope has worked with several young authors to improve their writing skills and confidence.
