Is There a Creativity Gap?

Pam Pfiffner

As part of the launch of Creative Suite 6, Adobe reported the results of a study it commissioned about creativity in global economies. The study, entitled State of Create, sought to discover the attitudes people have about creativity and the extent to which they feel they are able to express their creativity.

The study revealed the existence of a “workplace creativity gap” in five of the world’s largest economies. Adobe states: “The research shows 8 in 10 people feel that unlocking creativity is critical to economic growth and nearly two-thirds of respondents feel creativity is valuable to society, yet a striking minority – only 1 in 4 people – believe they are living up to their own creative potential.”

The study compiled the results of an online survey of 5,000 adults,1,000 each in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, the role creativity plays in an individual’s work life. For example, 75 percent of respondents said that their work requires them to think more creatively yet they are expected to sacrifice that creativity for productivity.

Education stifles creativity, according to more than 50 percent of respondents. “One of the problems is that too often our educational systems don’t enable students to develop their natural creative powers. Instead, they promote uniformity and standardization,” says Sir Ken Robinson Ph.D, whose popular 2006 TED Talk has become a touchstone in the debate about education and creativity. (See Robinson’s TED Talk here.)

The study, the complete results of which can be downloaded here contains data about creativity and technology that speaks to Adobe’s Creative Cloud initiatives. In its summary of the report, Adobe says that 4 out of 10 respondents say that the lack of access to tools to be creative and that these tools are considered essential to increase creativity. Furthermore, “technology is recognized for its ability to help individuals overcome creative limitations (58% globally, 60% in the United States) and provide inspiration (53% globally, 62% in the United States).”

Adobe has created an infographic that summarizes the study’s results. Click the image to see a larger view. You can also download the infographic.

In connection with this study, Adobe also announced the formation of a $1 million scholarship to “unlock the creative potential of students.” The Adobe Foundation Creativity Scholarships are open to students who want to pursue a creative field in college or other accredited institutions. For more information about the scholarship, see the press release.