Development of the Creative Self-Concept

Although the creative self-concept is more and more intensively studied in the creativity literature, little is known about its developmental characteristics. In three studies presented in this paper, several hypotheses concerning the development of the creative self-concept are tested. Specifically examined are hypotheses regarding the growing specificity and clarity of the creative self-concept during development (Studies 1 and 2) and changes in it during the lifespan (Study 3).The results show that although the creative selfconcept is formed at about 10 years of age, by 12 years old it remains somewhat poorly clarified. Changes in the creative self-concept are observed mainly in the transition period between late adolescence and early adulthood (when it grows) and medium and late adulthood (when it diminishes). Creativity - a specific interplay between imagination, improvisation, and innovation