Creativity and critical thinking, at first glance, may seem like polar opposites. One is art. One is science. One based on emotions and intuition. One based on facts. Yet both are committed to the ultimate discovery. Science asks, “what is true?” Art asks, “what is the truth?”
I believe artists and scientists have a lot more in common then they think. Typically, if you’re an artist you will access critical thinking before and after your process of creation. Scientists, for the most part, will do the reverse; they will have a hunch (a creative impulse or hypothesis) then look to prove or disprove it through analysis and testing of facts.
What I find interesting is that both approaches work well when they complement each other, but not when they happen at the same time. In other words, it makes more sense when you’re writing a play to follow your impulses and just write (the creative process) and do critical thinking afterwords then it is to do both at the same time. Judging, while creating, will dampen creativity.
It is no mere coincidence that one of the Jungian archetypes is the Artist-scientist. They are inseparable.
As creators, I believe seeing ourselves as an artist who is a scientist and a scientist who is an artist is healthy. Sticking to only one label on what and how we do things can creep into our psyche and restrict our approach.
Using both, at the appropriate time, can open us up to greater insight and better work.
What labels can you start using that you haven’t used before? Or maybe you prefer not to have any labels?
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dominik loncar 
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