Have you ever wondered whether you’re creative? Some people think they’re creative, but in actuality they are not. Some people think they haven’t got a creative bone in their body, but they really are creative. How can you know if you’re creative? Take these tests, developed by psychologists.
1. Recognition Test. Above is a picture from a famous test. Look at it and write down what you see. Afterwards, read the rest of this paragraph. Did you see a rabbit? Did you see a duck? Or did you see both a rabbit and a duck, switching back and forth. If you did the latter, you may be creative.
2. Alternative Uses Test. A chair is to sit on. Can you think of alternative uses of a chair? Write down as many as you can think of. If you thought of three or more you may be creative. The more alternative uses for a chair you can write down, the more you may be creative.
3. Lake Crossing Test. Visualize a big lake, several miles in diameter. Write down all the ways that you could cross the lake. If you write down three or more, you may be creative. The more ways of crossing you come up with, the more likely you may be creative.
4. Car Money Test. Do you own a car? Whether or not you do, write down all the ways that you could make money with a car. If you write down three or more, you may be creative. The more ways of making money with a care that you come up with, the more likely you may be creative.
5. What If Test. What if insects could talk? What would they say? Write down all the things insects might say if they could talk. If you come up with three or more, you may be creative. The more things you think of that insects might say if they could talk, the more likely you may be creative.
6. House Materials Test. How many materials do you think a house could be built out of? Write down all the materials that a house could be built out of. If you write down more than five, you may be creative. The more materials you come up with that a house could be built out of, the more likely you may be creative.
7. Taking Sides Test. A careless man walks down the street with his wallet hanging out of his back pocket. A hungry man comes up and takes the wallet. Whom do you side with? If you tend to see only one side of this and other situations, you may not be creative. If you see both sides of this and other situations, you may be creative.
8. The Color Test. What color most represents you? Write it down. If you wrote down primary colors or black or white, you may not be creative. If you wrote down magenta or some other off-the-beaten-track color, you are more likely to be creative.
9. Unusual Meal Test. What unusual meals would you like to make. Write it them down. If you wrote “Turkey Burger” or “Pizza with Olives,” you may not be creative. If you wrote “Peanut Butter and Cranberry Quiche,” you are more likely to be creative.
10. Skinning a Rabbit Test. How many ways can you skin a rabbit? Write down the ways. If you came up with three or more, you may be creative. The more ways of skinning a rabbit you found, the more likely you are creative.
Remember it is not just the quantity of your answers, but also the quality (originality).
Gerald Schoenewolf, Ph.D., licensed psychoanalyst, professor of psychology, and author of 20 books, has a website at www.drschoenewolf.com.