Liu and teammates studied the link between new experiences and creativity. They share that “Self-expansion refers to an expanded sense of self and of the world gained through new experiences. . . . Creativity was assessed using both subjective (self-report) and objective (divergent thinking test) measures. The results showed that self-expansion was positively related to creativity after controlling for demographic factors. . . . Employees in positions requiring more creativity had a stronger positive association between self-expansion and creativity than those in less creative positions. . . . Overall, the findings empirically support the proposition that self-expansion, arising from novel experiences, can boost individual creativity, in part by cultivating positive psychological states conducive to idea generation and problem solving. . . . Studies have shown that after experiencing something new and unconventional, such as meeting new people and exploring unfamiliar places, individuals can have expanded awareness of themselves and the world, a phenomenon known as self-expansion.”
Sisi Liu, Yipeng Tang, Ming Peng, and Gary Lewandowski. “The Effect of Self-Expression on Creativity: Examining the Role of Novelty Experiences.” Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, in press, https://doi.org/10.1037/aca0000682