4.2.4 The Creative Press

The term “press” refers to the relationships between individuals and their environments. This facet of creativity includes the study of social climates conducive or inhibitive to the manifestation of creativity, differences in perception and sensory inputs from varying environments, and the various reactions to certain types of situations. The questions guiding study within this area include understanding the environmental conditions that have an effect on creative behaviour, how these conditions effect creativity and how they can be used to facilitate creativity. The research approaches have included case study, interview and survey techniques with small groups and organizations.

Torrance synthesized the findings of various investigators and listed the following as necessary conditions for the healthy functioning of the preconscious mental processes which produce creativity:

1. The absence of serious threat to the self willingness to risk;
2. Self-awareness ... in touch with one's own feelings;
3. Self‑differentiation ... sees self as being different from others;
4. Both openness to the ideas of others and confidence in one's perceptions of reality or ideas; and
5. Mutuality in interpersonal relations ... balances between excessive quest for social relations and pathological reflection of them.

Investigation into creative environments has included attention to the educational and organizational areas. There has been much recent attention to the climate conducive to creativity and innovation from the business and industrial community. The emphasis of this research has been to identify those factors, in certain organizations, that account for creative behaviour. The findings from business and education are somewhat similar in that the climates in both types of organizations appear to be supportive of the intrinsic motivation hypothesis put forth by Amabile.

The popular literature contains many lists of suggestions for creating an environment conducive to creativity. Van Gundy identified three categories of factors that determine a group's creative climate. They are: the external environment, the internal climate of the individuals within the group, and the quality of the interpersonal relationships among group members. He acknowledged that there would be considerable overlap among these categories and that each category would include suggestions that deal with both task and people‑oriented issues.

A common thread running through all these suggestions is the encouragement of group involvement and increasing the level of ownership over activity and decisions. Although there are plenty of times a leader would not care to use group resources when making a decision, the climate literature suggests the decision to use or not to use a group should be based on more than personal preference. Situational variables such as: the needed quality of decision; the amount of information available; the needed level of commitment to the decision; the amount of conflict in existence; and many other factors could have an impact on deciding when and where to use group resources. When examining the many suggestions to establish a creative climate it is important to keep the concept of balance in mind. Taking as many factors into consideration when using those suggestions will help to moderate the many variables affecting their appropriate application.

A related factor to consider when attempting providing a creative climate is the type of leadership role required for the situation at hand. There aree different kinds of leadership appropriate for different kinds of situations. In considering the kind of environment within which creativity flourishes, it becomes apparent that a different type of leadership role is necessary. Some use the term “facilitator” to describe this leadership style. Others use the term “mentor”.

Another common theme within the climate literature is that the kind of environment which is supportive of creativity and innovation will allow individuals to be aware of their own blocks to creative thinking. The focus is on providing a climate where these can be minimized. Some of these blocks can be personal (such as the inability to take risks), problem solving (such as working only within a fixed "set"), or situational (like a great deal of emphasis on negative criticism). Taking time within a group or organization to develop an orientation to these inhibitors may provide reinforcement of the ground rules for the creative environment and may reduce the likelihood of the manifestation of blocks.