By Audrey Werth/tr news editor

Creativity is generally associated only with fine art. Frequently, people claim they are not creative though they wish they were.

But, creativity is not something that only a few naturally talented artists possess. It exists in everyday life.

Confining creativity to art is unnecessarily limiting. Creativity is used all the time to solve problems and make new connections between ideas.

It is commonly believed that the amount of creativity someone has is determined at birth.

The reality, though, is that many people do think creatively. They just fail to recognize it.

Creativity is not an innate personality trait. Anyone can think creatively and with some willingness to make an effort be satisfied with his or her capabilities.

The more you exercise creativity, the more you will have.

The difficulty many people face is that creative activities are associated with self-expression, which can elicit a lot of anxiety.
It is hard for anyone to create without trusting his or her capabilities.

Instead of worrying about a perceived lack of creative ability, allow yourself the space to explore new ideas and interests. You could be surprised by how creative you really are.

To be innovative in any field requires creativity.

For one person, this could mean working on a painting or sculpture. For someone else, it might involve developing strategies to work effectively with a team of employees. For others still, creative thinking might be finding a way to get students to enjoy learning.

If creativity is defined as the process of generating and recognizing ideas, which can be used in problem-solving or to communicate with others, it suddenly becomes much easier to be creative.

Maybe not everyone is an artist, but everyone does have the ability to think creatively, and many people use this ability but do not recognize it because their understanding of creativity is severely limited.

People often think they are not creative because ideas do not come easily, but innovation and artistic creation is not easy. An initial idea may require significant amounts of effort before it is completed.

Not every creative effort will look like a Picasso or a Rembrandt. Creativity may come in the form of solving problems, communicating thoughts or generating ideas in any field ­– arts, sciences, professions or hobbies.