Focusing on the 8C's: Creativity as the Self that is Flexible
When people hear the word creativity, they often think of artists, musicians, writers or people who can produce something original and imaginative. Sure, that is one form of creativity, but it's not the type of creativity we talk about as being a quality of Self-leadership, in Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy.
In IFS, creativity refers to a natural flexibility and openness to new possibilities, and the capacity to see that there may be more than one way forward. This matters because many of us become mentally, emotionally and physically rigid when our parts take over. For example: a perfectionist part may insist there is one correct way to do something; a controlling part may believe that everything needs to be planned; a fearful part may tell us that changing course is dangerous, or a people pleasing part may assume that keeping everyone happy is the only acceptable option.
When these parts are blended with us, our options can become very narrow. What creativity does is give us room to move.
Parts often prefer certainty
As I've written about a lot, protective parts are usually trying to keep us safe, so their top priority is not keep us intellectually flexible. Manager parts might have learned that careful planning prevents things from going wrong. A firefighter might have learned that escaping the situation as quickly as possible is the safest option. Both strategies might make sense given what the part has experienced. The difficulty comes when the part assumes its strategy is the only strategy. This is where Self leadership can create something different.
From Self, we can become curious about the part rather than automatically obeying it.
We can ask: “What are you worried would happen if we tried something different?”
That question creates space, which then creates possibilities.
Creativity of the Self is flexible
You do not need to be able to draw, dance, or play an instrument to experience the gifts of Self-led creativity. For example, you might experience creativity when you find a different way of responding to your teenager, or a new way of handling conflict with your partner. You might realise that the solution to a work problem does not have to involve working harder. You might notice that an old coping strategy is no longer necessary and become curious about what could replace it. This creativity provides choices inside; the flexible Self in action.
At its simplest, creativity allows us to ask: “What else is possible here?”
When the Self can calmly ask that question to a part, it can be surprisingly powerful.
Creativity can emerge when we stop forcing or trying
One of the things I find clinically interesting about creativity is that it often appears when we stop demanding that we immediately know what to do. A client might begin therapy convinced that they need to leave their relationship, confront their parent, quit their job or finally “fix” themselves. Their managers are pushing their systems (and the therapist) for answers, or worse, practical advice. Therapists blended with their own caretaker parts might collude with the clients managers to rush towards a definitive answer. Where IFS can create something different is by creating enough internal space to listen to the different parts involved. As those parts feel heard and understood, something can shift. The person may discover an option they had not previously considered. While it's not problem-solving or dramatic, it is the very definition of Self-led creativity. Sometimes it is simply the ability to say: “I don't know yet. Let's see what happens.” That is a surprisingly sophisticated form of psychological flexibility.
Creativity, in IFS, is therefore less about what you can create and more about how freely you can respond.
When Self is leading, we are less trapped by the solutions our parts developed in the past when they had less capacity. We can become curious, start to experiment, imagine another possibility that wasn't available before.
About the Author
Sean Cuthbert is a Clinical Psychologist, Psychology Board of Australia (PBA) Approved Supervisor, Certified IFS Therapist, and IFS-I Approved Clinical Consultant in private practice in Melbourne, online throughout Australia, and internationally. He provides 1:1 therapy for clients, and supports professionals through individual and group supervision/consultation.
