The science of creativity, genetics and careers
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As the saying goes, 'There is only a fine line between genius and madness.' From the legendary painter Vincent van Gogh to the enigmatic billionaire Elon Musk, their creativity is celebrated yet occasionally viewed as eccentric.
While creativity is often regarded as a hallmark of humanity, mixed perspectives exist on how creativity intertwines with well-being and career success. How does creativity influence mental health and overall well-being? Can it be both a blessing and a burden in one's professional journey? What role do genes and genetic factors play in this intricate interplay?
Li Wendong, Associate Professor of the Department of Management at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) Business School, sought to address these questions in his recent study titled A genome-wide association study of occupational creativity and its relations with well-being and career success.
Given that creativity is a multifaceted concept that proves to be quite challenging to measure, Professor Li and his collaborators categorised occupational creativity into three domains: artistic, scientific and managerial. 'We examine the genetic architecture of occupational creativity in a large-scale study and probe the genetic correlations between occupational creativity with well-being and career success,' he says.
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Professor Li and his PhD student Yu Kaili conducted the study in collaboration with Zhang Xin of the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, Song Zhaoli of the National University of Singapore along with his PhD students Zhu Yimo and Du Nianyao, as well as Fan Qiao of Duke-NUS Medical School.
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