If you’ve ever wondered whether intelligence makes you more creative (or vice versa), or if there’s a “magic number” where creativity suddenly takes off, this article breaks it all down—without the scientific jargon.
1. How Intelligence and Creativity Are Connected
When we talk about intelligence and creativity, it’s easy to assume they go hand in hand—like peanut butter and jelly. But the reality is a little messier. Researchers have spent decades trying to figure out exactly how these two abilities interact, and they’ve landed on a few different ideas.
Some argue that creativity is just another type of intelligence, like problem-solving or logical reasoning. If you’re highly intelligent, they say, you’ll naturally be more creative because your brain can process and combine information in more complex ways. Others push back against this idea, insisting that intelligence and creativity are totally separate skills. You can have one without the other—think of those brilliant-but-rigid thinkers who ace tests but struggle with innovation, or those wildly imaginative artists who never cared much for school.
Then there’s the threshold hypothesis, which is one of the biggest theories in this debate. It suggests that intelligence does play a role in creativity—but only up to a point. According to this idea, you need at least above-average intelligence (around an IQ of 120) to produce highly creative work. Below that, intelligence and creativity seem to be linked: the smarter you are, the more creative potential you have. But once you hit that 120 mark, the connection supposedly fades. Having an IQ of 130, 140, or even 160 wouldn’t necessarily make you more creative than someone sitting at 120.
On the surface, this theory makes sense. Creativity often requires problem-solving, pattern recognition, and deep thinking, all of which intelligence supports. But it also suggests that beyond a certain intelligence level, other factors—like personality, motivation, or experience—become more important for creativity than just raw IQ.
Sounds like a neat and tidy explanation, right? Well, real-life data suggests it’s not that simple. Researchers who have tested the threshold hypothesis in different ways have found that intelligence doesn’t have a single cutoff point for creativity. Instead, the connection between the two seems to shift depending on how you define creativity. Some types of creative thinking show a threshold effect, while others keep benefiting from higher intelligence.
That’s where things get interesting. Because if creativity and intelligence don’t have a strict cutoff point, what does make someone creative? And if intelligence isn’t the whole story, what other traits play a role? The answers might surprise you.
2. What Research Says About Creativity and IQ
Okay, so let’s break this down in a way that actually makes sense. The Jauk et al. (2013) study looked at different types of creativity and whether intelligence plays a role in each. Spoiler alert: it does—but not in the same way across the board.
They found that some aspects of creativity rely on intelligence up to a point, while others keep benefiting from more brainpower indefinitely. It all depends on what kind of creativity we’re talking about.
1. Basic Creative Thinking (a.k.a. Fluency)
This is the ability to come up with a bunch of ideas, regardless of how original they are. Imagine a brainstorming session where you’re listing as many uses for a paperclip as possible. In this case, intelligence helps until you hit an IQ of 85. That’s right—just 85 IQ points, which is actually below the population average. After that, people seem to hit a plateau, meaning even someone with an IQ of 140 wouldn’t necessarily list more ideas than someone at 90.
Why? Likely because fluency relies more on free association and quick thinking rather than deep, complex cognition. If you have enough intelligence to think flexibly, more of it doesn’t automatically make you better at listing random things.
2. Coming Up With Original Ideas
Now we’re getting into the kind of creativity that actually turns heads. It’s one thing to list 50 possible uses for a paperclip, but another to come up with something truly unique and unexpected. Here, intelligence helps up to an IQ of 104—just a little higher than the average person. So, the more intelligent you are, the better you tend to be at generating unique ideas—but only up to that point.
At IQ levels above 104, people don’t necessarily get more original. This suggests that past a certain level of intelligence, originality starts depending on something else—like personality traits, interests, or even life experiences.
3. Producing Highly Original, High-Quality Ideas
This is where the traditional 120 IQ threshold actually holds up. When it comes to generating consistently original and high-quality ideas, intelligence keeps helping until 120 IQ points. This might explain why some researchers believed the threshold hypothesis applied across the board—it does for certain creative tasks, but not for all.
If your IQ is below 120, intelligence is a solid predictor of your ability to produce high-level creative ideas. But once you cross that threshold, more intelligence doesn’t necessarily mean more creativity. Other factors—like curiosity, persistence, or even how much you practice thinking creatively—become way more important.
4. Real-World Creative Achievements
Now, here’s the twist: when it comes to actual creative success in the real world—writing books, making music, inventing new technology—there’s no threshold at all. The higher your intelligence, the more likely you are to achieve something creative. Period.
This means that while intelligence might not make a genius-level artist out of you, it does play a role in long-term creative success. Higher intelligence can help with complex problem-solving, mastering difficult skills, and making connections between ideas—all of which contribute to groundbreaking creative achievements.
3. Why Being “Smart” Doesn’t Automatically Make You Creative
Let’s be real—if intelligence was the only thing that fueled creativity, every genius would also be a visionary artist, groundbreaking inventor, or revolutionary thinker. But that’s so not the case. We all know people who are incredibly smart but struggle to think outside the box. And on the flip side, history is full of wildly creative minds who weren’t necessarily high-IQ masterminds.
So, what gives? Well, once you reach a certain level of intelligence, more brainpower doesn’t guarantee more creativity. Other factors—like personality, motivation, curiosity, and even life experiences—start to matter way more than just being “smart.”
Openness to Experience: The Secret Sauce of Creativity
If there’s one personality trait that keeps showing up in creative people, it’s openness to experience. This basically means being curious, imaginative, and willing to explore new ideas. People high in openness tend to love learning, experimenting, and breaking away from routine—all of which naturally lead to more creative thinking.
In fact, research suggests that once you have enough intelligence, openness to experience is the best predictor of creative potential. That’s a big deal because it means creativity isn’t just about how well your brain processes information—it’s about how willing you are to step outside of your comfort zone and see the world differently.
Think about it:
- Someone with an average IQ but a deep curiosity about the world will probably come up with more creative ideas than a genius who never questions anything.
- People who seek out new experiences—traveling, reading widely, trying different hobbies—are constantly feeding their brains new material for creative thinking.
- Being open to failure (and even embracing it) makes it easier to take creative risks, which is essential for doing anything original.
So, if you want to boost your creativity, focus less on how smart you are and more on how curious you are.
Why Too Much Structure Can Kill Creativity
Here’s a surprising twist: being super disciplined, structured, and organized (a.k.a. high in conscientiousness) can actually hurt creativity—especially if you’re not naturally inclined toward creative thinking.
The study found that lower-IQ individuals who were also highly conscientious weren’t as creative. This suggests that when intelligence is on the lower side, being too focused on rules and structure can limit creative thinking even further.
Think about how creativity works:
- It thrives on flexibility, spontaneity, and exploring new possibilities.
- It often involves breaking the rules and challenging norms.
- It’s about embracing uncertainty, rather than trying to control every little detail.
Now, conscientiousness is great for things like meeting deadlines, staying organized, and following through on tasks (which, to be fair, are super useful when it comes to actually finishing creative projects). But when people rely too much on structure and rule-following, it can block the mental freedom that creativity needs.
So, does that mean you have to be messy and disorganized to be creative? Not at all! It just means that if you want to boost creativity, you might need to loosen up a little—allow for more play, spontaneity, and unstructured thinking.
4. Creative Achievement vs. Creative Potential
Not all creativity is the same. There’s a big difference between having the potential to be creative and actually bringing creative ideas to life. Think of it like this:
- Creative potential is your ability to come up with original ideas. It’s the spark of imagination—the clever ideas you throw out in a brainstorming session or the wild “What if…?” scenarios that pop into your head.
- Creative achievement is about making those ideas real. It’s publishing the book, launching the startup, composing the music, or creating the artwork that leaves a mark.
So, while a high IQ can make it easier to generate unique ideas (a.k.a. boost creative potential), it doesn’t guarantee those ideas will actually become something real. That part depends on entirely different factors—like grit, personality, environment, and sheer determination.
Why Intelligence Helps With Ideas But Not Execution
The study found that intelligence is more connected to creative potential than creative achievement. In other words, being smart helps you think creatively, but it doesn’t automatically make you successful at bringing ideas to life.
Why? Because creativity isn’t just about thinking—it’s also about doing. And the “doing” part? That requires a mix of other qualities, like:
- Persistence – Having an idea is easy. Sticking with it when things get tough? That’s what separates creatives from creatives-who-make-it.
- Risk-taking – Many creative achievements involve stepping into the unknown. High intelligence doesn’t necessarily make someone more likely to take the bold leaps that real innovation requires.
- Personality – The study showed that traits like openness to experience play a bigger role in actual creative success than IQ does. The willingness to explore, experiment, and push boundaries matters more than just having a sharp mind.
- Environment & Opportunities – Some of the most creative minds never get the chance to turn their ideas into achievements. Supportive environments, access to resources, and the right networks all play a role.
Having Brilliant Ideas Isn’t Enough—You Have to Execute
Think about all the people who say, “I had that idea years ago!” when a new invention or startup takes off. Having an idea isn’t the hard part—turning it into something real is. The world isn’t shaped by ideas that stay in people’s heads; it’s shaped by the ones that get built, tested, refined, and launched.
That’s why some of the most influential creative minds in history weren’t necessarily the most intelligent—they were the most dedicated, fearless, and relentless in making their ideas happen.
So, if you’re sitting on creative potential, waiting for the perfect moment or feeling like you need to be smarter before you start—don’t. Creativity isn’t about how many ideas you have. It’s about what you do with them.
5. So, Can You Be Creative Without a High IQ?
Absolutely! A high IQ might give you a boost, but it’s not a VIP pass to creativity. If intelligence alone made people creative, every genius would be an artist, musician, or inventor—but that’s clearly not the case.
If your IQ is above 85 (which is most people), you have the cognitive tools to be creative. What really separates creative thinkers from the rest isn’t just brainpower—it’s how they think, act, and approach the world.
Here’s what actually matters:
1. Are You Open to New Ideas and Experiences?
Creativity thrives on exposure to different perspectives, ideas, and experiences. If you only stick to what you know, your creativity has nowhere to go. People who seek out novelty—whether through travel, reading, learning new skills, or even just questioning the status quo—tend to be more creative because their brains are constantly making new connections.
Tip: If you want to boost your creativity, shake things up. Read outside your favorite genres, have conversations with people who think differently than you, and try things that push you out of your comfort zone.
2. Do You Take Creative Risks?
Creativity isn’t safe. It’s messy, unpredictable, and sometimes embarrassing. The best creative minds aren’t just intelligent—they’re willing to take risks, even if it means failing.
A lot of people have creative ideas, but fear stops them from acting on them. They don’t want to look foolish, be judged, or waste time on something that might not work. But risk-taking is a huge part of creative success. If you’re afraid to be wrong, you’ll struggle to create anything original.
Tip: Give yourself permission to fail. Whether it’s writing, painting, coding, or starting a business, creative progress happens when you take risks—not when you wait for perfection.
3. Are You Willing to Experiment and Fail?
Speaking of failure, here’s the deal: Creativity is trial and error. Even the most brilliant creative minds don’t get it right on the first try. The difference is, they keep going.
If you’re too attached to getting everything perfect right away, you’ll freeze up. But if you see failure as part of the process, you’ll be more willing to tweak, refine, and push forward—which is how all great creative work happens.
Tip: Start seeing failure as feedback. Every misstep is just data telling you what to adjust next.
4. Do You Follow Through on Creative Projects?
Ideas are easy. Execution is hard. The world is full of people who have great ideas but never follow through. Creativity isn’t just about inspiration—it’s about putting in the work to turn an idea into something real.
Even if you don’t have the highest IQ in the room, if you’re the one who actually finishes your creative projects, you’ll go much further than someone who’s super smart but never follows through.
Tip: Treat your creative projects like commitments, not just hobbies. Even if it’s just for fun, set deadlines, push through self-doubt, and finish what you start.
6. Final Thoughts: Intelligence Helps, But It’s Not Everything
If you’ve ever felt like you’re “not smart enough” to be creative, don’t let that hold you back. Intelligence plays a role in creativity, but once you reach a certain level, other things—like curiosity, passion, and persistence—become just as important.
Creativity isn’t just about being the smartest person in the room. It’s about being the one who dares to think differently, explore new ideas, and take action on them. So whether your IQ is 100, 120, or 140, what matters most is how you nurture your creativity and put it to work.
TL;DR
- Intelligence and creativity are connected, but the relationship isn’t linear.
- Intelligence matters for creative potential but has less impact on creative achievements.
- There are different IQ thresholds for different types of creativity (85 for fluency, 104 for some originality, and 120 for high originality).
- Openness to experience is a bigger predictor of creativity than IQ once the intelligence threshold is met.
- You don’t need a genius-level IQ to be creative—what you do with your intelligence matters more.
So, next time you doubt your creative abilities, remember: creativity isn’t about IQ points. It’s about thinking differently, staying curious, and pushing yourself to create something new.
