Why We Lose Our Creativity After Childhood - And How to Get It Back

Why We Lose Our Creativity After Childhood - And How to Get It Back

When you were a child, you were an inventor.

A cardboard box became a rocket ship. A stick turned into a magic wand. You asked “why?” a hundred times a day.

This ability to imagine endless possibilities is called divergent thinking — the skill of coming up with multiple ideas, answers, or approaches, not just the “right” one.

Fast-forward to adulthood and something changes. We default to the safe, the obvious, the tried-and-tested. And we barely notice it’s happened.


What Divergent Thinking Is (and Why You’ve Heard the Wrong Version)

People often think creativity is some magical talent you’re either born with or not. But in reality, creativity is a mix of two skills:

  • Divergent thinking – generating ideas without limits

  • Convergent thinking – narrowing those ideas to the best one

Picture divergent thinking as a tree growing new branches in all directions. Convergent thinking is pruning the branches that don’t serve the shape you’re aiming for.

We need both. First, you open up the possibilities. Then, you refine.


When Creativity Starts to Decline

Here’s the shocking part: research shows most children are exceptional at divergent thinking — but by age 8 to 10, it starts to drop fast.

One famous NASA-backed study by Dr. George Land found that 98% of five-year-olds scored at the “genius” level for divergent thinking. By 15, that number had dropped to 12%. By adulthood? Just 2%.

Why does it happen?

  • Education systems reward the correct answer over original ones.

  • Social pressure teaches us not to stand out.

  • Workplaces value efficiency more than exploration.

  • Fear of being wrong makes us play it safe.

Over time, we get very good at convergent thinking… and our divergent thinking muscle gets weak from lack of use.


How Screens Are Making It Worse

Now add constant screen time into the mix.

We’re bombarded with information, but we spend less time in “imagination mode.” We scroll, click, consume… and rarely give our minds space to wander.

A 2023 Frontiers in Psychology study found that heavy passive screen use reduces the mental “white space” needed for original thinking. Instead of making new connections, our brains are reacting to a constant feed of other people’s ideas.


Why This Matters in Real Life

Without strong divergent thinking, we:

  • Miss opportunities for innovation

  • Struggle to adapt to change

  • Keep solving problems the same old way

  • Feel stuck in repetitive routines

In a fast-changing world, thinking differently isn’t a luxury. It’s a survival skill.


A Workplace Example You’ve Probably Seen

In many offices, convergent thinking runs the show.
Everyone uses the same spreadsheet “because we’ve always done it this way.” Brainstorming feels like a waste of time. New ideas are seen as risky.

Interestingly, the freshest ideas often come from new hires or younger team members — people who haven’t yet been boxed in by “how things are done here.” Over time, even they adapt to the culture… and the spark dims.


The Good News: You Can Rebuild It

Divergent thinking is a skill. Skills can be rebuilt.

Hands-on creative activities — painting, doodling, building — are powerful tools. They:

  • Quiet your inner critic so ideas can flow

  • Help you get comfortable with uncertainty

  • Build emotional resilience by showing you can work without knowing the outcome


Why AI Won’t Do It For You

Generative AI can be brilliant for sparking ideas — but it’s not a substitute for your own creativity.

A University of Chicago study found that while AI can boost short-term creative output when paired with human thinking, relying on it exclusively narrows the range of ideas over time.

It’s like calculators: they’re useful, but when we stopped doing maths in our heads, we lost that skill.

The best approach? Let AI handle repetitive work and give you prompts — then push the ideas further yourself.


5 Simple Ways to Rebuild Divergent Thinking

Whether you’re an individual, a team leader, or running an organisation, these quick, research-backed exercises can help:

1. The 3-Minute Challenge

Pick any object and list as many uses as you can in three minutes.
Example with a cup: drink from it, pour from it, store pens, trace a circle, plant a seed, collect coins, serve soup, catch rainwater, use as a candle holder, build a sandcastle tower.

2. Reverse Brainstorming

Ask “How could I make this problem worse?” List every bad idea you can think of, then flip them into solutions.

3. Sensory Shift

Step away from screens. Engage smell, touch, or taste — cook something new, handle textured materials, walk without your phone. Changing sensory input changes how your brain connects ideas.

4. AI as a Prompt Partner

Come up with five ideas yourself first. Then ask AI to add five more, or help you combine and refine them. This way you strengthen your thinking instead of outsourcing it.

5. The 70% Rule

Start a project when you’re about 70% sure. This forces you to navigate uncertainty — a core skill for adaptability and innovation.


The First Step Back to Creativity

Reclaiming your divergent thinking starts with giving yourself permission to explore without judgement.

In my workshops, I guide groups through creative exercises that break habitual patterns, unlock fresh thinking, and build confidence in approaching problems differently — at work and in life.

If you want your team (or yourself) to think beyond the obvious, now is the time to make space for it.