Season 1, Episode 14
Dr. James Kaufman Shares the Latest Research in Creativity
“Most of what I think about creativity can be summarized in three words: It all counts.”
– Dr. James Kaufman
Hosts & Guests
Dr. James Kaufman
Cyndi Burnett
Matthew Worwood
Resources
Episode Transcription
Dr. James Kaufman shares the latest research in Creativity
Can integrating creativity into education be the key to improving mental health, fostering positivity, and finding meaning in life?
In this final episode of Season One, Dr. Cyndi Burnett and Dr. Matthew Worwood interview leading creativity researcher, Dr. James Kaufman, about current trends in creativity research and how they might impact the future of education. Dr. Kaufman shares insight into the relationship between creativity and mental health, positivity, and having meaning in one’s life.
You’ll learn about the Four-C Model of Creativity, what educators need to know about creativity and mental health, and how creativity can help you improve mood and heal from trauma.
Plus, Dr. Kaufman sheds light on the advantages of bringing more creativity into your daily life, how teachers can begin to integrate more creativity in the classroom, how expressive writing can promote a higher quality of life, and more!
Guest Bio
James C. Kaufman is a Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Connecticut. He is the author/editor of more than 50 books, including Creativity 101 (2nd Edition, 2016) and the Cambridge Handbook of Creativity (2nd Edition, 2019; with Robert Sternberg). He has published more than 300 papers, including the study that spawned the “Sylvia Plath Effect,” and three well-known theories of creativity, including (with Ron Beghetto) the Four-C Model of Creativity. He is a past president of Division 10 of the American Psychological Association.
James has won many awards, including Mensa’s research award, the Torrance Award from the National Association for Gifted Children, and APA’s Berlyne and Farnsworth awards. He co-founded two major journals (Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts and Psychology of Popular Media Culture). He has tested Dr. Sanjay Gupta’s creativity on CNN, appeared in the hit Australia show Redesign Your Brain, and narrated the comic book documentary Independents. He wrote the book and lyrics to Discovering Magenta, which had its NYC premiere in 2015.
Debrief Episode
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Podcast Sponsor

We are thrilled to partner with Curiosity 2 Create as our sponsor, a company that shares our commitment to fostering creativity in education. Curiosity 2 Create empowers educators through professional development and community support, helping them integrate interactive, creative thinking approaches into their classrooms. By moving beyond traditional lecture-based methods, they help teachers create dynamic learning environments that enhance student engagement, improve academic performance, and support teacher retention. With a focus on collaborative learning and exploration, Curiosity 2 Create is transforming classrooms into spaces where students thrive through continuous engagement and growth.