6 - Self-Insight

Summary

I start with a brief overview of the literature on meaning. The tripartite model proposes coherence, significance, and purpose as the key factors. The first component of the Creativity Advantage model, self-insight, is strongly connected to coherence, which is being able to look back and feel as though your life has made sense. Some nostalgia may be involved (which is associated with creativity as well). As long as some kind of narrative is present, writing expressively on a regular basis is associated with many positive outcomes, both psychological and physical. Forming narratives in general is a powerful tool and may help shape our identity in adolescence and beyond – which can also be seen as a creative act itself.