This chapter examines the role of emotion traits in creativity. Here, creativity is defined as a syndrome that involves attitudinal, cognitive, and behavioral components. Emotion traits most centrally affect aspects of the creativity syndrome that are manifested across situations and time. Specifically, the chapter reviews evidence of emotion traits influencing the creative decision, creative process engagement, domain-specific performance, and frequency of creative activities and achievement. The function of emotion traits is to direct attention, energize, and lower the threshold for behavior. The chapter suggests future directions in the study of emotion traits and creativity.

Adulthood holds special promise for creativity. Not only is this developmental period the longest, but it is also the most advanced in terms of maturity of mental and biological structures people achieve. Therefore, adulthood quite naturally forms an arena for creative activities and achievements. However, creativity in adulthood does not only (or even not mainly) refer to test-measured creative potential; rather, it denotes expertise-based, mature, and, in some rare cases, eminent creativity. What are the milestones of creative development in adulthood? Why is it that so many people do not reach the level of mature creativity? What makes adults realize, or not, their creative potential, and invest their time and effort to develop it? We discuss these questions and show some new avenues for future research.