ABSTRACT
People pay attention to their environment and routine when they are creative, but something as central as their mood may not be on their radar. What people feel when they create matters. Both positive and negative moods enhance particular aspects of creativity, and the nuances of our emotional activation level matter. Being joyful or angry can help, but serenity or sadness may be stifling. People can not only induce particular moods (to an extent), but they can also work on regulating their emotions. Reaching an optimal level of arousal, mediating intrusive feelings (such as anxiety), and finding the best emotions to draw upon to interact with others can enhance and inform creativity.
