Psychology of Creative, Innovative & Entrepreneurial Thinking

Psychological Masterclasses for High Performance Companies by Jessica Carson

Jessica Has Been Featured By:

Presentations designed to maximize your employees’ creative, entrepreneurial, and innovative potential based on their unique psychology.

FEATURED PRESENTATION

Risk, Reward & the Surprising Reality of Dopamine at Work

Dopamine’s Impact on Your Success as an Innovator

A thrilling project. A big promotion. A dose of praise. All are drivers of dopamine in the workplace.

Most highly creative, innovative and entrepreneurial individuals are ravenous for dopamine, which fuels their pursuit of newness and dynamism in the workplace. While this wiring supports essential entrepreneurial traits like curiosity, optimism, and risk tolerance, it also brings challenges such as distraction, disengagement, and impulsivity. The solution? Developing a mindful organizational relationship with risk, reward, and pleasure.

  • · Gain practical insights into the psychology of dopamine through a combination of science and relatable stories.

    · Explore traits linked to dopamine, including novelty-seeking, sensation-seeking, and reward deficiency syndrome.

    · Understand the positive and negative consequences of dopamine-seeking behavior in the workplace.

    · Learn actionable strategies, both for individuals and organizations, to cultivate a mindful approach to dopamine-seeking.

  • Teams Who:

    · Are comprised of innovative and entrepreneurial thinkers.

    · Deal with significant levels of risk and uncertainty in their work.

    · Thrive on new challenges, excitement, and rewards.

    · Seek solutions for issues like distraction, disengagement, or impulsivity that may affect productivity and creativity.

Learning Outcomes

Ease Navigating Uncertainty · Access to Flow States

Higher Productivity · Improved Ability to Improvise

Clearer Decision Making · Smarter Risk Management

Stronger Team Harmony · Enhanced Emotional Intelligence

Greater Well-Being · Deeper Sense of Purpose

Presented by Jessica Carson

Jessica is an author, scholar, innovator, and Expert in Residence at Georgetown University on the psychology of creativity and entrepreneurship with over a decade of experience at the intersection of behavioral science and innovation.

Formerly a Neuroscience Research Fellow at the National Institutes of Health, Head of Innovation at the American Psychological Association, and startup and venture firm executive, Jessica draws on her diverse experiences to spark curiosity, collaboration, and creative thinking for improved organizational outcomes.

Ideal For

Startups that want to give their employees an edge through creative problem-solving, improved focus, and greater fulfillment.

Venture firms that want to deepen their partners’ ability to read people, make sound decisions, manage risk, and perform optimally amidst uncertainty.

Traditional workplaces, like law and financial firms, that are looking to strengthen their innovation muscle and enhance entrepreneurial thinking.

Schedule a free initial call with Jessica to discuss your team and its unique needs.

1

Jessica develops custom programming on top of the core curriculum to ensure the talk(s) is tailored to your team.

2

After each presentation, there are 4 weeks of optional integration coaching with Jessica to empower your team to apply the learnings.

3

The Presentations

How to Innovate When Everything’s Up in the Air

The Psychology of Ambiguity Tolerance

  • Creative work is an exercise in ambiguity: From sudden constraints to conflicting directions to multiple demands, creativity is rarely a sure thing. But for those of us who befriend ambiguity, we may be pleasantly surprised to find that we benefit from having wrenches thrown into their process.

    In this session, we delve into the psychology behind ambiguity tolerance, emphasizing adaptability, emotional regulation, and conflict resolution. We conclude with a hilarious activity that highlights how unexpected complexities can spark innovative thinking.

How to Wear Another’s Shoes For Creative Breakthroughs

The Psychology of Theory of Mind

  • Creators spend lots of time in other’s shoes. The ability to understand the mental state of others — called ‘theory of mind’ — allows us to create work that resonates deeply, solves problems, avoids conflict, and feels good. When we strengthen this skill, we find that we become more creative — and our work becomes more beloved.

    In this session, we explore the psychology of theory of mind, focusing on perspective-taking, empathy, and persona development. We conclude with an engaging activity that reveals how stepping into others' shoes can lead to profound creative breakthroughs.

How to Harness Cognitive Diversity For Innovation

The Psychology of Cognitive Diversity

  • Creativity arises from cognitive diversity: The differences in the ways we think that set us apart. From unique learning styles to personality types to forms of neurodiversity, like ADHD and autism, organizations that harness the power of cognitive diversity benefit from enhanced creativity, better problem solving, and enhanced innovation.

    In this session, we explore the psychology of cognitive diversity, emphasizing learning styles, personality types, and neurodiversity. We conclude with an inspiring activity that underscores the value of a team’s cognitive diversity for creative outcomes.

How to Skate Where the Puck is Going

The Psychology of Intuition

  • Creative work is all about skating where the puck is going. Our work requires us to detect patterns, trends, and visions of the future before they’re available to others. Research on intuition in creative and entrepreneurial contexts suggests we can use it to recognize patterns, make better decisions, and create a few steps ahead of the rest.

    In this session, we explore the psychology behind intuition, emphasizing decision making, pattern recognition, and emotional awareness. We conclude with a practical exercise demonstrating how participants can use intuition to produce highly creative work.

How to Ideate Like a Creative Savant

The Psychology of Divergent Thinking

  • Creative thinking isn’t linear: It’s a network of spontaneous, emergent, unexpected ideas that lead to truly innovative outcomes. The more we foster conditions for divergent thinking — both individually and organizationally — the more effectively we can break from the norm and access deep creativity.

    In this session, we delve into the psychology behind divergent thinking, focusing on ideation, iteration, and creative synthesis. We conclude with an inspiring activity designed to generate a multitude of divergent ideas from a common prompt.

How to Find the Sweet Spot for Creative Breakthroughs

The Psychology of Flow States

  • Everyone has been in the zone at some point: Time is transformed, concentration is amplified, and breakthroughs abound. This phenomenon — known as flow states — is an essential hallmark of the creative process. The more we understand our unique flow conditions, we more readily we become higher performers, better collaborators, and happier creators.

    In this session, we investigate the psychology of flow states, highlighting the nature of the autotelic personality and conditions required for flow. We conclude with an inspirational activity, allowing participants to activate a flow state for creative achievement.

How to Improvise… Like a Rapper

The Psychology of Improvisation

  • Improvisation is one of the purest instances of creativity: It features a loosening of inhibition, relaxed playfulness, and full engagement with the task at hand. By understanding what happens in the brain during improvisation — like rapping, comedy, or work that requires us to think on our feet — we can foster conditions for creative improvisation in the workplace.

    In this session, we explore the psychology of improvisation, focusing on cognitive inhibition/disinhibition and emergent creativity. We conclude with an energizing activity to improvise highly creative ideas on the spot.

How to Harness Sensitivity as a Creative Superpower

The Psychology of High Sensitivity

  • Many creators are highly sensitive: They have powerful emotions, finely-tuned perceptive abilities, and great depths of imagination. Though this sensitivity can be challenging at times — resulting in overstimulation or overwhelm — its creative potential is unlimited when harnessed properly.

    In this session, we delve into the psychology of highly sensitive individuals, exploring thresholds for arousal, sensory perception, and depth of processing. We conclude with an enlightening activity showcasing the benefits of a high sensitivity for creative work.

How to be Disruptive — Without Being a Jerk

The Psychology of Low Agreeableness

  • One of the core personality traits tied to creativity is low agreeableness: The tendency to be independent, break from the norm, and do things differently. While low agreeableness is correlated with innovative outcomes, it can also result in conflict, low empathy, and overall jerkishness. But when harnessed properly, low agreeableness can take your creativity to unfathomable heights.

    In this session, we explore the psychology behind low agreeableness, exploring independent thinking, disruptiveness, and empathy. We conclude with a funny activity in which participants must generate disruptive ideas while resisting the urge to be a jerk.

What Your Risk Profile Means For Your Creative Work

The Psychology of Risk Tolerance

  • Creativity and risk go hand-in-hand: To be creative is to break from the norm, step outside the boundaries, and risk failure, criticism, and rejection. But not all risk is created equal — and not everyone perceives risk the same. A solid grasp on our unique relationship with risk is a necessary part of effective creative and entrepreneurial thinking.

    In this session, we explore the psychology behind risk tolerance, examining risk capacity, risk attitude, and various risk types. We conclude with a risk assessment activity, offering participants a deeper understanding of their personal risk profile.

How to Make Snap Decisions… Without Burning it All Down

The Psychology of Impulsivity

  • The creative mind is wired to be rather impulsive: Characterized by traits like novelty-seeking and sensation-seeking, many creators find themselves hungry for the reward of dopamine. While this wiring can result in impulsivity, distraction, and excessive risking taking, it can also lead to tremendous curiosity, confidence, creativity, and conviction when harnessed properly.

    In this session, we explore the psychology behind impulsivity, examining novelty-seeking, sensation-seeking, and reward deficiency syndrome. We conclude with an entertaining activity in which we understand how dopamine fuels our good (and not so good) decision-making.

How to Self-Actualize Through Your Creative Work

The Psychology of Self-Actualization

  • Creativity is one of the surest modern day paths to self-actualization: It offers us experiences of beauty, flow, meaning, connection, and even transcendence. When this sense of meaning is found, our work becomes an extension of our authentic selves, resulting in tremendous creativity, high performance, and genuine fulfillment.

    In this session, we explore the psychology of self-actualization, emphasizing authenticity, autotelic work, and purpose. We conclude with an empowering activity, guiding participants to map their own creative path toward self-actualization.

How It Works

  • Each topic is chosen because of its well-researched relevance to creative and entrepreneurial personality, cognition, and potential.

    Full descriptions of each session are outlined below. Topics include ambiguity tolerance, theory of mind, intuition, divergent thinking, flow states, improvisation, high sensitivity, risk tolerance, self-actualization, and more.

  • Each session is 60 minutes. Depending on your team’s preferences, each session can be keynote or workshop-style.

  • The format can be virtual or in-person. It can also be geared toward smaller groups (>10) or larger groups (10+).

  • Every session is researched, created, and delivered by Jessica Carson, a leading expert in the psychology of creativity and entrepreneurship.

  • The base price for each 60 minute presentation is $1,900. Additional costs are added for in-person presentations, add-on integration coaching, and other customization, as agreed upon.

  • Reach out to schedule a complimentary 30 minute session with Jessica to discuss your organization’s needs jessica@centerforhumancreativity.com

To discuss pricing and scheduling, or to learn more, please reach out.

Praise

  • The essential user’s manual for the entrepreneurial spirit...I only wish I’d received this profound, comforting guidance when I began my journey.

    —Justin McLeod, Founder & CEO of Hinge

  • Points the way to a healthier life as an entrepreneur, as the first step in any worthy personal or professional pursuit is being honest about one’s own experience.

    —Jon Staff, Founder & CEO of Getaway

  • The shared language we have has enriched our daily interactions, allowing for greater insights to how each of us operate, provoking empathy, confidence and above all, trust.

    —Carissa Brady, Partner of Latticework Investment Group

  • Her sessions are a must for any venture firm or high-horsepower company. We've invited her back a half-dozen times — our founders can't get enough.

    —Stephen Hays, Founder & Managing Partner of What If? Ventures

  • This is a message that should be emphasized in universities, incubators, and institutions responsible for educating the next generation.

    —Howard W. Buffett, Columbia University

  • The psychiatrist’s dream come true—clinically robust, empathetic, and actionable.

    —Nina Vasan, MD, MBA, Director of Brainstorm: Stanford

  • Deep insights and a road map for enhancing entrepreneurial success.

    —Harris Eyre MD Ph.D., Brain Health Entrepreneur, Neuroscientist & Innovation Diplomat

  • Like a Canterbury Tales of entrepreneurs, you will soon be walking your journey with fellow pilgrims... she will show you that creativity and disorder go hand in hand.

    —Andy Dunn, Co-Founder of Bonobos & Founder at Red Swan Ventures

  • If you are a parent, you read The Secrets of the Baby Whisperer. If you work with founders, you should read [Carson’s} Wired This Way.

    —Osnat Benari, VP, WeWork Labs

  • An endearing, ageless guidebook for the entrepreneurial spirit.

    —Martin Ditto, Founder & CEO, DITTO

  • A unique formulation of a path to wellness and wholeness for entrepreneurs... she helps us to understand that entrepreneurs are not only people, but people who matter.

    —Michael Freeman, MD, Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, UCSF

  • A unique and much-needed perspective on the mental and emotional health challenges faced by those trying to create a new world.

    —John Stokes, Founding Partner at Real Ventures

  • Carson attends to the whole experience of being a creator—not just the photoshopped and edited versions we often see in the media.

    —Luke Arthur Burgis, Professor at Catholic University & Author of Wanting

  • Refreshingly unravels the oft-repeated platitude ‘bring your whole self to your work.

    —Jessica Straus, Venture Partner at Dundee Venture Capital & Kauffman Fellow

  • Part self-exploration, part examination of the creative spirit, and part manifesto. But the sum is even greater than the excellent parts.

    —Allen Gannett, Founder of TrackMaven & Author of The Creative Curve

  • She provides a clear message to any aspiring entrepreneur that IT IS OK TO BE YOU.

    —Jeff Reid, Founding Director & Professor, Georgetown University Entrepreneurship Initiative

  • Should not only be required for anyone that aspires to build products in the 21st century, but also for those people who work with them...insights are relatable and rare.

    —Chris Messina, Inventor of the Hashtag

  • A user-manual for the creative mind, and a guide for those who live in their wake.

    —Jason Silva, Futurist & Former Host of Host Brain Games

  • If you are an entrepreneur, you MUST read this book if you want to understand yourself and succeed in business... you can’t afford not to.

    —John Gartner, Ph.D., Author of The Hypomanic Edge

  • Carson demonstrates the complexity of a creator’s mind...composed harmoniously to shape a beautiful work of art. Breathtaking.

    —Christian Busch, Ph.D. Faculty at NYU & Author of The Serendipity Mindset