Shared variance in creative self-beliefs: examining self-compassion and personality traits in creative adolescents and adults

IntroductionCreative self-beliefs are shaped by stable personality traits and psychological resources. While the links between the creative personality and creative self-beliefs are established, the role of self-compassion, a promoter of subjective well-being, in shaping creative self-beliefs remains a significant theoretical gap. The goal of this study was to describe the relationships among creative self-beliefs, personality traits, and self-compassion in a sample of creative adolescents and adults.MethodsCreative adolescents and adults were recruited using a purposive sampling procedure in the Midwestern United States. Participants were recruited from a creative career counseling workshop where their creative status was verified through a teacher’s nomination and/or creative accomplishments. A cross-sectional sample of 127 creative adolescents and adults completed self-report measures assessing personality, self-compassion, and creative self-beliefs. Hierarchical linear regression modeled the predictive relationships of these variables, with age group included as a categorical, control variable to account for developmental differences.ResultsCorrelations showed positive relationships between creative self-beliefs and self-compassion. Hierarchical regressions revealed that self-compassion significantly predicted creative self-beliefs in the initial model. Once personality characteristics were included, openness to experience and conscientiousness emerged as the strongest predictors. The results indicate that while self-compassion is associated with creative self-beliefs, it does not account for unique variance beyond that explained by core personality traits.DiscussionThese findings suggest that self-compassion may promote creative self-beliefs by encouraging positive self-perceptions. Although the predictive power of self-compassion overlaps with broader personality traits, identifying both stable and malleable contributors to creativity offers clear targets for psychological and educational interventions across the lifespan. Limitations, implications, and future research directions are discussed.