New findings from the Adobe State of Create Study suggest a global creativity gap in the world’s largest economies: US, UK, Germany, France and Japan. In the survey of 5,000 adults (1,000 per country), responses show that an overwhelming majority feel that unlocking creativity is critical to economic growth also nearly two-thirds feel that being creative is valuable to society but that only 1 in 4 are living up to their creative potential.

The findings suggest respondents have an understanding of the need for and importance of creativity, but are stymied by an ignorance of how to overcome the barriers to cultivating creativity.  These creativity failings have direct implications within education and, by extension, on the future workforce. 

Of particular interest to arts education proponents is the study's claim that a large majority of people surveyed feel creativity is stifled in American schools, where the pressure to perform on standardized tests in disciplines like math and science dominate classroom philosophy.  Both the US government and the State of California have established arts education as part of the core curriculum that rounds out science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).

If the creativity problem is not addressed, the study suggested, later workforce generations will lack the visionary skills needed to "invent the future"—to see what isn't there and create it.  In Los Angeles County, where the Otis Report on the Creative Economy identifies 1 in 8 jobs as being part of the creative economy, these educational priorities are absolutely critical.

A graphic summary of the findings:

From the full report:

Click here for the Adobe Press Release.