Flourishing 2.0: Why Creative Intelligence Is the New Vital Sign
Plus, two big announcements from our team @ DD HQ!
Hi there,
Katina here, Daydreamers’ Co-founder and Chief Science Officer. As a heads up - today’s newsletter is going to look a little bit different than usual, less on actionable science and more on big ideas.
That’s because I want to share something really big with you all - something that’s only possible because of all of you.
A few weeks ago, I received an email that I almost didn’t believe. I’m not sure about you, but that’s only happened to me quite a few times in my life (😅). Moments that stand out to me: My book deal. My acceptance into Columbia’s Mind-body Institute. Our first Daydreamers member. You know the ones that I’m talking about.
I’m sure you’ve had moments like that before, too - a ping of excitement, disbelief and awe.
This time, the email in my inbox was an invitation to take part in building the future of human flourishing: I was selected as an Aspen Institute Health Fellow on behalf of what we’re building at Daydreamers and importantly, the Creative Health Movement.
I’m not sharing this news with you as a personal milestone. Don’t get me wrong - it’s an incredible honor - but, I’m sharing it because it signals that we’re all onto something bigger here.
If I’m being honest with you, for a long time, the idea of Creative Health felt like a whisper.
Deep down, I knew that it was something Dupi, our team at Daydreamers, our early members and of course, you all understood deeply: Creative Health wasn’t just about making more art. It was about something much deeper - our ability to stay fully alive, adaptable, and engaged with the world.
And, with each tiny step we’ve taken that whisper has gotten louder. But, it finally seems like the world is catching on.
Across science, medicine, and policy, there’s now a growing recognition that our ability to think flexibly, imagine new possibilities, and stay creatively engaged isn’t just "nice to have.”
It’s essential to human health and flourishing.
My time at Aspen this summer will be focused on answering some of the most pressing questions of our time, particularly as they relate to health, collective well-being, and our capacity to thrive in an era of rapid change - so before then, I want to share some of my big ideas with you all about the future of the Creative Health movement.
Because ultimately, I think that right now we’re standing at the edge of the next great leap in our human potential: The key to unlocking human flourishing in the next century isn’t just about recognizing how important creativity is.
It’s about something bigger.
It’s about measuring, growing, and strengthening our innate Creative Intelligence.
Before I tell you exactly what that means, let’s talk about how we got here.
Big Idea: The Evolution of “Intelligence” [IQ → EQ → CQ]
Let me take you back to the Space Race in the 1950s.
The U.S. government had a problem: While there was no shortage of bright minds - it wasn’t enough to have the “smartest” engineers on paper.
We needed people who could think flexibly, invent entirely new solutions, and adapt to challenges that had never existed before.
At the time, IQ tests were already widely used to evaluate talent - especially in education, the military, and government. But in high-stakes, unpredictable environments, researchers began to notice something that didn’t add up: the people with the highest IQs weren’t always the most effective problem-solvers.
They weren’t always the most innovative. They weren’t always the ones who thrived.
This insight opened the floodgates for an entirely new wave of psychological research on the forefront of creativity, innovation and human potential. Because, if IQ alone wasn’t enough to predict success, then…what else was missing?
Over the next few decades psychologists began questioning what “intelligence” really meant.
They started asking deeper questions: Could a person’s ability to understand their own emotions - let alone someone else’s - be just as important as raw cognition? Could empathy, self-regulation, and motivation matter as much as traditional smarts?
The answer was a resounding yes.
In the 1980s and ’90s, researchers like Howard Gardner and Daniel Goleman began to popularize the idea that intelligence isn’t just one-dimensional. Goleman’s 1995 book Emotional Intelligence crystallized the idea for the mainstream. It wasn’t just about how smart you were - it was about how well you could relate, respond, and regulate.
And that changed everything.
Businesses started hiring for soft skills. Schools began incorporating emotional learning into their curriculum. Leaders were trained not just to be strategic, but emotionally attuned. Emotional Intelligence (EQ) became the missing link between IQ and real-world success.
But now, from my point of view, we’re facing an entirely new set of challenges - ones that neither IQ or EQ alone can solve.
We’re living in a world defined by complexity, uncertainty, and rapid change. The rules are being rewritten in real time. AI is reshaping the way we work. Burnout is rampant. Our mental health is in crisis.
We’re not just being asked to solve problems - we’re being asked to reimagine the way the entire system works.
And that’s why I believe the next great leap in human potential isn’t IQ. It isn’t EQ.
It’s CQ - Creative Intelligence.
This idea of Creative Intelligence is something we’re defining right now at Daydreamers.
Essentially, it’s our capacity to adapt, imagine, and thrive in an unpredictable world.
It’s not just about coming up with innovative ideas or having artistic talent. It’s about the mental flexibility, cognitive resilience, and the ability to hold ambiguity it seems we’re all missing. It’s our brain’s ability to forge new paths, see unexpected connections, and engage with life fully - especially when the old answers no longer work.
And here’s the thing that gets me most excited: For the first time, we can actually begin to measure it.
The Next Frontier: Measuring Creative Health
We’re all on the same page that entering an era where creativity is no longer just a buzzword or a “nice-to-have.” It’s a biological function. A measurable marker of well-being.
So, at Daydreamers, we’re working at the forefront of what we call creative biomarkers - neurocognitive and physiological indicators that reflect how creatively engaged, adaptable, and neurologically healthy someone is over time.
I know that for myself - and for many of us who don’t identify as “artists” - creativity can feel abstract. In the early days of Daydreamers, I wondered this all the time: If we’re not measuring how “good” our creative output is, how do we know we’re growing?
How do we know our Creative Intelligence is expanding?
Well, just like you might measure your heart rate or blood pressure to understand your physical health, we believe we’re on the cusp of being able to measure your Creative Health - your brain’s adaptability, resilience, and creative potential.
Think: brainwave patterns linked to imagination. Changes in heart rate variability during creative flow. Shifts in default mode network activity. Even behavioral signals like pattern recognition, divergent thinking capacity, and tolerance for ambiguity.
These metrics aren’t designed to track creativity in some productivity-hacking, performance-based way (trust us) - but to help us understand where we are, how we’re growing, and what’s changing inside our creative brain.
And even more, this isn’t science fiction. It is where the research is already heading. And I believe it will become one of the most important indicators of our long-term well-being, especially in a world that increasingly asks us to stay flexible, imaginative, and alive.
So today, I’m (also!) excited to share that we’re formalizing this work through Daydreamers Labs: A new research and innovation arm dedicated to advancing the science of Creative Health.
Through DD Labs, we’ll be working with neuroscientists, psychologists, technologists, and cultural leaders - and most importantly, you all - to push the boundaries of what’s possible. To build a future where Creative Intelligence isn’t just acknowledged - it’s prioritized.
Because in a world increasingly optimized for passive consumption, automation, and survival, our creativity is the one thing we can’t afford to lose.
So, while the world talks about human flourishing in abstract terms, we’re starting to build the tools that will actually help us measure and strengthen it. To us, Creative Intelligence isn’t just a skill. We like to say, just like our heartbeat, it tells us whether we’re still alive.
And, I believe that’s the key to human flourishing for the next 100+ years. With us?
- Katina
Daydreamers’ Co-founder and Chief Science Officer
Join the Future of Creative Health
If the idea of a creatively healthy world lights something up in you - you’re not alone. We’re building that future right now, and we’re excited for you to be part of it. Here’s how:
👩🔬 Sign up for early access to Daydreamers Labs, our new research and innovation arm exploring the science of Creative Health. You’ll be the first to know when we launch studies, experiments, and opportunities to help shape this groundbreaking work.
✨ Ready to start strengthening your own creativity now? Skip the wait and join the Daydreamers Platform - your home base for building Creative Intelligence through creative brain-friendly practices, experiences, and tools.
Creative Health Protocol 🧠
This newsletter is the what, and the Daydreamers platform is the how - your guide to turning Creative Health insights into real, tangible action. Here’s a peek.
Learn Your Creative Biomarkers
What it is: Creative Health isn’t some abstract thing - it’s made up of real, measurable brain and behavioral patterns. At Daydreamers, we’ve identified a starting set of Creative Biomarkers that reflect key elements of your Creative Intelligence: things like mental flexibility, openness to experience, emotional depth, and even your capacity to notice and appreciate beauty. The best part? These aren’t fixed traits. With consistent creative engagement, they can be strengthened - just like physical fitness.
How you can experiment with it: This week, shift your creative focus from outcome to impact. Instead of asking, Was this thing I created good?, try asking, What did this spark in me? Did you feel more curious? More present? More imaginative? Begin to notice the inner effects of creativity, not just the output. That’s where your Creative Health lives - and where it starts to grow.
What We’re Loving This Week 🪐
We’re all about simplicity, clarity and depth - so instead of overwhelming you with a random mix of news, here’s one standout idea, read, brand or project that’s supporting our Creative Health this week.
🎧 Deep Listen: Our Kids Are The Least Flourishing Generation We Know
Let’s be clear - we’re not living in times that allow us to completely flourish. Phone addictions, mental health struggles, uncertainty about the future, just to name a few. In a recent podcast episode, Jonathan Haidt and Ezra Klein - two of our favorite big-picture thinkers at DD HQ - explore this question: Why aren’t we flourishing anymore?
In it, they unpack the impact that digital life, disconnection, and the disappearance of deep play, are having on our capacity to flourish - especially for kids lives. From our POV at DD HQ, it underscores why we believe Creative Intelligence is the next essential skill - not just for young people, but for all of us navigating a world in flux.
Let’s talk about it in the comments: What does “flourishing” mean to you right now? Why do you think we are - or are not - experiencing it as a society? 🧠
We’re on a mission to reach 100,000 Creative Brains - because Creative Health isn’t just a nice-to-have, it’s essential for our individual and collective well-being. If you’re loving these insights, chances are, someone in your world will too.
Forward this to a friend who could use more creativity, flow, and inspiration in their life. Let’s build a movement where creativity isn’t an afterthought - it’s the foundation for a healthier, more vibrant world.
Congrats Katina! Super cool to see