When Creativity Matters Most: The Affective Payoff in the Least Pleasant Daily Activities

Everyday creativity has been linked to enhanced affective experience, yet little is known about how this association varies across different daily activities. In this study, we used experience sampling methodology (ESM) to examine momentary links between self-perceived creativity and affect (valence and activation) within individuals in a sample of university students ( N  = 143, 4,183 prompts). Participants reported their momentary activity and rated how creative, pleasant (valence), and energized (activation) they felt. Multilevel models revealed that momentary creativity positively predicted significant variance in affect dimensions and that type of activity also matters. Crucially, interaction effects revealed that the relationship between creativity and affect varied across activities. For valence, creativity buffered the negative effects of activities typically associated with lower momentary affect, including attending lectures, studying, idling, and errands. Similarly, for activation, the positive effect of creativity was strongest in less stimulating contexts, such as academic settings and idling, but also in routine situations involving personal hygiene and meals. These findings underscore the relevance of studying within-person fluctuations in creativity and affect in naturalistic settings and suggest that creative engagement may be particularly meaningful in everyday situations that are otherwise affectively neutral or unpleasant.