Crayola Launches Groundbreaking Tool to Help Adults Discover Their Creative Styles

'Creative Styles Tool' makes creativity personal with insights that boost creative confidence and foster collaboration

EASTON, Pa., Jan. 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Crayola, the iconic brand that inspires colorful self-expression and creativity, today announced the launch of the Crayola Creative Styles Tool. This free, research-backed resource is designed to help parents and teachers identify and understand their personal creative styles so they can leverage their unique creative strengths, foster an appreciation for diverse creative styles in others, and better nurture this essential skill for lifelong growth.

Within five minutes of answering a series of simple questions, users receive a customized report that reveals their natural creative tendencies, explains their unique approach to the creative process, and suggests ways to collaborate with those who have other creative styles. The groundbreaking tool explores the three dimensions of creativity:

• How You Think – Examines how people generate and respond to ideas ranging from divergent (expansive, broad) to convergent (curated, focused) thoughts to guide their creative process.
• How You Engage – Interprets how people form, respond to, and participate in creative experiences ranging from a reflective style (remembering, anticipating) to a transformative style (actively experiencing and experimenting).
• How You Perceive – Reveals the way people see the world and make sense of it from distinct (independent) to connected (interwoven) perceptions, offering opportunities for innovation.

"These insights help you understand your creative style and appreciate the different ways creativity shows up in others," said Cheri Sterman, Senior Director of Education, Crayola. "We believe creativity is innate to the human experience and needs to be nurtured at every stage of life. When parents and teachers understand their creative styles, it boosts their confidence in being able to support children's creativity."

Research shows that creativity is essential to problem-solving, collaboration, and innovation. It also predicts career achievement and boosts job satisfaction. Creative experiences support overall well-being, foster resilience, and strengthen interpersonal relationships. However, creativity is often misunderstood.

Recognizing this, Crayola began a series of initiatives to broaden traditional views about what creativity is and how it shows up in the world, including developing the Creative Styles Tool. A diverse team of Crayola experts joined by Dr. Gerard Puccio, a State University of New York Distinguished Professor and Chair of the Center for Applied Imagination at Buffalo State University, began working on the tool five years ago with the goal to make creativity tangible and personal, as well as dispel some of the myths around creativity. For example, it demonstrates that adults do not outgrow creativity as they age, and that creativity is not limited to only a few lucky people.

Puccio also provided a comprehensive review of contemporary creativity studies and ensured that the Crayola Creative Styles Tool was grounded in a strong research-based foundation.

"Our ultimate ambition is to empower adults to embrace creativity as an essential life skill," Sterman said. "Each customized report confirms that every participant is creative, and that the world needs both divergent thinkers who brainstorm, as well as convergent thinkers who curate ideas."

The debut of the Crayola Creative Styles Tool comes as the brand marks the fifth anniversary of Crayola Creativity Week (Jan. 26-Feb. 1), a free learning program that provides educators and parents with inspiring and interactive content delivered by world-renowned creative talent. Highlighting the transformative power of creativity across core subjects, the virtual event reached more than 13.2 million students in over 120 countries last year.

Crayola Creativity Week is an integral part of the brand's Campaign for Creativity advocacy program that challenges the narrow definitions of creativity, speaks to the importance of creativity as an essential life, and inspires a lifetime of creative moments to help everyone reach their full potential.

To discover your creative style, visit crayola.com/CreativeStyles or search "Crayola Creative Styles" in any online browser.

Media Contact:
Constance Walker
[email protected]

SOURCE Crayola