We each have masterpieces inside us that we are meant to share

The Center for Human Creativity is dedicated to understanding creativity as a fundamental expression of what it means to be human. Drawing from psychology, philosophy, and sociology, the Center approaches creativity not as a skill to be optimized, but as a human necessity through which individuals and societies realize their potential, express their truth, and find meaning.

We explore creativity as:

  • A psychological process — emerging from our individual differences and shaped by the interplay of our genetics and lived experience.

  • A philosophical pursuit — a means by which we actualize our essence, confront existential questions, and contribute uniquely to the world.

  • A sociocultural phenomenon — continually formed and reformed by culture, technology, and society, revealing both the possibilities and perils of creativity in our time.

Through research, teaching, books, workshops, coaching, and consulting, the Center explores the conditions under which authentic creativity flourishes. We study how difference, adversity, individuality, and social context intersect to shape creative potential — and we cultivate environments that honor courage over conformity, imagination over imitation, and authenticity over performance.

Founder & Director

I’m an author, educator, and innovator passionate about the intersection of psychology and creatorship — especially authenticity, conformity, and individual differences.

I’m the author of Wired This Way and Full Color (forthcoming), and my career has spanned academia, startups, and venture capital. I’ve held roles at the American Psychological Association, Georgetown University, and the National Institutes of Health, and my work has been featured by TED, Oxford University Press, Columbia University, and the London School of Economics.

As for Jessica the human — I love unpopular opinions and wonderfully weird people. I grew up in Amish country and am an expert cow snuggler. I’m equal parts intense (quadruple Scorpio…) and playful. And I genuinely believe that creativity is how we save ourselves and the world at the same time.

Praise

  • The essential user’s manual for the entrepreneurial spirit...I only wish I’d received this profound, comforting guidance when I began my journey.

    —Justin McLeod, Founder & CEO of Hinge

  • Points the way to a healthier life as an entrepreneur, as the first step in any worthy personal or professional pursuit is being honest about one’s own experience.

    —Jon Staff, Founder & CEO of Getaway

  • The shared language we have has enriched our daily interactions, allowing for greater insights to how each of us operate, provoking empathy, confidence and above all, trust.

    —Carissa Brady, Partner of Latticework Investment Group

  • Her sessions are a must for any venture firm or high-horsepower company. We've invited her back a half-dozen times — our founders can't get enough.

    —Stephen Hays, Founder & Managing Partner of What If? Ventures

  • This is a message that should be emphasized in universities, incubators, and institutions responsible for educating the next generation.

    —Howard W. Buffett, Columbia University

  • The psychiatrist’s dream come true—clinically robust, empathetic, and actionable.

    —Nina Vasan, MD, MBA, Director of Brainstorm: Stanford

  • Deep insights and a road map for enhancing entrepreneurial success.

    —Harris Eyre MD Ph.D., Brain Health Entrepreneur, Neuroscientist & Innovation Diplomat

  • Like a Canterbury Tales of entrepreneurs, you will soon be walking your journey with fellow pilgrims... she will show you that creativity and disorder go hand in hand.

    —Andy Dunn, Co-Founder of Bonobos & Founder at Red Swan Ventures

  • If you are a parent, you read The Secrets of the Baby Whisperer. If you work with founders, you should read [Carson’s} Wired This Way.

    —Osnat Benari, VP, WeWork Labs

  • An endearing, ageless guidebook for the entrepreneurial spirit.

    —Martin Ditto, Founder & CEO, DITTO

  • A unique formulation of a path to wellness and wholeness for entrepreneurs... she helps us to understand that entrepreneurs are not only people, but people who matter.

    —Michael Freeman, MD, Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, UCSF

  • A unique and much-needed perspective on the mental and emotional health challenges faced by those trying to create a new world.

    —John Stokes, Founding Partner at Real Ventures

  • Carson attends to the whole experience of being a creator—not just the photoshopped and edited versions we often see in the media.

    —Luke Arthur Burgis, Professor at Catholic University & Author of Wanting

  • Refreshingly unravels the oft-repeated platitude ‘bring your whole self to your work.

    —Jessica Straus, Venture Partner at Dundee Venture Capital & Kauffman Fellow

  • Part self-exploration, part examination of the creative spirit, and part manifesto. But the sum is even greater than the excellent parts.

    —Allen Gannett, Founder of TrackMaven & Author of The Creative Curve

  • She provides a clear message to any aspiring entrepreneur that IT IS OK TO BE YOU.

    —Jeff Reid, Founding Director & Professor, Georgetown University Entrepreneurship Initiative

  • Should not only be required for anyone that aspires to build products in the 21st century, but also for those people who work with them...insights are relatable and rare.

    —Chris Messina, Inventor of the Hashtag

  • A user-manual for the creative mind, and a guide for those who live in their wake.

    —Jason Silva, Futurist & Former Host of Host Brain Games

  • If you are an entrepreneur, you MUST read this book if you want to understand yourself and succeed in business... you can’t afford not to.

    —John Gartner, Ph.D., Author of The Hypomanic Edge

  • Carson demonstrates the complexity of a creator’s mind...composed harmoniously to shape a beautiful work of art. Breathtaking.

    —Christian Busch, Ph.D. Faculty at NYU & Author of The Serendipity Mindset