You say creativity matters to you, but you're not sure if it's actually a core value that shapes your choices, or just something you think should matter. The distinction is real, and it changes what you should do next.
Who This Is For (and Who It Is Not)
This page is for you if you've noticed a gap between the creative work you want to do and the decisions you actually make. You say yes to projects that pay well but feel hollow. You have ideas you don't pursue. You watch other people make creative choices you admire and feel stuck in comparison. You wonder if creativity is truly important to you, or if something else (security, approval, stability) has quietly moved to the front.
This is also for people who claim creativity as a value but have never tested it against real choices. Creativity can sound good on a resume or in conversation without being something you'd actually sacrifice for. You might say creativity matters and also choose the safer job, the steadier income, the path your family expects. That's not hypocrisy. It means you haven't yet seen what your actual values are.
This is not for you if you already know your values and are living them. If you're building a creative life deliberately, making trade-offs consciously, and your daily work aligns with what you've decided matters, you don't need this. You also don't need this if you're happy with your choices as they are. Clarity serves a purpose only if something needs to change.
What You Will Discover
Schwartz's research across 80+ countries identified 10 universal value types with a specific structure: some values sit next to each other naturally, compatible in the choices they ask you to make. Others sit directly opposite, creating real tension. Creativity, in Schwartz's framework, clusters with values like autonomy and self-direction. It conflicts with conformity and tradition. Once you see this, you stop wondering whether creativity is a value and start seeing where the actual friction lives. You'll know whether you're avoiding creative choices because creativity isn't truly important, or because something in the opposite direction is pulling harder.
You'll also see whether "creativity" is the name you're using for something more specific. Maybe what you want is the freedom to experiment, not the output itself. Maybe it's recognition for originality. Maybe it's the ability to solve problems your own way. The word creativity covers ground. The specificity underneath it determines which choices matter. This clarity stops you from trying to force a creative life when what you actually need is permission to work differently, or a role where your unconventional thinking is valued rather than suppressed.
Common Reasons People Wait
The first reason is that you're not sure you'll like the answer. If you discover creativity isn't actually your core value, what does that say about you? The fear here is real, but misplaced. Finding out that security matters more than you thought isn't a failure. It's useful information. It means the life that would make you anxious and unstable is not the right target. It means other values are competing for space, and pretending they aren't won't make you feel better. The discomfort you feel now is the same whether the answer is "creativity doesn't matter" or "creativity matters and you're not living it." The clarity just replaces the fog.
The second reason is that you think assessment is for people in crisis, or for later. You're managing fine. Your job is fine. You're not unhappy enough to warrant the time and attention. But you're reading this, which means something is working at you. The fact that you're uncertain about your own values is itself worth examining. Waiting for crisis is how people wake up at 45 in a career they chose by accident. Assessment is not an emergency tool. It's preventive. You use it before the pressure builds to the breaking point.
The third reason is that you suspect you already know the answer and don't want to confirm it. You've likely felt for a while that you're not living according to what matters most to you. Naming it formally might mean you have to act on it. The assessment doesn't obligate you to anything, but it does close the gap between what you know and what you're pretending not to know. That gap is expensive. It costs you energy to maintain. Once it closes, you either grieve what you're not doing and accept it, or you make different choices. Either path is clearer than the one you're on now.
The My Values assessment surfaces your actual values, ranks them against each other using Schwartz's framework, and shows you where your life aligns with them and where it doesn't.
How do I know if creativity is really my value or just something I think should matter?
Real values show up in your choices under pressure. When you have to choose between security and creative freedom, between approval and unconventional ideas, between stability and experimentation, which do you actually pick? Not what you wish you'd pick. What you do pick, repeatedly. If you consistently choose the safer option when it matters, creativity is not your core value. That doesn't make you wrong. It makes you clear about what you're actually prioritizing.
What if I discover my core values don't include creativity?
Then you stop trying to force a creative career and start asking what would actually fit your values. Maybe you need autonomy but not artistic output. Maybe you need growth but not originality. Maybe you value stability and relationships more, and trying to build a precarious creative life has been working against yourself. The relief of alignment often surprises people more than the disappointment of discovery.
Can your core values change over time?
Yes, they can shift, especially after major life changes like becoming a parent, experiencing loss, or changing circumstances. But the shifts are usually slower than people think. What's more common is that your stated values change while your actual values, the ones driving your decisions, stay the same. The assessment shows you the ones driving decisions, which is why it matters.
If creativity is my core value, what should I do differently?
You'll need to make trade-offs explicitly. Maybe that means less stable income, or less approval from certain people, or working harder to build something from scratch. But at least you'd be making those trade-offs for something that actually matters to you, not for what you think should matter. That's the difference between a choice and a should.