There is a quote from an unknown source that says, “Penguins mate for life. That doesn’t surprise me much because they all look alike. It’s not like they’re going to meet a really new, great looking penguin someday.”

Well, the penguins have their way of doing things, but in my constant search for articles of inspiration, I discovered a study by the Creative Education Foundation ranking creative behaviors in the “Creative Behavior Mating Preferences Checklist.” People, unlike the penguins, can make choices in their mates. The study was led by Scott Barry Kaufman, a University of Pennsylvania psychologist, and his colleagues. The 19 page scientific study took a look at what creative behaviors attract mates. What do males and females find sexually attractive when picking a possible mate?

Knowing that my sexually attractive days may have waddled from the coop like a penguin, if those days ever existed, I couldn’t resist the study when I saw that “taking artsy photos” ranked seventh in the checklist. I don’t know how artsy my photos are, but I am a photographer and I do make photos so I must fit in somewhere.

So beware that if you see me out with my camera making artistic photos, I just might be more of a sexy attraction. Oh, my wife just said, “No arty photos for me.” She could not stand it if I was suddenly more sexy.

My totally unscientific observation is that we all find people who are doing things, most anything, to be attractive in many ways. I like watching carpenters build houses using their hands and brain putting the parts together. I’m not sexually attracted to a sweaty, bearded man in a baseball cap driving nails, but I do admire their creativity.

I best get back to my study information.

The abstract of the study stated that “Creativity is sexy, but are all creative behaviors equally sexy?”

Picking 815 ethnically diverse undergraduate college students for the study, it was determined that people everywhere feel that creativity is an important trait in a mate. It is a given that in mating, equals are attracted to equals. Baseball fans like baseball fans. Attractive people like attractive people. Scientists like scientists, and so on.

The 696 females and 119 males determined that their top 10 sexiest forms of creativity are:

1. Playing sports

2. Taking a date on a spontaneous road trip

3. Recording music

4. Making a clever remark

5. Writing music

6. Performing in a band

7. Taking artistic photographs

8. Performing in comedy

9. Dressing in a unique style

10. Writing poetry

The list continues with 43 items such as No. 25, construction of scientific or technical objects; No. 36, growing a garden; No. 37, making a website; No. 42, interior decorating.

I must wonder what factor enters into the equation of “opposite personalities” attracting each other. Some creative people are attracted like magnets, and they are totally different. Relationships are brought together with small common traits that the couple enjoy together, but the couple is drawn to a more exciting relationship when there are a few little differences.

Could it be that Dr. Marvin Bartel’s article titled “Teaching Creativity” might hold the clue? He wrote, “Creative people do not have answers, but they habitually question the status quo and think about alternatives and improvements. They discover and invent possible answers. They habitually ask better questions. They have optimism. When combined with empathy and compassion, creativity is bound to be a force for good.”