Personality factors or the noncognitive aspects of an individual heavily influence creative problem solving. Creative people tend to have a positive self-image without being blindly self-confident.Typically, they are able to cope with criticism of their ideas, and they can tolerate the isolation necessary for developing ideas. Part of the self-confidence of a creative worker focuses on the belief that he or she can solve problems creatively. Talking to others is a good way to get ideas, yet at some point the creative problem solver has to work alone and concentrate.

Self-confidence is an influential factor for enhancing the creativity necessary for successful entrepreneurship. Creative people are frequently nonconformists and do not need strong approval from the group. They prefer to search for alternatives than worry about attaining consensus. Many creative problem solvers are thrill seekers and risk takers who find that developing imaginative solutions to problems is a source of thrills.

Creative people are also persistent, which is especially important for the verification and application stage of creative thinking. Selling a creative idea to the right people requires considerable follow-up. Finally, creative people enjoy dealing with ambiguity and chaos. Less creative people become quickly frustrated when task descriptions are unclear and disorder exists.