Kaile Smith is a cognitive
scientist and creative director
whose work focuses on
inspiration and creativity as
forces shaping meaning,
motivation, and creative work.
Ph.D. Candidate | Researcher | Speaker
Her research, writing, and consulting bridge empirical psychology with lived creative practice, tracing how inspiration moves from inner experience to creative action in both personal and professional life.
Inspiration
The emergence and experience of inspiration, and how it can be cultivated to support motivation and creative action.
Creativity
The cognitive, emotional, and social processes underlying creative thinking, expression, and sustained creative work.
Well-being
The relationship between creative engagement, meaning, and psychological flourishing across everyday life and work.
Kaile is a PhD candidate in cognitive psychology, studying the psychology of inspiration and creativity through experimental, psychometric, and mixed-methods research. Her work sits at the intersection of psychological research, the arts, and real-world creative practice, with an emphasis on translating research into forms that are meaningful and usable beyond academic settings.
Alongside her academic work, she maintains an active practice in design and creative direction, grounding her research in firsthand experience with creative teams, projects, and environments.
An overview of her research program, dissertation work, and current projects.
Selected public writing and links to ongoing work, including Second Nature.
Talks, workshops, and panels, on inspiration, creativity, and creative well-being.
For academic collaboration, speaking invitations, or related inquiries,
please get in touch.