Some people really enjoy high-level thinking. They may be able to spend hours playing chess or reading books. They also may wish to engage in certain creative activities. Engaging in some creative activities may reduce boredom by fostering significant thinking.
Dollinger (2003) found that greater need for cognition was associated with higher scores on the Creative Behavior Inventory. Need for cognition reflects a person's enjoyment of effortful thought. The Creative Behavior Inventory involves having people indicate how many times they have done certain creative activities. One possible interpretation of this finding is that people who have a higher need for cognition are more motivated to be creative. However, because the finding is correlational, we cannot make causal conclusions. There may be other possible explanations for the finding. For example, it is possible that creative behavior fosters a need for cognition. (1)
Notes
1. See Dollinger's article for other findings.
References
Dollinger, S. J. (2003). Need for uniqueness, need for cognition, and
Creativity. Journal of Creative Behavior, 37, 99-115.