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Monday, June 25, 2012

5 Ways To Spark Your Creativity | Sarah Zielinski, NPR

In the past few years, neuroscientists and psychologists have started to gain a better understanding of the creative process. Some triggers of innovation may be surprisingly simple.
And so blogger Zielinski lists five things that may well increase the odds of having an "Aha!" moment for you. Here are summaries of the suggestions [emphasis added]:
1. Take a shower. [This works for me!]
A seemingly mindless task — showering, fishing or driving — might help spur creative thoughts, as the mind wanders from "lather-rinse-repeat" to a recent problem, and then back again. There's even history to back this up. ...
2. Work in a blue room. ...
Red makes us anxious, and "anxiety causes you to focus," says Mark Beeman, an associate professor of psychology at Northwestern University who studies the neuroscience of creativity. Blue, he says, tells us we can relax and let the imagination roam free.
3. Live abroad. ... [I like this!]
The researchers think adapting to a new culture may spur some sort of psychological transformation that enhances creativity.
4. Watch a funny video.
Mood matters when it comes to creativity. Anxiety focuses a person, but good cheer and contentment liberate creativity. It "might not just relax your scope of interest, but actually broaden it further," allowing you to look at a problem in new ways and come up with a solution ....
5. Sleep on it. ...
During sleep, the brain consolidates memories. That act of consolidation actually reorganizes thoughts, much like organizing books on a shelf. The new arrangement can help extract knowledge and generate new associations. ...
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For  more articles on this topic, check out my daily Creativity Connectioins in the Creativity tab above.

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