" the science of creativity" jess marranco

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"I have a riddle for you: Everyone has some, but wants more, and some people think they have less than others do. What is it?I’ll give you a hint: Albert Einstein and children have this in common.Okay one more hint: Some people find it in the shower.The answer?"

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Page 1: " The Science of Creativity" Jess Marranco

March 31, 2015 // 11:00 AM

Țħě Șčįěňčě ǿf ČřěǻțįvįțỳWritten by Jess Marranco | @JessMarranco

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I have a riddle for you: Everyone has some, but wants more, and some people think theyhave less than others do. What is it?

I’ll give you a hint: Albert Einstein and children have this in common.

Okay one more hint: Some people find it in the shower.

The answer?

CREATIVITY.

Țħěřě įș ňǿ đǿųbț țħǻț čřěǻțįvįțỳ įș țħě mǿșț įmpǿřțǻňț ħųmǻň

Page 2: " The Science of Creativity" Jess Marranco

Creativity was present through major human accomplishments that changed the course ofhistory: the formation of revolutionary inventions like the wheel, the origin of new conceptslike the theory of relativity, and during the introduction of new art forms such as cubism orjazz.

Today, as technology advances at such a rapid pace, it’s increasingly clear that creativity isthriving; also that creativity and its cousin innovation never sleep. Constant competition toadvance the world as we know it has made creativity that a more sought-after attribute inemployees, in employers, in medicine, in music, in design, in entertainment -- in everything.

So we know it’s prevalent and that we all want more of it, but we have questions. Wheredoes creativity come from? What’s the science behind it? Are some of us more creative thanothers? If so, can we learn to be more creative? And if we are in fact born with it, is creativitylost somewhere along the journey from childhood to adulthood?

Like many matters of the brain, creativity is a vexing puzzle even to the world of medicalscience. However, it’s an exciting time for the science of creativity with truly groundbreakingpieces of the puzzle continually surfacing.

Before we dive in, here’s a disclaimer: I am not a scientist. Not even close. In fact, I myselfhad some misunderstandings about creativity before I began my research. This post is anattempt to explore what we know about creativity, starting with one indisputable fact:creativity is vital to human growth and progress.

What is Creativity?

I like this definition of creativity, though it’s lacking one piece that many feel is a criticalcomponent of creativity: the act of bringing those ideas to life. So essentially, creativity is theconception of original ideas and the action of bringing them to fruition. According to Linda

řěșǿųřčě ǿf ǻŀŀ. Ẅįțħǿųț čřěǻțįvįțỳ, țħěřě ẅǿųŀđ bě ňǿ přǿģřěșș, ǻňđ ẅěẅǿųŀđ bě fǿřěvěř řěpěǻțįňģ țħě șǻmě pǻțțěřňș.” — Ěđẅǻřđ đě Bǿňǿ“

Čřěǻțįvįțỳ įș țħě ǻbįŀįțỳ țǿ ģěňěřǻțě ňěẅ įđěǻș ǻňđ ňěẅ čǿňňěčțįǿňșběțẅěěň įđěǻș, ǻňđ ẅǻỳș țǿ șǿŀvě přǿbŀěmș įň ǻňỳ fįěŀđ ǿř řěǻŀm ǿf ǿųřŀįvěș.”

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Neiman, founder of Creativity at Work, “If you have ideas and don’t act on them, then youare imaginative but not creative.”

Given the complexity of the subject, psychologists have tried to break creativity into parts inan effort to understand it better.

James Kaufman and Ronald Beghetto are credited with introducing the “Four-C” Model ofcreativity, which looks a little something like this:

The Four-C Model of creativity was developed to help “broaden the concept” anddifferentiate the levels of creative expression. In the words of Beghetto and Kaufman, “TheFour-C Model provides a framework for including creativity in the curriculum and helpingstudents develop their creativity to higher levels,” which I’ll get into a little more later on.

More widely accepted is simply the “Little-c,” “Big-C” model:

“Little-c” creativity refers to everyday creativity and problem solving, such ascoming up with a new recipe in the kitchen, finding a new way to organize your home,coming up with a new project for work, etc.“Big-C” creativity refers to revolutionary creativity that changes the way peoplethink, feel, live, etc.

Overall, creativity is pretty all encompassing. It’s a human attribute, a function, aprerequisite, and an intricate process.

While Little-c creativity can be attributed to a productive, successful, and enjoyable day, andBig-C creativity to moving humanity forward, one might argue still, that Little-c creativityfacilitates the Big-C creativity. The greatest innovators of our time didn’t consistently havemoments of Big-C creativity. Their days were likely filled with Little-c moments allconsistently connecting together to lead up to that one, brilliant Big-C revelation which theythen worked hard to bring to life.

Making Connections

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One thing I’m going to stress when it comes to creativity is connections. Creativity is allabout making connections and that’s important to understand. As Steve Jobs once said:

In a fascinating presentation at the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco in 2011,neuroscientist Dr. Vilayanur S. (V.S.) Ramachandran uses the neurological phenomenonsynesthesia to explore excess connections in the brain as they relate to creative individuals.Synesthetes, or those possessing the synesthesia trait, most commonly associate particularnumbers and/or letters with colors (referred to as color-graphemic synesthesia), but thecondition may also include associating words, days, or months, with - not only color - butspecific tastes and sounds.

“Synesthesia is eight times more common in artists, poets, and novelists. Why would this bethe case?” said Ramachandran, “Let’s ask, what do artists, poets, and novelists all have in

Čřěǻțįvįțỳ įș jųșț čǿňňěčțįňģ țħįňģș. Ẅħěň ỳǿų ǻșķ čřěǻțįvě pěǿpŀě ħǿẅțħěỳ đįđ șǿměțħįňģ, țħěỳ fěěŀ ǻ ŀįțțŀě ģųįŀțỳ běčǻųșě țħěỳ đįđň'ț řěǻŀŀỳđǿ įț, țħěỳ jųșț șǻẅ șǿměțħįňģ. İț șěěměđ ǿbvįǿųș țǿ țħěm ǻfțěř ǻ ẅħįŀě.Țħǻț'ș běčǻųșě țħěỳ ẅěřě ǻbŀě țǿ čǿňňěčț ěxpěřįěňčěș țħěỳ'vě ħǻđ ǻňđșỳňțħěșįżě ňěẅ țħįňģș.”

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common? They're all good at metaphor! This is the basis for creativity - linkingseemingly unrelated ideas, concepts, or thoughts.”

About 1 in 2,000 people in the world have this synesthesia. While not all creative individualsare synesthetes, synesthesia’s prevalence in creative individuals is almost as curious as thetrait itself.

This wonderful, animated TED-Ed lesson by Richard E. Cytowic can help you understandthe synesthesia trait in less than four minutes and is definitely worth the watch:

The Need-to-Know:

Synesthesia is a neurological trait that combines two or more senses4% of the population have this traitHaving one type gives you a 50% chance of having a second, third, or fourth typeExtra neurological hooks endow synesthetes with superior memoryOnce established in childhood, synesthetic pairs remain fixed for lifeSynesthetes inherit a propensity for hyper-connecting brain neurons, but then mustbe exposed to cultural artifacts such as calendars, food names, or alphabet

What color is Tuesday? Exploring synesthesia - Richard E. Cytowic

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Non-synesthetes still understand metaphor such as “sharp cheese” and “sweetperson” because sight, sound, and movement already map to one another so closely

Why Does Synesthesia Matter?Synesthesia is not a new discovery, yet it’s being discussed more and more in conjunctionwith creativity and the creative brain. With all this information, one starts to wonder, aresynesthetes typically more creative because they’re neurologically programmed tounderstand connections between things that not everyone else can see? It certainly doesn’thinder creativity any.

Knowing that maybe we’re all synesthetes to some extent really opens up questions aboutthe science of creativity. For highly creative individuals who don’t classify as synethetes, arethere still excess connections in the brain that aren’t as apparent as those who relate thecolor blue to the letter ‘J’? The brain is still a mystery, but studying these excessconnections could certainly open up more doors toward understanding precisely what’shappening in the brain during the creative process.

However, it’s worth noting that seeing the connections is one thing, ensuring that anaudience gets value from those original ideas and concepts is another. Some of the greatestartists and innovators of our time were deemed crazy because their divergent thinking andideas didn’t coincide with the rest of society’s at the time.

Where Do “Original” Ideas Come From?Understanding that connections are constantly happening in the brain is important tounderstanding the science of creativity -- but ideas have to come from somewhere. Whereare these unique, original ideas coming from? And are they actually completely original?

I’m sure you’ve had someone at some point in your life tell you that no ideas are completelyoriginal, but culminations of other ideas. That has some truth to it. Ideas don’t just fall out ofthe sky, they come from knowledge you already possess. So while intelligence does notdirectly influence creativity, I think it helps it along -- if you possess more knowledge tomake connections to, you might appear to have more creative ideas.

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In a video for PBS Off Book, a web series exploring art, internet culture, and people creatingit, filmmaker Kirby Ferguson urges people to let go of this romanticized idea of “originality.”He agrees that ideas don’t actually come out of thin air; in your subconscious you were stillprocessing all these influences from memories, education, experiences, etc. He alsomentions that humans create new ideas by copying, transforming, and combining otherideas (take existing ideas that nobody would have thought of combining, and connect them;make them work).

Even the printing press, as Ferguson explains, didn’t just come out of the blue. Gutenbergused a remix of copying, transforming, and combining ideas to create something completelynew and innovative.

In this video by Toronto-based designer Andrew Vucko, he mentions, “Originality comesfrom making connections. Seeing patterns where others see chaos. Taking old ideas andelevating them to new perspectives. It’s a remix. A fresh pair of eyes.”

Original / Short from Vucko on Vimeo.

from Vucko PLUS

02:05

“İț’ș ňǿț ẅħěřě ỳǿų țǻķě țħįňģș fřǿm; įț’ș ẅħěřě ỳǿų țǻķě țħěm țǿ.”

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The Neuroscience of Creativity and the CreativeProcessFirst, you have to throw all your previous notions of the right and left-brain out the window –consider this myth debunked. Creativity is not strictly confined to the right side of the brain,nor is analytical thinking only borne of the left. The brain is an orchestra working togetherharmoniously to perform the imaginative symphony that is creativity and ideation.

A symphony is broken up into sections, or movements (many times, four), and requiresseveral sections of an orchestra to play together in order to bring the piece to life. In asimilar fashion, several sections of the brain must play their part in harmony over the courseof four “movements,” or stages of the creative process, to conceive an idea and bring it tolife.

So what sections of the brain comprise this creative orchestra playing its four-partsymphony called Creative Cognition?

Like creativity itself, the brain is infinitely complex. To “simplify” this squishy organ,neuroscientists noticed parts of the brain working together during different activities. These“hubs” in the brain connect with other “hubs” forming networks. Without getting supersciencey, there are three large-scale networks of the brain that work together throughout thecreative process to achieve creative cognition. I think it’s important to identify these beforegetting into the process itself (with a lot of help from cognitive psychologist Scott BarryKaufmann, in his article The Real Neuroscience of Creativity for Scientific American).

Network 1: The Executive Attention Network

These executive functions are involved anytime you require attention and focus. Whenyou’re concentrating on learning something, like listening to a lecture or trying to solve aproblem that requires you to dig deep into your working memory, the parts of your braincommunicating here are the lateral or outer regions of the prefrontal cortex and areastoward the back of the parietal lobe.

Network 2: The Default Network (The Imagination Network):

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This network is responsible for - you guessed it - imagining, mind wandering; when you’renot involved in a task, this part of your brain is likely in use. Imagining things like the futureor alternate perspective and hypothetical situations in the present. The imagination networkis also involved in social cognition, like being aware of the feelings or thoughts of thosearound you.

(Red is The Imagination Network, Green is The Executive Attention Network)Source: The Scientific American

Network 3: The Salience Network

The salience network basically keeps the connection alive between external events andyour internal consciousness. If you think you’re not good at multitasking, you actually do itall the time with this network of your brain! Whenever information is salient, or significant tosolving a current task, this network will pass the internal recognition to the forefront. Forexample, you’re in the middle of a brainstorming session and a team member sayssomething that clicks with a problem you’ve encountered, you’re going to take thatrecognition and express it vocally to the team.

Source: The Scientific American

This network consists of the “dorsal anterior cingulate cortices [dACC] and anterior insular[AI].”

Stage 1: Preparation

Your brain is hungry for knowledge, so feed it. Think of your creativity as a perfectly healthybaby. She has all the potential in the world to grow up and be extraordinary, but you need tonourish her and give her all the necessary learning tools to help her achieve greatness.

The preparation phase is actually your brain learning, storing the materials, and making

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subconscious connections to knowledge you already possess. The more you learn, themore unique connections you can make. During this stage, we see a lot of activity in theexecutive functions.

Stage 2: Incubation

When you’re consciously trying too hard to come up with a unique and special idea, youmight be concentrating on the wrong thing. So hand the keys over to your brain and let itdrive for a while. Studies have attributed many great ideas to the wandering mind.

Your brain is still making those connections, and the important stuff you’re trying to figureout is still very present in your mind. Imagine your brain is an assistant that knows youbetter than anyone else, so he knows your dilemma and he knows all the good material thatyou have stored in your files.

Just relax, let him get to work, and he’ll come back with exactly what you were lookingfor. Your brain will take better care of you than you think. It knows what’s important to you,and it’s searching through its archives to find the connections.

Stage 3: Illumination

This is the moment your assistant comes back and throws that great idea in your face withall those connected pieces you’d been looking for, causing you to leap out of your chair andscream, “EUREKA!” And, thus, jolting you back to consciousness to get the idea in action(hopefully).

Imagine this familiar situation: you’ve just found an insanely comfortable position in bed andare about to drift off to sleep. But then something hits you; that stroke of brilliance you’vebeen looking for. At this very moment, you have two options: either muster up the strengthto email yourself or write a note with one eye open, or run the risk of losing your creativeideas to the night.

And it’s not only right before you fall asleep that this tends to happen: long walks alone, asolitary drive in the car, and, famously, in the shower, have all been attributed toinopportune “lightbulb moments” – this is an example of experiencing the illumination stage.

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Stage 4: Verification

Here’s where your conscious mind can take that beautiful, shining lump of clay (your specialidea) and mold it into the perfect statue. Rarely do you jump out of the shower knowing allthe steps you need to carry out your special idea and bring it to fruition. During theverification stage, you’re taking your stroke of brilliance, verifying that it’s a realistic idea,and building the framework for how it will come to life.

These four stages of creative thought were proposed by English socialist and socialpsychologist Graham Wallas, and outlined in his book The Art of Thought, which waspublished in 1926. While the book is no longer in print, the following excerpt from itbeautifully explains that our brain can be in one or all of these four stages; they’re constantlyoverlapping each other as we’re exposed to new explorations and experiences:

“ İň țħě đǻįŀỳ șțřěǻm ǿf țħǿųģħț țħěșě fǿųř đįffěřěňț șțǻģěș čǿňșțǻňțŀỳǿvěřŀǻp ěǻčħ ǿțħěř ǻș ẅě ěxpŀǿřě đįffěřěňț přǿbŀěmș. Ǻň ěčǿňǿmįșțřěǻđįňģ ǻ Bŀųě Bǿǿķ, ǻ pħỳșįǿŀǿģįșț ẅǻțčħįňģ ǻň ěxpěřįměňț, ǿř ǻbųșįňěșș mǻň ģǿįňģ țħřǿųģħ ħįș mǿřňįňģ’ș ŀěțțěřș, mǻỳ ǻț țħě șǻměțįmě bě “įňčųbǻțįňģ” ǿň ǻ přǿbŀěm ẅħįčħ ħě přǿpǿșěđ țǿ ħįmșěŀf ǻ fěẅđǻỳș ǻģǿ, bě ǻččųmųŀǻțįňģ ķňǿẅŀěđģě įň “přěpǻřǻțįǿň” fǿř ǻ șěčǿňđpřǿbŀěm, ǻňđ bě “věřįfỳįňģ” ħįș čǿňčŀųșįǿňș ǿň ǻ țħįřđ přǿbŀěm. Ěvěň įňěxpŀǿřįňģ țħě șǻmě přǿbŀěm, țħě mįňđ mǻỳ bě ųňčǿňșčįǿųșŀỳįňčųbǻțįňģ ǿň ǿňě ǻșpěčț ǿf įț, ẅħįŀě įț įș čǿňșčįǿųșŀỳ ěmpŀǿỳěđ įňpřěpǻřįňģ fǿř ǿř věřįfỳįňģ ǻňǿțħěř ǻșpěčț. Ǻňđ įț mųșț ǻŀẅǻỳș běřěměmběřěđ țħǻț mųčħ věřỳ įmpǿřțǻňț țħįňķįňģ, đǿňě fǿř įňșțǻňčě bỳǻ pǿěț ěxpŀǿřįňģ ħįș ǿẅň měmǿřįěș, ǿř bỳ ǻ mǻň țřỳįňģ țǿ șěě čŀěǻřŀỳħįș ěmǿțįǿňǻŀ řěŀǻțįǿň țǿ ħįș čǿųňțřỳ ǿř ħįș pǻřțỳ, řěșěmbŀěș mųșįčǻŀčǿmpǿșįțįǿň įň țħǻț țħě șțǻģěș ŀěǻđįňģ țǿ șųččěșș ǻřě ňǿț věřỳ ěǻșįŀỳfįțțěđ įňțǿ ǻ “přǿbŀěm ǻňđ șǿŀųțįǿň” șčħěmě. Ỳěț, ěvěň ẅħěň șųččěșș įňțħǿųģħț měǻňș țħě čřěǻțįǿň ǿf șǿměțħįňģ fěŀț țǿ bě běǻųțįfųŀ ǻňđ țřųěřǻțħěř țħǻň țħě șǿŀųțįǿň ǿf ǻ přěșčřįběđ přǿbŀěm, țħě fǿųř șțǻģěș ǿfPřěpǻřǻțįǿň, İňčųbǻțįǿň, İŀŀųmįňǻțįǿň, ǻňđ țħě Věřįfįčǻțįǿň ǿf țħěfįňǻŀ řěșųŀț čǻň ģěňěřǻŀŀỳ bě đįșțįňģųįșħěđ fřǿm ěǻčħ ǿțħěř."

(Șǿųřčě: Břǻįň Pįčķįňģș )

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Kids and Creativity

When I was young, like many of us, I was often told that I was extraordinarily creative.

I never became an artist like I thought I would, but I did recently reaffirm my belief in my owncreativity. But had it really gone anywhere? Did I ever stop imagining or putting ulteriorconnections together that others didn’t always see? Did my hunger for knowledge andlearning ever cease?

As children, we remember being carefree with crayons and magic markers. We rememberhaving ideas about the world around us, and using our imagination in just about everythingwe did. But as adults, many of us feel as though we just aren’t the “creative type.”

A widely shared opinion on the model of the traditional classroom is that it actually hinderscreative thinking.

I consulted Michele Youakim, Professor Emeritus of Neuroscience and Neuroanatomy atthe University at Buffalo for an opinion on this:

Ultimately, what do children possess that adults may not that allows their creativity to

Ěvěřỳ čħįŀđ įș ǻň ǻřțįșț; țħě přǿbŀěm įș ħǿẅ țǿ řěmǻįň ǻň ǻřțįșț ǿňčě ẅěģřǿẅ ųp.” - Pǻbŀǿ Pįčǻșșǿ“

İ țħįňķ ẅě șħǿųŀđ řě-ěxǻmįňě ħǿẅ ǿųř ķįđș ǻřě țǻųģħț įň șčħǿǿŀ (věřỳșțřųčțųřěđ; mǻțħ věřșųș ǻřțș) ǻňđ ħǿẅ ǻđųŀțș șțřųčțųřě țħě ķįđș țįměǻț ħǿmě (ķěěpįňģ čħįŀđřěň ǻŀẅǻỳș bųșỳ ẅįțħ șčħěđųŀěđ, șțřųčțųřěđǻčțįvįțỳ ẅįțħ ŀįțțŀě țįmě fǿř mįňđ-ẅǻňđěřįňģș. Ě.ģ. İ țħįňķ [țħěňěųřǿșčįěňčě ǿf čřěǻțįvįțỳ] įș țěŀŀįňģ țħǻț mǿșț čřěǻțįvě pěǿpŀě ǻřěpǿŀỳģěňįųșěș – ěqųǻŀŀỳ ģįfțěđ įň ǻřț, șčįěňčě, įňvěňțįǿň (Ŀěǿňǻřđǿ đǻĐǻVįňčį įș țħě běșț ěxǻmpŀě). Ỳěț ňǿẅ șțųđěňțș ǿf șčįěňčě/țěčħňǿŀǿģỳěňřǿŀŀ įň ǿňŀỳ čǿųřșěș řěŀǻțěđ țǿ țħǻț čųřřįčųŀųm, șțįfŀįňģ țħěįř mǿřěģŀǿbǻŀ měňțǻŀ ģįfțș țħǻț mįģħț čǿňțřįbųțě țǿ přǿģřěșș įň fįěŀđș řěŀǻțěđțǿ ŀįțěřǻțųřě ǻňđ ǻřț."

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flourish?

Children embrace their ignorance. A child isn’t afraid to be wrong. As adults we developfear and anxiety about being wrong, failing, and ultimately embarrassing ourselves. Byopening up, children are always learning what they need to know and building off theknowledge they gain from the many (many) questions they ask everyone.

Children are always curious. In relation to lacking fear of failure, children are alwayscurious! Being curious about everything allows children to consistently pick up tidbits ofknowledge. As I pointed out earlier, more knowledge equals making more connections,which equals more creative ideas!

Children are explorers. Experiences are another natural idea influencer. Children arealways going on a quest or playing a new game, always excited to try new things. As adults,it can be easy to be a “no man” and consistently decline the offer to get out into the worldand experience it; but I promise (and science will tell you) it will take your creativity to a newlevel. It’s worth the leap. As Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “Do one thing every day thatscares you.”

Children use their imagination. According to a study conducted from 1959 to 1964involving 350 children, around the 4 grade, a tendency to use imaginations to wonder anddaydream abruptly declines. We should never stop allowing our minds to wander. We haveto give that imagination network some time to do its thing and allow creativity to surface.

Nurture Your Own Creativity At the end of the day, we all want more creativity. Divergent thinking, or “thinking outside thebox,” is what could potentially land you that job over a more qualified candidate. Inmarketing, it’s what allows us to approach a tired old concept in a brand new way, or createsomething brand new that consumers didn’t even know they needed yet.

So how can we ignite that childlike creativity that we all once possessed? In order to fosteryour own creativity it’s important to remember that everyone and every brain is different, soyou have to find what works for you. But here are some great places to start:

th

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Detach yourself

I think today, we’re all looking for that “quick fix.” How can I be more creative right now? Weall want that “lightbulb moment” we just spoke of in the illumination stage of the creativeprocess. Well, as we know, it’s a process and it has no estimated length of time frompreparation to illumination and beyond. However, there have been many studies that havepointed to the fact that creativity happens when we detach ourselves from consciousthinking (ah, yes, the Incubation Stage!).

According to Professor Youakim, “It seems that when we are being perfectionists, webecome extremely focused on the details or minutiae, whereas during our most creativetimes (or so the research suggests) we are in a most unfocused state, i.e. constrainingcertain ‘irrelevant’ trains of thought versus letting the mind free “to wander”.

There are many suggested ways and places to have our best ideas, some being taking ashower (the famous idea breeder), laying down for a nap, taking a long walk, exercising, oreven picking up a coloring book! Some I might add are doing the dishes and watching amovie your boyfriend insists on watching, but you have no interest in.

Embrace failure and keep workingStart working and creating. Even if your ideas aren’t great, you have to keep going. Thisadvice on creativity from Ira Glass has stuck with me since I read it,

Turn down the lights and turn up the noise level

Ěvěřỳbǿđỳ İ ķňǿẅ ẅħǿ đǿěș įňțěřěșțįňģ, čřěǻțįvě ẅǿřķ țħěỳ ẅěňțțħřǿųģħ ỳěǻřș ẅħěřě țħěỳ ħǻđ řěǻŀŀỳ ģǿǿđ țǻșțě ǻňđ țħěỳ čǿųŀđ țěŀŀ țħǻțẅħǻț țħěỳ ẅěřě mǻķįňģ ẅǻșň’ț ǻș ģǿǿđ ǻș țħěỳ ẅǻňțěđ įț țǿ bě. Țħěỳķňěẅ įț fěŀŀ șħǿřț. Ěvěřỳbǿđỳ ģǿěș țħřǿųģħ țħǻț.

Ǻňđ įf ỳǿų ǻřě jųșț șțǻřțįňģ ǿųț ǿř įf ỳǿų ǻřě șțįŀŀ įň țħįș pħǻșě, ỳǿųģǿțțǻ ķňǿẅ įțș ňǿřmǻŀ ǻňđ țħě mǿșț įmpǿřțǻňț țħįňģ ỳǿų čǻň đǿ įș đǿ ǻŀǿț ǿf ẅǿřķ. Đǿ ǻ ħųģě vǿŀųmě ǿf ẅǿřķ. Pųț ỳǿųřșěŀf ǿň ǻ đěǻđŀįňě șǿ țħǻțěvěřỳ ẅěěķ ǿř ěvěřỳ mǿňțħ ỳǿų ķňǿẅ ỳǿų’řě ģǿįňģ țǿ fįňįșħ ǿňě șțǿřỳ. İțįș ǿňŀỳ bỳ ģǿįňģ țħřǿųģħ ǻ vǿŀųmě ǿf ẅǿřķ țħǻț ỳǿų’řě ģǿįňģ țǿ čǻțčħ ųpǻňđ čŀǿșě țħǻț ģǻp. Ǻňđ țħě ẅǿřķ ỳǿų’řě mǻķįňģ ẅįŀŀ bě ǻș ģǿǿđ ǻș ỳǿųřǻmbįțįǿňș.”

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It’s said that dim lighting and noisy areas could be breeding ground for creativity. Not justany noise, however. It’s suggested to try ambient noise, like the constant murmur of a café. Ican completely attest to that and only say that it works for me. If you can’t make it to yourcorner café or Starbucks, start with a free tool like Coffitivity, or use Spotify and find playlistsfeaturing ambient noise or mellow sounds. (I personally enjoy Atmospheric Calm.)

Collaborate with others

Some of the greatest ideas and innovations came from the blending of perspectives.According to computer scientist Ramsey Nasser, “The members of a collaborative groupmake up a single meta-artist who is the sum of all their skills and the sum of all theirperspectives in a way that you couldn’t possibly do as a single person.” I couldn’t agreemore. Not only that, but holding a conversation with someone with a different perspectivecould seriously open your eyes and mind and take your idea on a new, exciting path.

Record your ideas

I’m an idea hoarder. I consistently keep notepad notes on my computer (and in physicalnotepads) and consistently email myself links and ideas or keep them in Trello. It’s actuallypretty scattered. But, in my defense, I always end up remember the things I’ve documented.Write down your ideas when you have them - any little idea. Your mind might come back toit the next time it’s wandering, and I’d be willing to bet your notepad, post-it, or email comesto clear view.

Have a drink

Studies continuously show us that drinking alcohol does in fact open up a creative state ofmind by inhibiting those executive functions, and releasing reservations you might have hadabout your ideas beforehand. In one study, researchers at the University of Illinois atChicago found that participants whose BAC (blood alcohol level) was slightly under .08percent (the legal limit) performed better in a creative task than the sober participants. Butdon’t have too many soda pops, or else it could likely result in the opposite effect you werehoping for.

Get happy

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Topics: Productivity Creativity

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Research has found that people are more likely to have a creative breakthrough if they werehappy the day before. Spend time with people you love, have a productive day at work, reada good book, watch an uplifting movie, or play with a puppy. Everything in life seems betterwhen we’re happy, and it could apparently also help heighten your creativity!

Never stop learning

I say this all the time; never stop learning. Develop a hunger for knowledge and creativity issure to follow. How can you connect ideas about knowledge that you don’t possess yet? AsI said, feed your brain, and you’ll be surprised what it’ll give back to you.

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