Most people aspire to be creative and have an original insight which makes them stand out from the crowd.
But is creativity a random process or is it something that can be nurtured and triggered using a variety of techniques? Scientists around the world are exploring what happens in the brain preceding that ‘eureka’ moment.
Their research suggests these five things could help you unleash your creative side.
Here are the five suggestions. Read the article for more details.
Do things differently
If you want to come up with innovative solutions to a problem which is bothering you, then doing something as simple as changing aspects of your daily routine could lead to a creative insight. […]
Cut distractions
[J]ust before [a eureka moment], there is a burst of alpha waves - which are associated with relaxation - in the back of the head.
People take in a lot of information visually but these alpha waves allow the brain to take a slight break - much like what happens when you blink your eyes.
This then allows this very faint idea to bubble up to the surface as an insight.
Work on mundane tasks
Another activity to help you trigger your creative brain waves could be to work on something that requires minimal thought. […]
“If you are stumped, take a break. Allow the unconscious processes to take hold. But rather than just sitting there, you might want to take a walk or a shower or do something like gardening.”
Don’t be afraid to improvise and take risks
“If people think about their daily behaviour - most of it is unscripted. Most of it is improvised. They don’t actually plan every second what they are going to do,” he says.
Just let your mind wander
When there is less activity in the frontal lobes, it is more likely that you can come up with an original idea. […]
He says it is possible to trigger this temporary brain state by meditating or taking a long run.