Have you ever asked yourself, “Why can’t I be more creative?” We may often ask that question of ourselves when we cannot think of a new idea regardless of how hard we try. Maybe the reason we draw a blank is that we are trying too hard. We’ll comment on that in a minute. But first, we need to acknowledge that some people are more creative than others. They are usually the ones who are more open to new experiences, or were less inhibited in their approach to life.
Creativity is often limited by the activity of our brain’s left prefrontal cortex. This is the part of the brain behind our left forehead, and is often called the “executive” part of the brain. It’s the part of the brain that manages and controls our decisions. Long-term planning, focusing, and blocking out distractions are part of its functions. Studies in creative activities using functional MRI imaging shows that some of the control parts of the prefrontal cortex actually shut down, or deactivate when we are truly creative.
Another study actually passed a weak electrical current through part of the brain that disrupted neural activity. When the current was on, creativity was alive and well.
So apart from zapping our brain to limit prefrontal cortex activity, how can we become more creative? One suggestion suggests that the most creative time for a morning person is when they are tired at night. The same is true for the night owl–they can be more creative when they are still groggy from waking up. Many a creative solution to a problem has been discovered by a person as they groggily awaken in the morning, or barely can stay awake late in the evening.
Another suggestion is stop trying so hard to focus on solving the problem. Focusing is depending too much on activating our prefrontal cortex. So let yourself be distracted–get up and walk around, listen to music, or just go and do something else. In other words, let your mind wander Even do something unrelated to the problem you’re trying to solve.
Here’s one that is surprising. Focus on the color green. In one study, students were asked to take a creativity test, and were given test books each with a different color as background on the pages. Consistently, those given green books came up with more creative ideas than those with other color books.
So let yourself–and your kids–take a break from their homework, and from problem solving. Paint the walls of their room, and your office, green–but not a dark green. Keep a pencil and a pad handy on your nightstand , just in case you have a creative idea. And even let yourself daydream in the middle of problem solving. You have to work at being creative, it’s just that the way you work at it is the opposite of what we might think. The creative ideas come whe you work at relaxing.
Question: Have you ever tried too hard to solve a problem, and then when you almost gave up, the solution suddenly came to you?