ABOUT FINDING CREATIVITY

Carousel Horse by Willa Frayser 

At some stage many of us are required to think creatively. It comes easy to some but can be a laborious chore for others. This year while coping with family issues I found it difficult to think about anything other than the immediate situation in front of me. It was the first time as a writer I stalled and experienced some panic as I wondered if my thoughts and ideas would ever be the same. The old adage time heals proved true because out of blue a short story came to me. It was after enjoying a visit with a cousin and while having a hilarious discussion about an outfit I loved and wore all the time when I was about seventeen that an idea came to me. Yes, I still have the outfit!
I’m happy to say from the time I wrote the short story, ideas for my next book have been coming to me at the pace of a steady canter and now I’m around two thirds through the story.
But what if there were some proven creativity boosters? We all occasionally need a boost of creativity whether we’re writers, artists, sculptors or even landscape gardeners. During last week I found a terrific article in the Healthy Living section of the Toowoomba Newspaper The Chronicle that I had to share. www.thechronicle.com.au
The article was written by Dr Amantha Imber who has generously given me permission to put it up on my blog. Her article outlines a few simple and proven ideas to assist with boosting our creativity.

Scientifically proven creativity boosters
Written by Dr Amantha Imber

The media loves to perpetuate the myth that creative geniuses are born, not made. However, the idea that you can only be creative if you were born that way is a myth. Hundreds of scientific research studies have demonstrated creativity is a skill that can be built up very easily. In my book The Creativity Formula, I describe fifty different scientifically proven ways to boost creativity.
Here are some:-
Look for the odd one out –
One study compared the ideas generated by people looking at a poster depicting an “odd one out” image versus people seeing an image representing conformity. The “odd one out” viewers came up with significantly more ideas.
Clench your left hand –
Psychology Professor Nicola Baumann set up an experiment where one group of people had to squeeze a ball with their left hand while the other group had to squeeze the ball with their right. It was found that this simple act of squeezing one’s left hand activated a brain circuit associated with thinking more creatively.
Turn up the volume –
While science is great for many types of work, when it comes to innovation, research suggests you should turn up the volume. Researchers from the University of British Columbia found that seventy decibels (the sound level of a busy café or city street) is optimal for creativity.
Get sweaty –
Participating in thirty minutes aerobic exercise has been found to increase our ability to think creatively. And our added creative ability lasts for up to two hours after.

Dr Amantha Imber is the Founder of Innovation Consultancy Inventium. She can be contacted at amantha@inventium.com.au

You can purchase a copy of her book The Creativity Formula 50 Scientifically-Proven Creativity Boosters for Work and for Life

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