DIFFICULT TIMES AND FINDING OUR CREATIVITY

Carousel Horse by Willa Frayser

What a time we’re all having! Many of us with health and immune system issues are still in permanent lock-down, searching for ways to ease anxiety. It can be difficult to think about anything except the immediate situation in front of us.

Often, trying any form of creativity can ease some of the stress. The thing is, being creative comes easy to some but can be a laborious chore for others.This year, while coping with the massive task of moving (after 31 years in the same place) and then having to go into lock-down heightened my anxiety and exhaustion to record levels. It was also one of the rare times as a writer that I stalled and experienced some panic. I wondered if my thoughts and ideas would ever be the same. Even now, I’m not quite as focused as I used to be. However, in saying this the continuing plot for this new book has at last been coming to me at an extended walk.

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. Some time ago I found a terrific article in the Healthy Living section of the Toowoomba Newspaper The Chronicle. This article was written by Dr Amantha Imber who generously gave me permission to put it up on my blog. Dr. Imber’s article outlines a few simple and proven ideas to assist with boosting our creativity. So, I’ve put the suggestions to the test and do you know I’m actually more productive when I apply several of the suggestions below.

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.

The Creativity Formula

Dr Amantha Imber is the Founder of Innovation Consultancy Inventium.