Today I decided to post one of my more popular posts from the Life List Club. How we come to have that flash of inspiration amazes me. The human brain is unbelievably complex and fascinating. This post came from curiosity about how cognitive the Muse may actually be.
Oh Muse, Where Art Thou?
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| Photo by Nicole N at Flickr |
Inspiration.
Imagination.
Creativity.
All three are words attributed to the occasionally elusive creature called the Muse.
While us artist-types rely on the Muse to inspire our current artistic endeavors, we aren’t the only people with muses. Everyone has creativity, and needs creativity to solve problems.
Through the creative process, we move through the mundane to come up with unique and original ideas. We use this process every day, from when we determine an alternate route when our traditional route to work is blocked, to deciding what to have for dinner.
How creative we are is influenced by our intelligence, memory, personality, attitude, mental health, and physical health, among others. While some of these factors are beyond our control, many of them aren’t. By altering those over which we have control, we can sharpen and develop our creativity. We can grow our muses.
EXERCISE
Exercise is one of the fastest ways to influence creativity, for several reasons. First, exercise decreases the effects of stress by releasing endorphins which positively affect our mental health. Positive mental health leads to a positive attitude. A positive attitude leads to increased mental flexibility, which makes it easier to be creative.
Exercise improves every aspect of cognition, including creativity. There is something about activating the right side of the brain that enhances creativity, and instead of trying to explain it, I’m giving you the link to a fascinating article about it here.
WORK ON YOUR WORKING MEMORY
Working memory is also called short-term memory. It is the part of our brain that stores information for short periods of time so that we can manipulate the information to understand and reason what we saw, learned, etc… Exercising your brain, whether through brain games, chess, word puzzles, etc… you can increase your working memory.
BECOME A BRAINSTORMING GENIUS
In the article “How to Get Mindpopping Ideas,” Michael Michalko likens creativity to the universe, and creative ideas to the subatomic particles found throughout. He gives three ways to harvest all those millions of ideas and thoughts while brainstorming.
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| Photo from Freedigitialphoto.net |
Observe and record each thought as a possibility. The key word here is observe. Don’t place judgment or value to anything your subconscious brain puts forth. When we judge the value of our thoughts, we snuff out creativity.
Become inclusive. When brainstorming, accept every thought as important and potentially valuable, no matter how crazy or random it seems. Creativity is the combining of elements in new and unusual ways.
Keep a written record. Writing down our thoughts and ideas moves them into long-term memory. Even if we aren’t consciously thinking of the idea, our subconscious is, and will create more and more ideas.
What are some ways you increase communication with your muse?
I think about my book or characters when I'm doing something mundane or mind-numbing like washing dishes or driving in the car. It's kind of like letting things percolate. Eventually when I sit down to work, things have worked themselves out in my mind.
ReplyDeleteAgatha Christie said washing dishes was her time to plot. :) I find driving to be the time I really end up thinking about story lines or characters, too! Thanks for coming by!
ReplyDeleteI read! It always gets me pumped up to write, even if it's a bad book. Because I'll be like, "I can do better!" Love reading.
ReplyDeleteI wish I could read more! It does seem to fill up those writing batteries with good stuff, huh?
DeleteI need to write down my thoughts more. When I do, I often go back and use them to write a poem. I'm not sure why I don't do it more.Thanks for this post. It is full of great info.
ReplyDeleteI'm having a little problem with follow-through on "Keep a Written Record" because I'll think something important, then I'll reach for my notebook, which resides in my purse, which I left in the bedroom. When I finally get to my bedroom, the once important note has faded!
ReplyDeleteI am working on it.
I try writing stuff down, too, but I can't say it works out like he recommends. I wish I had reams of ideas and connections, but I really seem to be very one-idea at a time. I have to work through the problem at hand, and then move on to the next. As long as I'm never without an idea, I guess it's okay. :)
DeleteHi Lara -- I think I have trouble being "inclusive." It's definitely an area where I could use some improvement. Writing it all down is crucial. I believe I lose many good ideas because I don't force myself to put them in writing.
ReplyDeleteIt's really easy to judge what goes through our heads. One part in the article I mention talked about how you write down anything, and then later two lame ideas may connect into a really cool one. It kind of opened up my eyes!
DeleteI dido Emily. Reading works :)
ReplyDeleteReading's a good one. It's like riffing off another musician, I think.
DeleteI get inspiration from all sorts of places - others' books, blogs, even a single comment on a blog or FB posts can get me going. I try to clear my mind when I'm walking or exercising, then when I get back to the desk, I do an idea dump by making notes. Brainstorming or word association is fun as well. At times, all it takes to get my muse going is a beautiful or scary photo.
ReplyDeleteThanks for coming by, Karen! Getting outside is always a good one for me. I think it relaxes me into a state of open-mindedness or something!
DeleteLove the idea of thinking of our brainstorming sessions in terms of "inclusivity." It's a great idea!
ReplyDeleteI thought so! Made me wish I'd thought of it :) Thanks for coming by!
DeleteI love the term "Brainstorming Genius." I want to be one of those. ;) My best brainstorming occurs when I'm driving - very weird, I know. Thankfully, I have a long commute to work.
ReplyDeleteI've actually heard (not just here) that driving is a good time to brainstorm. I always worry I'll hit something by being preoccupied, but that automatic driver inside my brain seems to take care of everything. :)
DeleteI love this! Sometimes I feel stuck and wonder what in the world is wrong with my brain. But these are some great suggestions and knowing I have some control is very freeing. :)
ReplyDeleteI haven't ever really had the time to wait on the Muse. If I want to get something written, I have to take the time when I can. Having that control is like making a date with the Muse, instead of sitting and waiting she shows up!
DeleteYou nailed it with the exercise commandment! I don't know if this is normal but my muse works best when I am slightly distracted, such as driving, housework, etc. and gym time heads the list. I bring my iPhone to workout so I can quickly jot down all those notes between sets, knowing I'll never remember them afterward. :P I can only imagine it is the endorphins + relaxation that allows my brain to work uninhibited from the pressure I normally apply.
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I'm definitely going to try harder to commit to that daily workout. :)
The workout is great. I haven't exercised all week, and can feel it - both physically and mentally!
DeleteThere are times when I absolutely love my muse. She's a close personal friend of mine. There are other times she hides from me and there's no talking her into visiting with me.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this because now I've got some new ammunition!
Writers Unite! We'll get those Muses to cooperate! :)
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