What Makes Us Creative?

Are you creative?

More creativity means more fun, more buzz, more laughter in life.

Scientists see creative innovation as the communication between regions of the brain that are not usually connected. A crucial ingredient of creativity is the ability to develop alternative solutions, known as divergent thinking. (From an interesting article on creativity by a neuropsychiatrist).

How does this work? Let's look at how the idea of writing a post about creativity occurred to me: I was watching an elegant tango dancer glide across the floor. She is an artist and had just told me that she enjoys reading my blog. Suddenly the idea of writing a post on creativity flashed into my brain. You can see in this example how my brain connected three different dots: artist, writing a post, and creativity.

Creativity is a natural state of mind.

It is not something that some people have and others lack. Children call being creative playing. It's hard to find a child that can't do that! Creativity then is not something far away and difficult to achieve. It is something natural that we need to re-discover within.

To be creative judgment needs to be suspended.

Most people stifle their creativity because they don't know how to shut up their internal editor. You don't know who that person is? Let me introduce you to him or her: Take a piece of paper and write the first paragraph of what might become a novel, or start sketching out a painting. Now listen to the voice in your head. You'll hear something like this: That's stupid! or You really suck! or You're wasting your time!

That voice is familiar, right?

Creating and editing are processes that happen in different parts of the brain. Creativity springs forth from the right side of the brain, whereas editing or analyzing happens in the left side.

Take a look at this list of right- versus left-side brain functions:

LEFT BRAIN FUNCTIONS

uses logic

detail oriented

facts rule

words and language

present and past

math and science

can comprehend

knowing

acknowledges

order/pattern perception

knows object name

reality based

forms strategies

practical

safe

RIGHT BRAIN FUNCTIONS

uses feeling

'big picture' oriented

imagination rules

symbols and images

present and future

philosophy & religion

can get it (i.e. meaning)

believes

appreciates

spatial perception

knows object function

fantasy based

presents possibilities

impetuous

risk taking

This list is from an article in the Herald Sun.

Take a close look at the list of right-brain and left-brain functions. Do you spend more time in the left or the right part of your brain?

From all of this you can understand how creating and editing at the same time can't work. Because the moment you move from the right to the left side of the brain your creativity dries up.

Here are some interesting tips on creativity by cartoonist gapingvoid.

• Ignore everybody. The more original your idea is, the less good advice people will be able to give you.

• Put the hours in. Doing anything worthwhile takes forever.

• You are responsible for your own experience. Nobody can tell if what you're doing is good, meaningful or worthwhile.

• Everyone is born creative.

• Everyone has their own private Mount Everest they were put on this earth to climb.

• Never compare your inside with somebody else's outside.

• Passion can't be bought.

• Sing in your own voice.

• The best way to get approval is not to need it.

If you practise letting go of your judgmental thoughts while creating and begin to believe in your own natural ability, you will find that your creativity flows effortlessly.

© Mary Jaksch 2007