by Rachel Smith
18 October 2013
I wrote about writer’s block a while ago and one List member commented that if she was really struggling, she’d hop into the shower. It’s no surprise really – studies show that we’re the most creative when dopamine is released in the brain. The best ideas are apparently triggered when we’re super relaxed: listening to music, standing under a warm shower, slipping into dreamland, or drunk.
It’s a different state to problem-solving, when you need focus to weed out distractions and reach the solution. But trying to be creative with a problem-solving hat on doesn’t work as well – experts say you actually need to lose that focus for your brain to tap into the random thoughts and ‘a-ha!’ moments hiding in your imagination.
Psychologist Sian Beilock writes a lot about the science of the brain, how dishonesty and creativity are linked, and how creativity happens when you least expect it. “Now we know that certain activities benefit from us NOT being in our most alert state,” she says. “Simply put, when you have to be creative, working at your non-optimal time of day is actually optimal.”
I can relate. My best ideas are always between midnight to 2am, usually when I’m on the cusp of sleep.
I’ve often dragged myself from bed to type an idea I don’t want to lose into my computer. Or, I’ll jot down a note on my phone or grope around for a pen and paper in the dark. If I don’t, the magic of the idea is always gone in the morning. (Or, maybe I was kidding myself and it was never very good in the first place.)
Writing at 2am is not really optimal (for me), but at least I understand why my best ideas occur then.
When are you most creative? In the shower, in bed at night – or some other time?
Absolutely, I get fabulous (possibly) ideas as I am falling asleep but even though I have a pen and paper on the bedside table somehow I am too far gone to pull myself back enough to write it down.
I guess, that is a skill to hone in itself!
Absolutely. We were chatting about this at the freelance Spring Fling the other night and someone mentioned having a dictaphone next to your bed that you talk into. However, I dunno if my husband would be down with me taking verbal notes at 2am 🙂
I definitely agree – either just as I’m trying to fall asleep or when I’m waking up. Never when I’m sitting at the computer ready to write!
Ah the irony!
Ideas mostly sneak up on me when I’m doing or thinking about something else. Driving, having a shower, doing tie-off knots on a fence post, sharpening a chain saw…. Occasionally, very occasionally, when I’m in that space between wake and sleep an idea will spool through my head almost like a movie. Once I got up and jotted down an outline which ended up as a short story. Still working on it but it has promise.
The magic of that non-alert state, huh Darren!
My belief is that creativity is a bit like life it happens when you are making other plans – otherwise known as being in the ‘flow’.
Before you reach for your Tena or other sanitary aid Flow as I am referring to that moment when you are completely immersed in doing something – normally mundane but moderately engaging – for me it’s driving.
Because you lose points and it costs money to text or dictate on your phone at these moments I am sure my Walkley award winning ideas have all ended up along the roadside…
Dammit. You need to rig up a voice-activated dictaphone for your car. You’ve got time to do that, right? 😉