Drawing On The Right Side Of The Brain by Betty Edwards was my first introduction to the “creative side of the brain”. If you haven’t read it, I highly recommend it. Until I studied this book I had no idea where creativity came from. I just did what I did, and never really thought about it. It drove me crazy trying to figure out why some days my creativity was unstoppable, my drawing skills were exceptional, and I felt I could do anything. Followed by days that I couldn’t put a creative thought together, my drawing skills tanked and I felt like I was wasting my time.
Some Techniques For Forcing Your Creativity Into Action
This led me to look at studies in psychology and how the brain works. I needed to understand the process and what was going on inside me that could produce the consistent results I wanted. In part 1 and 2 of this article I talked about what goes on in the brain during creativity and insight, but what I really wanted was strategies of how to get there. In addition to sketching, I found the following very helpful.
If you are stuck, you can force your brain into thinking more creatively.
Overcoming an assumption about anything can cause this to happen. It allows the right brain to take over and wander though the landscape, looking for treasure. The right brain is much more sensitive, and can more easily make connections that previously were not there, developing an insight, finding the treasure.
Mundane tasks help release the gate keeper. First define your issue. Then stop doing what your doing, and put the problem into the back of my mind. Go do a mundane task. Dishes, sweep the floor, pull those over grown weeds in your garden. It doesn’t matter what the mundane task is, just something that doesn’t challenge your mind.
Doing something is better than doing nothing. Doing nothing activates day dreaming and occupies your mind and takes you off task.
Avoid doing a demanding task that refocuses your mind such as a crossword or doing your taxes. The point here is to let the problem you are working on meander through the right side of your brain, not get off at the next exit.
You are turning inward, cutting off the distraction of your inner voice telling you it can’t be solved. This will increase your creativity. It will allow your right brain to make the connections it needs to make.
Put on some music, or go with complete silence. If you choose music, choose it wisely. Familiar tunes bring back memories and emotions that can distract you from what you want to achieve.
Take a long drive if you can. Driving is automatic, and allows the creative side of the brain to work it’s magic.
Do something completely different. If you’ve been painting, try writing. Julia Cameron recommends starting your day with writing in her book “The Artists Way”. Try it. Even while in the creative process your brain can become fixed, and doing something different usually releases the fixed position. It helps make new associations and approach problems in a different way.
Try doing something you do often, in a different way. Ask yourself: “How many ways can this be done?” You might be surprised what this can accomplish.
Mediation works great at removing the mental handcuffs. Focus on the in and out of your breathing, monitoring the lengths of breaths. But this can be a real challenge for many and I’m one of them. So instead I do mindful mediation when walking. I notice each step, the sound it makes and how it feels to walk.
You can also practice it while doing house hold chores, mowing the lawn or doing any daily activities. Focus 100% on that one activity and you are being mindful. You will be amazed at what you now see that you have never seen before.
How will you know when you reach the creative part of your brain? I always know when I’ve reached the creative place in my brain before an insight happens, because I feel peaceful, and a calm washes over me. The next step is usually the spark of enlightenment.
Try a few of these techniques and see how they work for you.
If you are stuck, you can force your brain into thinking more creatively.
Overcoming an assumption about anything can cause this to happen. It allows the right brain to take over and wander though the landscape, looking for treasure. The right brain is much more sensitive, and can more easily make connections that previously were not there, developing an insight, finding the treasure.
Mundane tasks help release the gate keeper. First define your issue. Then stop doing what your doing, and put the problem into the back of my mind. Go do a mundane task. Dishes, sweep the floor, pull those over grown weeds in your garden. It doesn’t matter what the mundane task is, just something that doesn’t challenge your mind.
Doing something is better than doing nothing. Doing nothing activates day dreaming and occupies your mind and takes you off task.
Avoid doing a demanding task that refocuses your mind such as a crossword or doing your taxes. The point here is to let the problem you are working on meander through the right side of your brain, not get off at the next exit.
You are turning inward, cutting off the distraction of your inner voice telling you it can’t be solved. This will increase your creativity. It will allow your right brain to make the connections it needs to make.
Put on some music, or go with complete silence. If you choose music, choose it wisely. Familiar tunes bring back memories and emotions that can distract you from what you want to achieve.
Take a long drive if you can. Driving is automatic, and allows the creative side of the brain to work it’s magic.
Do something completely different. If you’ve been painting, try writing. Julia Cameron recommends starting your day with writing in her book “The Artists Way”. Try it. Even while in the creative process your brain can become fixed, and doing something different usually releases the fixed position. It helps make new associations and approach problems in a different way.
Try doing something you do often, in a different way. Ask yourself: “How many ways can this be done?” You might be surprised what this can accomplish.
Mediation works great at removing the mental handcuffs. Focus on the in and out of your breathing, monitoring the lengths of breaths. But this can be a real challenge for many and I’m one of them. So instead I do mindful mediation when walking. I notice each step, the sound it makes and how it feels to walk.
You can also practice it while doing house hold chores, mowing the lawn or doing any daily activities. Focus 100% on that one activity and you are being mindful. You will be amazed at what you now see that you have never seen before.
How will you know when you reach the creative part of your brain? I always know when I’ve reached the creative place in my brain before an insight happens, because I feel peaceful, and a calm washes over me. The next step is usually the spark of enlightenment.
Try a few of these techniques and see how they work for you.
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