Curious Facts About Creativity

The creative circuits of the human brain hold secrets that researchers are slowly revealing. Creativity and the ways in which it can be cultivated become a central subject of psychology.

To dream with open eyes. Make fun of trouble. Wandering unknowingly. A sudden and traumatic loss. All of these things, while seemingly negative, can actually have an incredibly positive impact on creativity and creative power. And as you dig deeper and deeper into yourself, in search of the creative self, you tend to discover surprising things about yourself and what you can do.

Here are just a few interesting things about creativity and divergent thinking:

1. It has long been a cliché that the most inspired ideas come to mind while taking a shower. Researchers say that 72% of people have creative insights in the shower, and sitting naked under a stream of warm water, letting your thoughts wander freely, is one of the best exercises for creativity, but also an excellent incubator of ideas.

In addition, studies suggest that there is a strong link between creativity and various solitary activities (daydreaming, solitary walks, pilgrimages, etc.).

2. No matter how productive we are in the team, nothing compares to working and thinking in moments of loneliness.

Studies have shown that the most creative and imaginative networks that are established in the brain function at their optimum capacity when we are alone. It is in these moments that we are able to engage in what neuropsychologists call the state of constructive internal reflection, a decisive state of mind for the generation of ideas and creativity.

When we are disconnected from the outside world, our brain is able to make connections, crystallize memories, and process information, just as it could not when we were actively collaborating with someone.

3. It is easy to understand why the desire to explore, learn and try to do new things is correlated with creativity and divergent thinking.

From a neuroscientific point of view, the link between openness to new experiences and creative thinking has long been confirmed.

Exploration, motivation, and learning are related to the activity of the neurotransmitter dopamine, which also facilitates psychological plasticity, the tendency to explore, and flexible employment in new activities. Kaufman and Gregoire, authors of the book "Wired to Create: Unraveling the Mysteries of the Creative Mind," say that the tendency to explore, in its many forms, could be the most important personal factor that favors creative acquisitions.

4. Intuition is also a form of creativity, and according to a study published in the journal American Psychology in 1992, unconscious and subconscious processes can be faster and, structurally, more sophisticated than conscious cognitive processes.

5. Strange as it may sound, but any psychological trauma has creative potential. Frida Kahlo, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Truman Capote, Robin Williams, Jerry Garcia, are just a few of the personalities of modern world history who have one thing in common: they suffered a major loss or trauma that had a strong impact on their artistic abilities.

And it's not just a coincidence. Psychologists call this phenomenon post-traumatic growth. In the face of a major loss, the human brain is exploring new areas and connections, as part of the process of rebuilding and restoring life, as perspectives, priorities, and perceptions of things change.

Post-traumatic stress disorder has been studied in hundreds of scientific studies, and a study conducted in 2004 and published in the Journal of Traumatic Stress shows that 70% of people who have experienced a loss or trauma have experienced significant psychological changes. positive as a result of this traumatic experience.

6. Dreaming with open eyes is surprisingly beneficial for brain activity and therefore for creativity.

The moments when you dream with your eyes open give you a period of mental incubation and, thus, the development of creative thinking, imagination, the ability to anticipate and plan for the long term, and self-awareness takes place.

7. The best ideas are usually rejected, ridiculed, and even condemned at first. And history is full of such examples. Galileo was condemned when he shared his astronomical discoveries, which at the time were in contradiction with Catholic theology.

Hungarian physicist Ignaz Semmelweis was admitted to a hospice after losing his job because he radically claimed in the 19th century that infections could be spread by bacteria from doctors.

In 1600, the philosopher Giordano Bruno was burned at the stake, accused of heresy, when he claimed that the universe is infinite.

As we can see, the resistance to new and unconventional ideas has psychological foundations and continues in modern times.

In 2009, a paper, published in the journal Scientometrics, looked at some examples of Nobel Prize-winning ideas and findings that were initially met with resistance from the scientific community.

This trend is not a coincidence. According to a study conducted at Cornell University, we all show an implicit error of perception towards unconventional ideas that, at first glance, are not practical.

This trend has been studied since the 1950s and shows that people are more likely to conform to popular opinions and perspectives. Research also says that any nonconformist tendencies we have in childhood and adolescence are extinguished with standardized school instruction, which negatively influences creative thinking and exploratory learning skills.

Thus, among others, Kaufman and Gregoire write in their paper that studies show a tendency for teachers to show a subjective preference for mediocre, less creative, and submissive students, while students with higher creative potential are nonconformist in thinking and their own opinions are often considered rebellious or, even worse, "problematic" students.

Reference:

Linley P.A., Joseph S. (2004). Positive change following trauma and adversity: a review. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 17 (1): 11-21.