Good Thinking

> Where do you do your best thinking? Have you ever thought about it? 

> When I was in college, I learned that focusing on something OTHER than what I was trying to solve was the answer to solving creative challenges. 

> I had a creative writing class, and I had been struggling with an assignment. I just couldn't come up with anything that I was happy with. I gave up for the time being, not because I knew it would help me focus, but because I just wasn't getting anywhere with it. We didn't have a dishwasher, and anyone who knows me, knows that dirty dishes in the sink or especially on the counter are a huge pet peeve. They call to me and won't leave me alone til they are cleaned and put away. So, later that day when I had my hands in the hot sudsy water, the solution to my creative writing class just came to me! I was so excited! I have also realized that I have a lot of "creative breakthroughs" while in the shower (what is it with me and warm water??) Anyway, a lot of times, when a solution just isn't coming to me, I try to take a break. I've found that when I get away from the blank monitor, or the empty notebook page—the pressure to create is gone, and my imagination is free to do what it does best, in the way it's most effective.

> What about you? Have you figured out where and how you do your best thinking?

Turn it Up!

> Do you listen to music when you work? Does it help you think? Does it make you more productive? Or does it hamper your creativity or your thinking?

> I took lots of art and drawing classes in college, but I specifically remember one day in a head/face-drawing class. It was an informal setting—we drew from a live model, and while we usually concentrated on what we were doing, we could chat, or take short breaks to get up and walk around. Someone had brought in some music, and we were all enjoying it. The professor, who usually sat and drew along with us, was discussing that music was distracting from the thinking process. He argued that while you're listening, you often hum or sing along (either out loud or in your own mind), and that your brain is using it's power of recall to do that. So if your brain is multi-tasking—thinking of lyrics or a melody, as well as trying to come up with a creative concept, or concentrating on your project—your capacity to be creative, or effective is reduced.

> On one hand, I agree that he's on to something. But on the other hand, I know from years of experience, that music has often been helpful to my creative process. At times, listening to my favorite music makes creative thinking more effortless. And time passes by more quickly when I'm burdened with repetitive production tasks. Now, if I'm writing, or working on a proposal, I typically turn off the music, I find it distracting. But creativity? Music turns it up a notch for me. What about you?

Childish Inspiration

> I live on a hill. And at the bottom, around the corner, is an elementary school. Every morning, I can hear kids on their way to school, wheels bump-bumping on the sidewalk cracks as they ride down the hill as fast as they dare, riding bikes, scooters, and anything with wheels. I love to hear the imagination in the happy screams, "I'm flying!", or "I'm Superman!", or my favorite from a grade-schooler, "I'm going faster than the speed of light!"

> Our deck overlooks the large playground, and sometimes my husband and I eat our lunch outside, and get a kick out of watching the kids play. It's amazing how imaginative they are. They decide "what they are going to be" during recess, a bunch of other kids join in the role-play, and they all have a great time.

> I've heard that children are able to create freely for a certain period of time, then they start creating based on others' expectations, or from learned application, and at that point, the "magic" is gone. 

> In witnessing the freedom in the way these kids play, I wonder: if we could all let go, and not care what others else think of our imagination, or how we play in our free time, would it enhance our creativity and inspiration when it comes time to be creative for work? Maybe I need to borrow a scooter and find out.

Creativity Blockers

> I recently ran across a folder of things I have been saving for "something". A lot is outdated and now fills my trash can, but there are a few gems that I will keep. One of them is a handout I saved from one of my first art classes in college. I couldn't find it online anywhere, so I'm sure who to give authorship to, but I want to share it anyway.

> The Ten Commandments That Block Creativity

   1)  Everything thou doest must be useful

   2)  Everything thou doest must be successful

   3)  Everything thou doest must be perfect

   4)  Everyone thou knowest must like thee

   5)  Thou must not prefer solitude to togetherness

   6)  Remember concentrated attention and keep it holy

   7)  Do not diverge from culturally imposed norms

   8)  Thou shat not express excessive emotional feeling

   9)  Thou shalt not be ambiguous

   10)  Thou shalt not rock the cultural boat

> As  highly disciplined person, I find myself following more of these intuitively, rather than realizing they may stunt my creativity, so for me, it helps open my mind and be more creative when I focus on a few of them to slack on.> What about you? Which of these things do you do? If you allow yourself some leeway, how does it affect your creativity?