When life stifles the brain, make a creative turnaround

Published by Ryan Paugh on October 25th, 2007 in Career Development, Productivity | 10 Comments

Ever since moving to Madison, WI to start working on the business, I've been hitting brick wall after brick wall with my personal creativity. I guess the culture shock of moving halfway across the United States is enough to get anyone a little sidetracked.

Still, it's frustrating. My lack of creative spunk was so evident in my posts that when I told myself, "Wow, that really sucked," I was just being nice. My writing was really much worse.

A few days ago, I accepted the fact that I was in a rut. I'm hoping it was the beginning of my turnaround.

"What made my brain work so much better back in Jersey?" I asked myself. What do I need to infuse back into my life to re-ignite my spark?"

This is what I came up with…

Train your body, feed your mind

If you look good, you feel good. No surprise there, right? But, there are bigger advantages to working out than just physique.

Exercise is a natural high. It increases blood-flow to the brain and releases endorphins (nature's "happy pill") into the bloodstream. The result is a happier, more focused you.

Working out has also been known to "quiet the mind." For instance, when I go to the gym, I allow my business anxieties to temporarily fade. It allows for a bit of imaginative meandering that I usually wouldn't get in the midst of busy work.

Speaking of busy work, you know that numbing down of the brain that you sometimes get when you're buried in papers? Exercise reinvigorates your brain by enhancing its nerve connections.

Write things down, but don't use a pen

"A-ha" moments don't transpire with timing in mind. If you're not prepared to record your brilliant ideas they'll likely get lost.

My whole life people have lectured me about carrying a notebook to record my thoughts. The only problem is I hate having a lot of "stuff" in my pockets. So I work with what I got.

A cell phone is the perfect instrument for keeping paper-free notes. Most brands and models have a notepad feature. Use it to keep your ideas safe and your pockets light.

And what about those ideas that emerge from the things you see? A billboard, a t-shirt, or a poster can all flick the switch on a great idea of your own. Break out your camera phone and put it to good use. Lord knows, the last time I used mine was probably to take an incriminating photo of one of my friends.

"A lot of creativity is random," says Michael Michalko, author of Cracking Creativity. "The thing is, when you start recording all your thoughts and ideas, they start to combine with each other. Combination synthesis is the core of all creativity."

Be prepared for your random moments of genius. Take advantage of the simple tools technology offers to make it happen.

Read everything (and I mean EVERYTHING)

Books, blogs, newspapers, magazines – read them all and read them A LOT. But don't ignore the great things that come in small packages.

Great ideas can live in the midst of 500 pages of pure text or under the bottle cap of a glass bottle of Snapple. Don't overlook the sporadic reading you do over the course of the day just because it seems a bit trite. At any point of any day, somewhere in our sight, there's something to read. Ask yourself why it's there. Who wants me to read this? Why?

Being in the midst of design management for our new company, I think a lot about the way things looks. Don't neglect the way messages are displayed. It's just as important as the message itself.

Stay in Motion – Newton's First Law

"An object at rest tends to stay at rest, an object in motion tends to stay in motion…unless acted upon by an unbalanced force."

-Newton's First Law of Motion

Naturally, the human mind is a bit more complex than physical science. But in terms of the idea I'm trying to get across, Newton's right on the money.

If I want to have a productive day, doing work in just one place doesn't cut it. Eventually, the distractions of any environment will take hold and throw your inertia all out of whack.

I keep my brain in motion by periodically changing environments. This assures that any "unbalanced forces" (aka distractions) can only affect me in limited ways.

In a nutshell, anyone dependent on their own creativity to make things happen has a steady antagonist looming over them. If you want to come out on top, you need to arm yourself with some fierce weaponry.

Hopefully, my arsenal will help prepare you to hammer down your distracters, but you're the only one who knows what'll really work for you. So take note of the circumstances that surround you at the peak of creativity. Learn to embrace those circumstances and you'll rarely find yourself in the situation I found myself in during the past few weeks.

Leave your thoughts here. (10 responses)

This article´s comments All Employee Evolution comments

Sam Davidson

Oct 25th, 2007 at 6:50 am

Staying creative is a very hard thing to do, but always worth it. Here are my ideas on how to do it. Thanks for this post.

Brad

Oct 25th, 2007 at 7:56 am

Ryan,

As far as writing things down when you're away from a notepad or a computer, you should really check out http://www.jott.com/ its a free web service that you can call or text notes and reminders into and it saves them for you in written form. You can even do things like make blog posts on wordpress by calling into it.

Andy

Oct 25th, 2007 at 9:40 am

It is a scientific fact that the drinking water in Jersey has creative juices flowing in it, amongst other things.

As far as other ways to stay creative, one is to break routine every now and then. Something as simple as taking a different route to work in the morning can make your brain adapt and stay active.

holly

Oct 25th, 2007 at 10:15 am

All great ideas. The only thing is, how do I change my environment when I work in an office at a computer?

Ryan Paugh

Oct 25th, 2007 at 10:52 am

Holly,

I guess that's the real problem with the traditional office setting. It's really up to your company to evolve that environment (I wrote about a few ways here).

But as a former cubicle dweller I can tell you that there are a few things you can do:

1: Take walks – I was lucky enough to work in a building that was literally in the middle of a forest. So I took some great walks. But if you're not so lucky, just walk around the building, down the road, wherever…it's just a great way to clear your mind.

2: Do work in the cafeteria – Sometimes I would bring my laptop to the cafe because I just liked being around people and motion. It helped me work better. So I'd take my normal lunch break, then stay a little longer to do some work. As long as your boss is cool, it should be no problem.

3: Don't become isolated – Get up and talk to your co-workers as often as you can. It's important for so many reasons.

Kristen

Oct 25th, 2007 at 4:37 pm

"Ask yourself why it's there. Who wants me to read this? Why?" (applause) Probably the most interesting part of your article. Congrats on breaking through the block. Thank God, too, I was beginning to worry i'd have to find another source of regular writing on my generation & its problems.

Read an article earlier today you might find interesting.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/03/02/opinion/meyer/main1361868_page2.shtml

Maggi

Oct 25th, 2007 at 6:00 pm

Here in southern CA, in the midst of wildfires and so much news, conversation, worries, unfamiliar activities, etc. I'm reminded that there is no creativity (or concentration) when there is no opportunity to even rest. Maybe you've just been too busy, distracted, and preoccupied since your move, Ryan.

Jackie

Oct 26th, 2007 at 3:38 pm

Sometimes going out to breakfast before work does wonders for me and breaks up any monotony I may feel suffocated by. It feels like taking ownership of your life (especially as a young professional), where instead of waking up and rushing to the office, you go to your favorite coffee shop and savor (rather than gulp) your coffee and have a muffin (my hands-down food for thought).