Fireworks In Your Brain?

I went to a u-pick flower farm last week.  All guests were given a large cup to fill with enough flowers to make a bouquet.  The farmer had lovely rows of different kinds of flowers: dahlias, sunflowers, phlox and more.  There were patches of red, purple, orange and yellow flowers but I chose to assemble a muted bouquet of whites, creams and yellows.  I wandered the rows choosing flowers of the right color, shade, texture and height to construct a centerpiece for my kitchen table.  It was satisfying to create a beautiful work of art.

I’ve been thinking a lot about creativity lately.  It’s essential to my mental health.  The power of producing something from my imagination helps me stay in the moment.  I don’t worry about getting chores done or errands run or the stupid comment I made at work the other day.  I can be fully present to think about something new and wonderful that’s about to come to life.

Creativity also helps me solve problems.  I get up most mornings at 4:15 and spend 45 minutes writing in bed with a cup of coffee.  I journal about whatever’s on my mind.  Some days I write about a situation I’m trying to fix or a decision I’m trying to make.  I may be wrestling with an issue for days but something magical happens when I write about it - the answer arrives.  I’m not sure why, but it works about 90% of the time.

When we think about creativity we usually think about painting or drawing but there are a multitude of ways to be creative.  We can cook or bake, garden, brainstorm solutions to something that’s been nagging at us, plan a lesson, set a table, make music or jewelry, solve a puzzle, redecorate or write.  When I think about creativity I imagine a spot in our brains shooting off fireworks in all different directions, each one a concept or opportunity.  Then I imagine selecting a few of the sparks and sending them through a funnel to blend them together to make something more amazing, sort of an idea-generating machine.  What’s actually happening, according to an article by Kristen Weir with the American Psychological Association is that two parts of the brain, the cognitive control network responsible for planning and problem solving and the default mode network that helps us daydream, which rarely work together, actually are working together during the creative process.

Creativity can’t be rushed in my experience.  When I’m writing a poem for my Listener Poet program I meet with a client and soak up all the information they share.  I highlight some of my notes, then set them down for several hours.  I’ll know in the back of my mind that I’m trying to come up with a form and images for my poem.  Most importantly, I’ll trust the process.  I know an idea will come if I sit with it for a bit.  It’s spiritual for me.  I believe creativity comes from God and He will deliver if I trust.  An idea will often come to me when I least expect it, sort of like an aha! moment.  There are few things as satisfying.  Then it’s time to write a few drafts to play with the ideas.

James Clear, the author of “Atomic Habits,” emphasizes two important components of creativity.  The first is that creativity is a process and takes practice and determination.  We need to allow ourselves to produce a lot of junk before we hit the jackpot.  This leads to his second component, which is an ability to not let our practice pieces embarrass us.  In other words, we shouldn’t compare our first drafts to someone else’s final product.  Without mistakes, we don’t learn.  Besides, the process should be the fun part of creating.

Not long ago, I chatted with a patient at work who was unsatisfied with his life.  He was stuck being unhappy and couldn’t come up with a way out.  Staff and  doctors offered him many suggestions to escape his funk.  We discussed exercise, journaling, eating a healthier diet, watching funny movies, finding a new job, etc…  He met all suggestions with an “I’ve already tried that,” or a “No, that won’t work.”  His inability to come up with ideas was causing him a lot of despair.  It makes me wonder if part of his depression was caused by not feeling creative enough to generate ideas.  Many people, including Julia Cameron who is the author of “The Artist's Way,” believe that we are meant to be creative and that it’s essential to our happiness.  Similarly, I believe creativity gives us hope, the opposite of despair.

The Fourth of July is over but it’s always a good day for fireworks in your brain.  Do you have a creative outlet or would you like to find one?  There are a few resources below that might help you discover yours. I’d love to make this platform more interactive.  Take a moment to share what you do to enhance your creativity. You might get the creative process started for another reader.

Resources:

Happy Hills Flower Farm in Cashton, WI - the u-pick flower garden I visited

James Clear's Website - I highly recommend his weekly 3-2-1 Newsletter!

Julia Cameron, the Queen of Creativity

109 Creative Hobbies to Try