Some people come up with new ideas in the shower. Others keep notepads on the nightstand so they can jot down dream-inspired brainstorms. The athletes I know tell me they mentally chew on problems while they’re swimming laps or running miles. Albert Einstein said he envisioned his theory of relativity while riding his bicycle.
Me? I do my best thinking at the long end of the leash. I’ve always had breakthroughs when I’m out for a walk with the dog, first with our beloved Wrigley and now with our dear Peroni (both goofy terrier mixes, if you’re interested).
For the past 15 years, as my writing career and pet ownership coincided, I’ve discovered that I can crack the toughest assignments if I get away from the keyboard and get out the leash. Inspiration invariably strikes when I’m out pounding the pavement with the pup. Briskly walking to the park or to our little town square is when I find the cranial real-estate to tackle a problem or think through a worry. I’ve mentally drafted posts for my food blog, writes4food.com. I’ve developed recipe ideas, cracked tough client projects and sketched out presentations while cruising the neighborhood, Peroni in the lead. In fact, I’ve come to view our daily lunchtime walk as billable time.
making time for creativity to happen
There’s a common thread among these different places or times when we come up with new ideas seemingly at random—in the shower, in the pool, on a walk. First, we’re away from our desks. Which means we’re away from the project at hand, there’s no empty page or blank screen staring at us. There’s no pressure to create immediately.
Second, our minds are on something else. The problem we need to solve is tucked somewhere deep in the cerebellum, but it’s not in the forefront of our thoughts. As we circle back to it when our brains are more at ease, that’s when we tend to find solutions.
Third, there’s a physical element to the mix. Your body’s occupied and your brain’s occupied—on your breathing, or on watching the dog lunge after a squirrel—and you’re able to think more clearly. My friend, designer and avid cyclist Luke Mysse, says he routinely pulls to the side of the road and uses his iPhone’s Voice Memo app to record ideas that hit while he’s riding.
learn more
The Neuroscience of Imagination: Aerobic Exercise Stimulates Creative Thinking
In his post on Psychology Today’s “The Athlete’s Way” blog, Christopher Bergland writes about how the nearly “mindless” state that athletes get into during, say, a long run can facilitate creative breakthroughs. Fascinating stuff.
Superfluidity: Peak Performance Beyond the State of Flow
Another excellent Bergland post from “The Athlete’s Way,” this one describes the physical and mental aspects of ‘flow’—that state when you lose yourself in what you’re doing.
share your ideas for making creativity happen
So, what are you likely to be doing when inspiration strikes? Please share your best tips for staying inspired here!