Ultimately your experience of the world is reflected in the many billions of electro-chemical changes that occur continuously in your endocrine system, your immune system and your nervous system. It is known that the various substances we consume can have a profound impact on the way in which we experience the world. Make it your business to understand how common foodstuffs, drinks and drugs impact your moods and your creative abilities. Coffee is an example of how commonly available substances can impact your work; the ‘lift’ you get from coffee actually comes from the ‘fight or flight’ response -that cappucino has made you feel more awake by stimulating your body to produce adrenaline. Adrenaline is classified as a neurotransmitter and can often express itself as paranoia, angst and fear – emotions not useful if you want to create a creative space. Many people certainly do change their outlook on life after they contain a coffee habit. However, coffee is useful for certain kinds of thinking such as thinking in process (making sure all the ducks are in a row) and when there is an important deadline that can’t be missed. Coffee is probably least useful when you want to create new associations and metaphors and to build vision – best performed when relaxed, laid back, chilled, playful, happy and close as possible to the creative space of the child.
Research has shown that even simple foodstuffs can have a profound impact on thinking, often days after consumption. More and more evidence is coming to light that suggests that the junk foods are particularly bad if you want to experience a creative space so watch the lunchtime takeaways.
Primate Creativity A lot of time has spent by psychologists studying Primates (or is it the other way around?) and the way they go about solving banana acquisition problems in the lab. In a typical experiment, all the bits and pieces necessary to solve the problem are available in the cage but it is only when the monkey has exhausted every possibility and thrown temper tantrums followed by a ‘giving up’ on the problem does the ape seem to have a flash of inspiration allowing it to acquire the banana. This has some important ideas for humans striving to be creative as follows:
describe the problem you have play with the parts of the problem – the operative word is play, so don’t be serious here. Serious problems are not solved with serious thinking. What other language can you use to articulate the problem? Can you change your point of view? leave the problem & do something else. Trust that inspiration will come.
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