Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn’t really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while. That’s because they were able to connect experiences they’ve had and synthesize new things.
~ Steve Jobs
I always thought that since I couldn’t paint, draw, write great literary works or compose masterpieces of music that I wasn’t creative. I’ve since discovered that there are many ways to be creative, including problem solving, cooking, organizing, planning and humor. But is there a way to boost creativity for those of us who feel we need it? A recent study says yes – by practicing mindfulness.
~ Steve Jobs
I always thought that since I couldn’t paint, draw, write great literary works or compose masterpieces of music that I wasn’t creative. I’ve since discovered that there are many ways to be creative, including problem solving, cooking, organizing, planning and humor. But is there a way to boost creativity for those of us who feel we need it? A recent study says yes – by practicing mindfulness.
Researchers tested a mindfulness-based intervention called Integrative Body-Mind Training (IBMT). It was developed by Yi-Yuan Tang of Dalian University of Technology, and has its roots in traditional Chinese medicine. IBMT encourages attaining a restful, alert state while not attempting to control thoughts. The study took forty undergraduate students with no experience in meditation and randomly assigned them to either an IBMT group or to a simple relaxation training group. They each spent 30 minutes a day for 7 days practicing their respective technique. Measures of creativity as well as levels of both positive and negative emotions were taken before and after the training.
Prior to the mindfulness and relaxation practice, there was no significant difference in creativity levels or positive and negative emotions between the two groups. Afterwards however, the mindfulness based group had measurable improvements in creativity, increased positive feelings, and decreased negative emotions. These changes were not found in the relaxation training group. The improved positive feelings are important because boosting mood can lead to more global thinking, allowing connections between unusual ideas. Negative emotions such as sadness and anxiety can restrict creativity and flexible thinking.
So what does this mean for us? Taking time each day, preferably 30 minutes, to engage in some type of mindfulness meditation can raise your creativity. Being fully present in each moment connects us to our senses and heightens our overall awareness. If you’re feeling pressured to create, take a time out to relax and boost your mood with a walk or funny cat video (there are plenty!) Then when you go to bake that pie, make a business plan, or create a masterpiece, you can call on your heightened awareness and good mood to bring your creativity to the next level.
Source:
Ding, Xiaoqian, et al. "Improving creativity performance by short-term meditation." Behavioral and Brain Functions 10 (2014): 9. Psychology Collection. Web. 30 July 2014.
Document URL
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA362889600&v=2.1&u=22410_sppl&it=r&p=PPPC&sw=w&asid=33b3530ec35091f36cb025343cfa1c4b
Image credit: http://brotherswhim.com/5-ways-to-boost-your-creativity
Prior to the mindfulness and relaxation practice, there was no significant difference in creativity levels or positive and negative emotions between the two groups. Afterwards however, the mindfulness based group had measurable improvements in creativity, increased positive feelings, and decreased negative emotions. These changes were not found in the relaxation training group. The improved positive feelings are important because boosting mood can lead to more global thinking, allowing connections between unusual ideas. Negative emotions such as sadness and anxiety can restrict creativity and flexible thinking.
So what does this mean for us? Taking time each day, preferably 30 minutes, to engage in some type of mindfulness meditation can raise your creativity. Being fully present in each moment connects us to our senses and heightens our overall awareness. If you’re feeling pressured to create, take a time out to relax and boost your mood with a walk or funny cat video (there are plenty!) Then when you go to bake that pie, make a business plan, or create a masterpiece, you can call on your heightened awareness and good mood to bring your creativity to the next level.
Source:
Ding, Xiaoqian, et al. "Improving creativity performance by short-term meditation." Behavioral and Brain Functions 10 (2014): 9. Psychology Collection. Web. 30 July 2014.
Document URL
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA362889600&v=2.1&u=22410_sppl&it=r&p=PPPC&sw=w&asid=33b3530ec35091f36cb025343cfa1c4b
Image credit: http://brotherswhim.com/5-ways-to-boost-your-creativity
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