Creativity is a phenomenon whereby something new and somehow valuable is formed. As the popular saying goes; “90% perspiration, and 10% inspiration”. We can identify mind exercises to generate a perfect environment for more and better ideas to emerge.

Creativity has to do with an internal disposition, but also with the environment. How does this work? What happens chemically in our brains when we create something?

According to Robert E. Franken, journalist and motivational speaker

Franken also describes three reasons for creativity:

1. You Need something new, diverse and complex to stimulate you.
2. You need to communicate ideas and values (Yours or your companie’s).
3. You need to solve problems and situations.

The need of recognizing and generating ideas to solve our inherent needs is a topic which has been studied for centuries. So far science hasn’t really found what happens in our brain when we are creating something. As magical as it happens it remains as mysterious to us as in the beginning of the equation.

There is a misconception that the brain is divided in two hemispheres that play important roles but are divided in “The logic side and the creative side”,  everything to do with logic analysis is confined to one side of the brain, and everything to do with being creative is confined to the opposite side.

In studies conducted in the University of Utah where the team examined brain scans of participants ages 7 to 29 while they were resting. There was interesting new data that refutes the myth of Left vs. Right.

Dr. Jeff Anderson, director of the FMRI Neurosurgical Mapping Service at the University of Utah:

“The team looked at the activity of 7,000 brain regions, and examined neural connections within and between these regions. Although they saw pockets of heavy neural traffic in certain key regions, on average, both sides of the brain were essentially equal in their neural networks and connectivity”

Read more about this here.

The partial truth is that Our brain is connected, and thoughts are processed in different styles by our mighty brain creating something amazing every time!

The paradigm of being Right Brain thinker or Left Brain thinker has more to do with attitude than brain processes. Time to light that bulb!

Studies say that the amount of good and bad ideas is almost proportional… you just have to be clever selecting the best one! ;)

Light, music, comfort. Take a deep breath constantly. Let your body connect with your mind before starting to think.

Creating an environment suitable for idea generation does not need to be extra ordinary. Try to find a comfort space that makes you calm and at ease. If you are at work, meditation and visualization can help to find a space in your own mind that can be suitable for ideas and creativity.

It attacks you whenever and wherever! You can strengthen the links from creativity to feasibility by taking notes.

There are several apps that can help you in the process. Procrastination is the fierce enemy of creativity and productivity.

Try searching productivity apps or keep a notepad for your ideas at hand.  Moodboards are a great way to keep the brain juices flowing too!

When it comes to being creative our brain can work as a muscle and you need to exercise it.

Movies, documentaries, books, comics, doodling, mind games, role playing, crafts,  theater, nature walks, daydreaming, visualization, sports and  meditation are great ways to train and relax your brain and explore it beyond your own limits.

Try to have a clearer perspective of what has already be done in your field and take the best ideas to improve them.

Starting from zero is harder than searching for references and inspiration and remember that a copy never looks as good as the original, so don’t loose time replicating ideas and use that creative energy exploring a new approach!