I don’t do ruts. Not because I’m some brilliant creative, but because I’ve learned how my brain works. Your brain needs fuel, and it needs to be stretched to create those “OMG!” moments on demand. Think about it. Great athletes train their bodies for days, weeks, and years to whip them into peak performance. Why, then, wouldn’t a creator do the same with their brain? I’ve spent more than two decades (and counting) in the advertising industry, and contrary to popular belief, creativity isn’t inherent. You have to hone it. Over time, I’ve figured out what I need to do to get ideas flowing freely, and a lot of that insight comes from my interest in neuroscience. The more we learn about the workings of our gray matter, the better we can train it, control it, and make it do what we want. Here a few things that have worked for me over the years. Engage with nature It’s been proven that spending time in nature makes us more creative. Looking at trees and leaves — instead of our electronic devices — reduces our anxiety, lowers our heart rates, soothes us, and allows our brains to make connections more easily. By spending time in nature, I’m not referring to a trek in the wilderness either. Walking in an urban green space for just 25 minutes can quiet our brains and help us switch into autopilot node. According to the British Journal of Sports Medicine, this state sparks our present awareness and fuels imagination. We are more easily able to connect existing notions, thoughts, and images to form a new, relevant, and useable concept. So make disconnecting a priority. Take a walk in your neighborhood park, stroll along the beach, or just add plants to your balcony and spend some time out there. For me, walking my dog — even when my name is not on the family schedule — works. You’ll feel the benefits of moving away from screens almost immediately. Meditate I know, I know, you’ve heard this a million times: Meditation clears our minds of jumbled thoughts, and gives our brains the space to observe and reflect, improving task concentration and enhancing our ability to make smart decisions. But did you know that meditation also puts the entire brain to work? You may have heard that creativity uses your right brain while your left brain is triggered during more analytical tasks. Well, neuroscientists have found that creativity actually draws on your entire brain — and meditation can you give you access to it. This intentional practice can be as simple as closing your eyes and focusing on your breath. Headspace, the popular meditation app, even has guided meditations for inspiring creativity. The idea is that when we intentionally pause in awareness, we allow our minds the freedom and space to be still and creative. I practice this between meetings. I find a quiet space, focus on my breathing, and get my brain into an alpha state, or a wakeful state of relaxation. This allows me to disconnect from my initial ideas (after all, the human brain is hardwired to take the path of least resistance) and create new pathways in my mind. Get moving Steve Jobs was a big advocate for walking meetings for a reason. Moving around has been linked to increased performance on creative tests. Exercising releases endorphins — chemicals our bodies produce to relieve stress and pain. When we are less stressed, our brains venture into more fruitful territory. In fact, a recent article compared the chemical that our brain releases during physical activity to Miracle-Gro, the water-soluble plant food that helps grow bigger, healthier plants. The good part is moving around is super simple to do, especially when you’re working at home. I often attend meetings while cycling on a stationary bike or plan short walks in between (and this can be done in an office too). Try to add workout time on your calendar and make sure not to skip it. If you feel you don’t have time for a dedicated workout, block 20 minutes on your calendar and spend that time doing stretches at your desk. Find a routine that works for you. Connect with different kinds of people When consciously seeking inspiration, not enough can be said about diversity. Remember the brain and its predisposition to take the lazy way out? Diversity makes the brain work harder by challenging stereotypes. In addition, researchers at Johns Hopkins University found that “exposure to diversity experiences might foster the development of more complex forms of thought, including the ability to think critically.” I make it a point to surround myself with people who come from different backgrounds than I do because their perspectives are a catalyst for creative thinking. Contrasting opinions sparks new possibilities, and allow us to make connections we hadn’t seen before, leading to better decisions. There was something to be said about Abraham Lincoln filling his cabinet with a “team of rivals.” Productive discussions, brainstorms, and debates often result in wiser outcomes. At my agency, we’ve set up an “inspiration council,” which brings together our people from various regions, cultures, genders, and more, to initiate these kind of discussions. Today, the distributed working model born out of the pandemic has made it even easier to bring people together. I recommend using social media channels like LinkedIn and Instagram to follow and connect with people who have backgrounds and experiences that diverge from your own. Don’t limit yourself by geography when you’re reaching out to someone or expanding your network. We are much better at creative problem-solving when we don’t have the comfort of knowing what to expect, which can happen if we only surround ourselves with people just like us. Use these principles of neuroscience to give your brain the exercise that it needs. It will get you out of any rut. Or prevent you from getting into one in the first place.
