In this video, I’m going to bust the biggest myths about creativity and tell you why you have the innate ability to be creative and use it to help you in business, in your personal life and in creating more happiness in your life in general! Plus, I’ll tell you one simple technique to boost your creative thinking.
What Is Creativity?
So what is creativity anyways, when people say wow that person is a creative genius! what do they mean?
Creativity is the ability to create something novel, something new, that has to be original and unexpected. It also has to be valuable in some way, if not to everyone, at least to a certain group of people. It also has to avoid stereotyped ideas, or if it’s something that solves a problem, it must avoid stereotyped solutions because then it isn’t novel and original!
Creativity is also about solving a problem or creating something new and unexpected within believed or perceived constraints. It’s not just for artists and writers. In fact the ability to think creatively is essential for best success in business, especially if you are an entrepreneur. It is also key to helping you keep healthy relationships because if you can brainstorm creatively to solve problems in your personal life too, there will be less friction and stress and you will ultimately be happier!
The Brain Science Behind Creativity
So, back to the brain science behind creativity. Scientists used to believe that creativity was an individual difference, like hair color: some people were born more creative, just like some people are born with brown hair. However, now we understand through modern brain imaging that during creative states, creativity is actually a brief state and it can happen in everyone given the right tools, situation and environment.
So that means we are ALL creative but most of us don’t access that state on a regular basis, due to being stuck in the linear thinking process of busy, stressful modern life. In fact, the biggest creativity killer is low grade chronic stress and being over scheduled. A stressed brain is NOT a creative brain, the two brain states are incompatible because different brain areas get lit up under chronic stress vs. creative states.
Technique For Creative Thinking: Yoga Nidra
So the most important first step to getting more creative is carving out 10-20 minutes a day for a brain relaxation practice to start training your brain out of stress overload mode and into a state compatible with creativity. It really helps if this practice involves imagery and body relaxation together and for this reason, Yoga Nidra audio recordings are the best and easiest tool to help you get there.
Yoga nidra is a special practice from India that combines relaxation, positive suggestion and imagery and can be done by listening to a recording in a quiet relaxed place each day. The bonus to doing this each day is not only will you feel more creative, you’ll also start to sleep better and have more energy during the day to cope with stresses that do pop up so they don’t derail your day!
I’ll be giving a talk all about creativity and the brain at Hubud Co-working Space in Bali, Indonesia THIS THURSDAY 12-1pm. Those in attendance will get the chance to sign up for a MASSIVELY discounted Brain Mapping session at Yoga Brain Lab HQ for a chance to understand creativity levels in your own brain!