A study developed in the University of Greifswald in Germany by Dr. Martin Lotze analysed the brain activity of writers, athletes, and musicians, and found some interesting similarities among them. As a consequence, it led to conclusions regarding how creativity happens in the brain.
To draw his conclusions, Dr. Lotze had to face the challenge of getting people to write while they were in the fMRI scanners. As they couldn’t use a keyboard, he customised a writing desk on which they could rest their arm and write on a piece of paper. Then, the volunteers had to copy a few paragraphs at first, and later, continue a story with their own ideas.
During his observations, Dr. Lotze noticed that different regions of the brain became active depending on the task. The creative process woke up areas connected to visual processing as if they were seeing the story happening in their minds. And when they started editing, the hippocampus was called into action so to retrieve information.
On the other hand, when the same experiment was replicated with professional writers, the active areas of the brain were distinct. In this scenario, the regions connected to the speech were highlighted, as if the writer was working based on an inner voice. The caudate nucleus, one of the areas responsible for coordinating automated tasks, was also in action, proving their experience with the craft.
Practical tips on how to boost your creativity and productivity
Although Dr. Lotze’s research been the source of strong criticism from his colleagues due to its methods, it is just one of many studies that deal with how the brain works while we write creatively.
And many of them have come up with valuable suggestions on how you can use neuroscience to increase your writing creativity and productivity, such as the examples below:
Use binaural beats (or any white noise)
Put your headphones to try this one – and ignore this tip if you have any condition that can lead to seizures. Binaural beats are a result of two nearly similar frequencies which are played in each ear, creating a third frequency in your mind as a consequence – if one of your ears is hearing 200 Hz and the other one 220Kz, your brain will process it and deliver a 20Hz frequency, for instance.
Some studies defend that this difference in the frequency can trick our brainwaves to work faster, increasing our productivity. And while more research is needed, the general idea that sounds can have a positive effect on your productivity is almost a consensus among the scientific community. So you can try some binaural beats (you will find plenty of them on YouTube), or maybe just some white noise.
Just forget about songs. It is believed that the lyrics can create an unnecessary distraction, as your brain will try to make sense of it. So instead of directing all the language-related areas of the brain to your writing, they will be decoding the song. So always prefer instrumental music.
Look for dopamine and distraction (or why we have our best ideas in the shower)
Dopamine seems to play a crucial role when it comes to increasing our creativity. And this neurotransmitter is often released when we are doing pleasant and relaxing activities, such as having a shower or exercising.
But some researchers believe that it is all about distraction itself. That the fact that we aren’t focus on urgent or stressful matters allows our minds to deal with information that was in the back scene until that moment and to bring it to the surface – and this is when you get that brilliant idea, apparently out of nowhere.
So, yes, you should also have a notebook or a voice recorder with you, even in the shower. You never know when dopamine will trigger a cascade of events capable of firing your creativity up.
Do some writing
Several studies indicate that writing is good to improve creativity and productivity. Even if you are just writing a journal, or doing it for fun, the habit of expressing your dreams, ideas, and aspirations, can help you to develop from critical thinking to imagination.
Sleep more and better
It is also defended by neuroscientists that is during our sleep that our brain has a chance to process everything it collected and experienced during the day. It will try to make sense of everything, achieve what seems useful and relevant to the future, and erase the rest.
The brain will also build connections between new and old information, so to make it easier to access in case of need. And it is those connections that can draw to a conclusion, generating new ideas and insights.
As you can see, less you sleep, less time your brain will have to get this task done. And if you sleep long hours but with poor quality, it also doesn’t help either, as your mind needs peace to re-wire itself. So try to make the most of your sleeping time and make a point of preparing yourself to go to bed with a quiet mind – you can try some meditation or writing a journal, for example.
Feed your brain
If you want that your brain works at an optimal level, you need to feed it well. It requires several nutrients to maintain their engines’ activities and to produce serotonin and dopamine so to keep you creative and sharp.
The first step here is to have a balanced breakfast, full of healthy carbs and proteins. Blueberries, also known as “brainberries”, along with oily fish, is another thing that you should always have in your kitchen.
Add to your shopping list tomatoes, vitamin B, blackcurrant, pumpkin seeds, broccoli, sage, and nuts, so to make sure that your brain will get everything it needs to set you up for your writing process.
The bottom line
Neuroscience has a lot to say regarding creativity and productivity. Even though their mechanism is not fully understood, especially when it comes to creativity, several studies are indicating how we can use resources to improve brain activity.
As you know, creativity and productivity are essential to anyone who wants to take writing as a career. A professional writer has deadlines to meet like anyone else, and the fear of writer’s block is probably their worst nightmare.
So start putting those recommendations above into practice. They will give you a fresh start in the morning and help your mind to offer you all resources that you need throughout the day.
Rick Riddle is an up-and-coming blogger whose articles aim to help readers with e-learning, blogging, entrepreneurship, career, self-development and digital marketing. Feel free to connect with Rick on twitter and LinkedIn.