Are you naturally creative, but noticed that creativity hasn't surfaced for some time?
Do you now tend to complete tasks more by rote, and less by clever problem-solving?
Life may have gotten in the way of your superbly creative mind.
It's still there, it just needs a little coaxing to resurface.
Your creativity is impacted by your mood more than you may think.
In the 1970's, psychologist Alison Isen created an influential study, experimenting with how mood affects people's creativity.
Dividing a group of volunteers into two groups, Isen tasked all participants with the same creative problem to solve. The only difference was that group one was given a small gift, a box of treats, before facing their task.
Isen hypothesised that the treats would put participants in a better mood for the task at hand.
Interestingly, Isen discovered that those participants whose moods were improved by the treats were significantly more successful in solving the creative task.
It reinforces a simple truth we already know, but lose sight of whilst in the throes of day-to-day life.
A happier mood significantly boosts your ability to activate your creative cognitive function.
Do you have a big problem you need to solve? Got stuck in your home renovations? Not sure what colour tiles to choose? Can't figure out how to fix that business problem? Not sure how to mark your next big celebration? Don't know how to balance work, life, family, friends? Stuck for ideas in your next artistic endeavour? Perhaps a little mood lift will help you see things in a creative new light.
Recently, I've rediscovered a routine that is not only refilling my good-mood tank, it's igniting creative thinking. It's nothing groundbreaking or new, it's simply ditching my evening Netflix fix for a good book and a cup of tea on the couch.
Perhaps your good mood boost isn't a book and a cup of tea, but it's a long bath, a piece of delicious cake, a walk along the beach, a catch up with a ridiculous friend you adore. Or it may be even as simple as a small box of treats.
Whatever it is, it has to be good enough to disconnect from that task at hand, then push good fuel into your mood tank, and set you on the path of creativity.
And it's a cup of tea for me.
Indulge in life.
Rebecca Domorev
Co-founder, Tielka