Priming The Mind For Creativity
How a simple spiral and some fences can stop your mind from spinning and help you start creating.
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Priming The Mind For Creativity
Creativity is one of those elusive human experiences. Sometimes it’s there, sometimes you’re left in a frustrated mess where the ideas don’t flow.
Think back to one of those times. Nothing. Nothing pops into your head. Frustration builds and you begin to stress. “I put aside this one hour to get these ideas out and nothing is happening and I need to pick the kids up in a minute, and and and….”
Stop.
Stop stressing about it and read this post!
Below I set out my formula for maximising the chances of having a good creative session
Whether it be a workshop with your colleagues or an individual session at home for your next newsletter post.
But before you read on, never go into a session NEEDING for it to succeed. This is too much pressure on the creative mind. You need to relax and that starts with reducing the expectation on yourself and your team. Sometimes the ideas just aren’t ready to come out into the big wide world.
The three techniques I discuss below can be used for all kinds of creative sessions. Report writing, strategy sessions, brainstorms and workshops.
Ok, let’s dive in.
1. Priming the Mind With A Spiral
The first stage is to get mind in the correct state. This technique is one I’ve been using for a while at the start of each brainstorm or creative writing session.
It really does work. But first, a quick warning. Either explain to those around you what you’re doing or go somewhere private. You will probably get questions! Or, better still, get everyone in your team doing it at the start of the session! They’ll think you’re crazy but send them the link to this post and all will be come clear to them.
It works on a similar theory to why you get the best ideas in the shower. You are linking a physical experience to a mindful activity, which starts to fire your mind into action.
So what do you need to do to make this work?
Take a blank piece of paper and a pen. Set a timer for 2 minutes. Start to draw a spiral.
Begin the centre, working outwards letting your mind guide the pen. Try not to think about where the pen will go next.
You’ll begin to feel your mind relax. Thoughts might start to flow but keep going until the full 2 minutes are up.
When the buzzer goes off. Stop. Your mind is primed.
Here is my effort ahead of a workshop this week.
What do you reckon? Maybe there’s a hidden message in there somewhere? Any psychologists out there who can interpret this!
2. Constraining the Mind
With the mind nicely primed and the different parts of the brain now starting to fire we need to constrain the mind to ensure focus.
It may sound strange to begin a creative session by constraining the mind but this is exactly what you need to do to prevent overwhelm. The mind will quickly go off in all directions leaving you wondering what you’re there for in the first place.
You simply won’t know where to start and the mind will become blocked.
To constrain the mind we need to build some fences around our session. The best thing you can do at the start of your creative session or workshop is define the output you’re looking for and write that down - nice and clear for all to see.
It might be that you are looking to create ideas for a new website. Or work up ideas for a new product based around some market research you’ve conducted. Or it could be for a newsletter post around a specific subject you’ve been considering for a while.
The key here is to be as specific as possible about the output you are trying to produce.
By constraining the mind you can free it to work within these parameters. This will prevent writers block and you’ll find the ideas will flow.
3. Mapping the thoughts
You’ve probably tried mind maps at various points in your life. I hope you’ve managed to make them work for you but they aren’t for everyone.
For me, I know my brain doesn’t work in a linear way. This makes writing reports or even newsletter posts difficult. My mind jumps all over the place. I have an idea about this and then that and then this again. Each idea could appear to me in a random way.
If your brain works like this too, you need way of bring order.
Mind maps can do this for you.
I’m sure there are many different ways to use mind maps but this is the method that works for me.
I am very lucky to have an iPad and Apple Pencil (well, I actually lost my Apple Pencil and now use a cheap knock off, which is just as good by the way!). It doesn’t need to be an iPad though. A blank piece of paper and a set of coloured pens will work just as well - better in fact if you find the iPad too distracting!
As thoughts come to you write them out and draw circles around them.
If an associated thought comes to you write that down and link the two together with a line.
If a totally different thought comes to you write that somewhere else on the page.
Keep going until you have exhausted all your thoughts.
Now step away for 5 mins and then come back to your mind map.
Take a different pen colour and begin to explore each of the idea areas you’ve started to build. You will probably see links between some of the areas - draw lines between them and expand the ideas where you can. At this stage I often start to see a logical order - especially if i’m writing a newsletter post.
If you see an order you can start to number each of the areas. This then starts to form a linear structure for you what you are looking to create.
From this point on you can begin to write.
I am confident that you will be able to create a much more coherent output having gone through these steps.
Give these a try and let me know what you think.
What works for you?
Do you have a method for creating that allows your mind to wander?
How do you tame your ideas so that you can build into something tangible you can share?
Please let us know in the comments below.
Check out these great Substacks
- alternative ways of looking at the world. - helping your mental health. - brilliant writing from a life well travelled. - writing about life and how to live it better.What to read next
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These are great suggestions, Martin thank you! I need to try these. I have always thought of myself and just not a creative person and sometimes still do. But recently I think I realized I was just too constantly distracted. Everytime I walk I have something playing in my ears. Every car ride I have the radio on 100% of the time. Many times when I sit, within 60 seconds I’ll pull out something to read or my phone to pass time. I’ve tried much more consciously lately to walk with no headphones and sitting quietly to spark my mind. Whenever I’m stuck writing, I’ll be sure to use some of your tips!
I'm gonna try this spiral thing!!!
I'll keep you posted.