Walk, Scrub, Shower!
By: Marilyn Flower
Tags: Neuroscience, Productivity, Writing, Art, Creativity

“We must actively, consciously, consistently, and creatively nurture our artist selves.”

― Julia Cameron, The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity

Are you like me? You get some of your very best ideas in the shower. You swear you will remember them — they’re that good. And then you get busy with life. Finally, you settle down to capture your brainstorm. Maybe it’s a catchy headline or blogging topic. But you draw a blank. Where the F- did it go?

According to Julia Cameron, author of The Artist’s Way, and others who study such things, when we’re doing repetitive actions that don’t require a lot of concentration, like walking, washing dishes, showering, gardening, etc., our brain is relaxed and free to roam.

Neuroscientists who study the brain have found that exercise not only strengthens muscles and other body functions, but it generates new neurons and neural connections in the brain. Athlete and coach Christopher Bergland interviewed scientists on this topic for Psychology Today:

Although there is some controversy and debate on the best ways to improve fluid intelligence, common sense would suggest that non-academic pursuits — including aerobic exercise — are key to improving not only cognition but someone’s long-term success in life. I have written a wide range of Psychology Today blog posts that link — physical activity, playing a musical instrument, making art, improving motor skills, and getting a good night’s sleep — with optimizing brain function and improving cognitive abilities.

Here’s my over-simplified take on it: When our brain is not needed for a specific task, it’s free to roam. Anywhere — through the fields of memories, scanning and reviewing some of the over-stimulating content it’s been fed non-stop with no time to process: snippets from ads, phone calls, videos, Twitter, etc.

Our brains love to make connections and solve puzzles.

What if? is a great question for a brain — harvesting the fruit of those new neural connections. What if this character from this book met up with that character from that book? (Great idea, but make sure the characters are in public domain first!!!)

And brainstorming! Our brains love to make lists. I do this on my Iphone’s microphone feature while out on my nightly sunset walk.

Talking into my Notes app, I’ll brainstorm headlines for possible articles — the more ridiculous, the better, as that gets the juices flowing. This is how I do my pitch idea homework for my satire class. (Yes, while a lot of it comes naturally, taking a class from Second City sure helps me develop whatever gifts I may have in this area!)

Or topics for articles and book ideas for BYOB — Blog your own Book. Or who to reach out to for such and such. Or even a to-do list I hadn’t time to write yet.

Get into your groove.

My theory is it’s the rhythm of these activities that make them so productive. Swimming is one that helped me solve plot glitches. Cameron recommends it as well as the more meditative knitting, for that reason among others.

Once when I was stuck with a plotting quandary in my novel, a solution popped into my head absolutely unbidden while swimming laps at the Y. I was trying to get my hero’s wife to do his dirty work, and she wasn’t having it.

The a-ha came when his youngest son popped into my head while doing the crawl. Perfect foil. Too young to know any better. Meanwhile, forcing my brain to come up with a solution usually doesn’t work. When I try that, the ole gray matter likes to rebel!

Bergland also validates these experiences in Psychology Today:

Most often, creative solutions are not wrestled from your mind through sheer force of will. Eureka moments tend to occur spontaneously, almost always when the conscious mind is thinking of something else, or nothing at all.

Build some of these activities into your day.

Because you need a clean house or at least a clean kitchen. Because you need a clean body. And a healthy one. And you need a break from the left brain non-stop push, push, push.

It’s your health and sanity, and creative input all rolled into one. But don’t stress or force it. Be relaxed. Take deep breaths, allow it to come. Put on your dictaphone, and just start talking, like how morning pages work.

Sooner or later, the ideas just come. Welcome them and corral them. Don’t judge; you never know when it will prove just the perfect fit. As Kevin Costner was told in the film Field of Dreams, “Build it, and they will come!”

Try it for yourself. Do let us know how this goes for you!!!