How Creative Incubation Helps Your Brain Solve Challenging Problems
By: Colton Tanner Casados-Medve
Tags: Creativity, Growth Hacking, Neuroscience, Self Improvement, Productivity

Have you ever worked on a puzzle or attempted to solve a problem to the point of frustration, only to step away for a while, take a break, and have the solution seemingly “pop up” out of nowhere?

Chances are, you’ve probably had this experience at least once in life, even if it was only in regards to something trivial — such as a video game task or a minor problem at the home or office.

The world has taken to calling such moments “Aha!” moments, and recent research suggests that rather than being a phenomenon exclusive to “creative geniuses,” anyone can take steps to improve the likelihood that they will have these experiences.

For the purposes of this piece, I’m interested in elaborating upon the process of “creative incubation,” which is when we give our brain time to process what it has learned — away from the hard work we put in to actually “feed” it information.

“Aha!” moments usually arise after a period of incubation, when our brain has been given sufficient idle time to work on a problem below the surface of conscious attention, where subconscious neural processes dominate.

The tendency for our brains to discover solutions when our conscious awareness is diverted from the problem we’re trying to solve has long confounded researchers and laypersons alike.

How could it be that we solve a puzzle without “trying” to solve it?

Surely, the more rational side of ourselves would posit that we need to work out each and every step of a solution linearly (as we would a math problem) until we arrive at the correct solution.

Yet that’s not always what happens — even in the logical domain of math.

Sometimes, a difficult problem confounds even the most skilled mathematician, in which case a solution pops into her head only after she takes some time away from the whiteboard.

Because of this, our culture has tended to shroud its geniuses under a cloak of mystery. Unfortunately, this had led many to believe that the same processes that happen in their brains can’t happen in their own.

Because of its mysterious quality, incubation has often been thought the most creative part of the entire process. The conscious sequences can be analyzed, to a certain extent, by the rules of logic and rationality. But what happens in the “dark” spaces defies ordinary analysis and evokes the original mystery shrouding the work of genius: One feels almost the need to turn to mysticism, to invoke the voice of the Muse as an explanation. — Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

Modern research, however, is demystifying this process — if only a little bit.

We now know that both the more conscious, linear approach toward solving problems and the more nonlinear, subconscious element is necessary when it comes to working through difficult problems.

Creative incubation is a factor in the latter element — the subconscious.

But it’s necessary for me to stop right here and make one, essential clarification: there are no short-cuts or easy methods of becoming a more creative individual or a better problem solver.

The brain is a miraculous organ, one that modern science has still barely scratched the surface of when it comes to understanding its connection-making abilities.

Even so, the only way to enhance our creativity and tackle difficult problems is through rigorous practice — we cannot rely on idle time or the brain’s subconscious processes alone.

In other words, while it is true that our brains have an undiscovered potential, without our conscious effort to unlock that potential, we will remain stagnant.

It might be accurate to say that the “trying” is as important as the “not trying.”

The mathematician discovers the solution to a challenging problem only after having made the attempt to solve it at the whiteboard — and after the hours and even years of work required to learn the language of mathematics.

Likewise, it is difficult to imagine anyone creating their own song using a guitar without first putting in the necessary hours it takes to master the motions needed to play the notes on the instrument with grace and precision.

In the same way, the brain — for as marvelous as it is — only gives in proportion to what it is given, by way of the time we set aside for learning new knowledge and practicing its practical applications.

In other words, for creative incubation to take place, we need to supply our brain with a whole lot of dots that it can form connections between.

Otherwise, idle time is just idle time — there isn’t necessarily anything productive to be gained from it.

That being said, anyone interested in practicing self-improvement, learning a new skill, or becoming a better problem-solver at home or in the workplace should be encouraged by the insights offered by recent research into the nature of creativity and how the brain produces it.

It’s no longer necessary to sell ourselves short under the belief that we simply aren’t “intelligent” enough to discover the limits of our own creative potential.

We may or may not make a huge impact on the world by becoming creative, but we can certainly make a huge impact on our own lives.

So, how can we ensure that we strike the right balance between conscious effort and subconscious idle time?

Well, it helps to think about the importance of rest, relaxation, and taking breaks, even as one strives to maximize their productivity.

In our culture, we have tended to value the idea of the workaholic — someone who prizes work above all else and looks down on leisure time.

In the long run, however, denying ourselves leisure time actually hampers our creativity and problem-solving abilities.

You’ll know this is true if you think back to a time you tried for hours on end to solve a difficult problem — such as fixing a household appliance, car, or something of that nature — to the point where your brain felt like mush.

I’ve experienced that several times over the course of my life in relation to troubleshooting computer issues or school-related problems.

At some point, we actually become less productive and more likely to make mistakes or go around in circles without ever making any progress on the task at hand.

It’s when we feel to begin that way that it’s time to take a break.

Simply being aware of the importance of rest and relaxation — as well as society’s imbalanced work culture — is enough to start getting ourselves back in touch with our more creative sides by allowing our brain the time it needs to process information and events.

Although it sounds like something a workaholic would do, it can be helpful to think of rest time as being worthy of its own spot on our schedules.

Setting aside a few hours a week to simply do nothing, or enjoy some passive entertainment — such as Netflix or scrolling through social media — isn’t a bad thing provided said time is used intelligently to make our self-improvement practice more holistic.

Better yet, we could take breaks by doing activities that are less passive yet still considered “leisurely” — such as playing a musical instrument.

As long as we enjoy the activity such that it feels like a break from what we consider to be “work,” then it can be considered idle time.

Then who knows?

Maybe you’ll start having more “Aha!” moments yourself!

Just remember to always have healthy expectations.

As Mihaly points out, the more significant the problem we are trying the solve, the more conscious work we will need to put in to give our brain enough material with which to produce a solution.

How long a period of incubation is needed varies depending on the nature of the problem. It may range from a few hours to several weeks and even longer. — Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

Fixing a minor computer glitch is one thing, figuring out a coherent, testable theory of quantum gravity is quite another.

The former might require that we only take a fifteen-minute break to rest up before going back at it, whereas the latter might take a person’s entire lifetime in conjunction with the lifetimes of several other people who have worked on the same problem.

One thing is clear, however.

In order to “exercise” our creativity, we need to make sure that our conscious efforts to solve problems and produce novel ideas are balanced with ample leisure time in which our brain’s subconscious neural activities can work on the same problem “beneath the surface” so to speak.

So when thinking about our self-improvement/productivity journeys, we need to value both dedicated learning and practice, as well as the leisure time our brain needs to form new connections.

If you ask me, that’s the best of both worlds!

I think few people want all of their time to feel “leisurely.” On the flip side, most people don’t want their entire lives to feel like “work.”

Luckily for us, creativity dwells between these seemingly opposed poles.

We have only to shift between them.