Finding Random Treasures
It’s electrifying when disparate areas of life come together unexpectedly. I had one of those pleasant shocks recently. I took a writing workshop with David Perell. He hosts The Write of Passage. I’m not ready to jump in, but the workshop was a great introduction. David suggests gathering ideas from life as the foundation for writing.
I was skeptical. Who finds ideas to write about randomly? Who has time for that? Then came the Aha!
As a coach I have a special interest in the brain’s machinery. This amazing organ consumes enormous amounts of energy. Conserving mental energy is as important as conserving any other resource. Just like your time or money.
One way to conserve energy is to work with your brain. The brain is very good at finding what it is looking for. Especially if you are not trying. That’s what hit me. David is right. There are interesting topics all around us. We just need to relax to see them.
Creativity materializes naturally when we’re not thinking so hard. The prefrontal cortex (PFC) shines at linear processes. It flops at creativity. We have all gotten insights while the PFC is quiet. In the shower. Walking. Being in nature. Insights easily arise at those times.
When the brain is primed, creativity flows more freely. David’s comment primed me. He suggested we find writing material in life. With that prime, my brain queried life without effort. First I focused on my internal world: “How am I going to find ideas to write about? David is driving me crazy!” Creativity froze. Then I began looking outward. My attention was subtly attracted to outcomes. My brain started picking up the ideas that were rolling all round me.
This is can be helpful for leaders and for life generally. It’s impossible to look for solutions and at problems at the same time. Quiet the noise in your brain. Let insight flow. Prime your brain to look for solutions. Then get out of the way.