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TOOL:BlockstoCreativity

Introduction

Blockstocreativityisaproblemeveryoneatsometimeintheirlifefaces.Sometimescreativitycanbeelusive,thatcreativeblockagecanbefrustrating,itcanholdtheindividualbackinlife.Howoftenistheexpression“Iamnotcreative”usedasanexcuse.Peoplearenotborneithercreativeornotcreative,weareallhavecreativity,butforsomeitisblocked.Fearoffailureisoftenabigblocktocreativityasisperfectionism.Themoreoneseeksperfectionthemoreoneislesslikelytotakerisksandthemorelikelytoprocrastinate,whichinturnwillrestrictanindividual’screativityandinnovation.

Thesessionaimstohelplearnersunderstandtheirblockstocreativityandlearntochallengethem.

Thesessionisbasedaroundthefunactivityofmaking,testingandmodifyingpaperairplanes,butthroughthissimpleexerciselearnersstarttoexploreandreflectontheirblockstocreativity.

Learnersareencouragedtoidentifytheirblockstocreativityandconsiderstrategiestodealwithcreativeblocksinthefuture.

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BlockstocreativityTrainer’sdeliveryplan

SessionAim(s): Learningmaterials:• Awarenessoncreativityblocks

o Discoverblockstocreativityo Challengeattitudesandperceptionsaround

creativityo Self-awareness

-ColouredsheetsofA4paper(*numberofparticipants)-Maskingtape-WhitesheetsofA4paperandpensorpencils(*numberofparticipants)

Expectedlearningoutcomes:

DifferentiatedLearningOutcomes: Differentiationachievedthrough:

• Understandtheimportanceofattitudes,perceptionsandmythsaroundcreativity

• Identifyblockstocreativity• Identifyenvironmental,

cultural,perceptualandemotionalblockstocreativity

• Understandandidentifydifferencesbetweencreativityanddishonesty

• ChallengingBlockstocreativity

• Self-reflection• Self-knowledge• Increaseawarenessonthe

importanceofcommunication• Teamworking

-Groupdynamics-Teamwork-Interactivediscussion-Criticalthinking-Discussion/debate

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Timings KeyContent TrainerActivity LearnerActivity Resources 15minutes Trainingsessionkick-off Trainerintroductionand

groupintroductionSessionbriefframework

Learnersintroductiontothegroup

60minutes A-PaperairplaneindividualactivityEachparticipantwillhave2piecesofA4whitepaperCreateastartlineandafinishingline(1,5m),pensorpencilswillstayathandbutarenotgiven,tocheck/reflectonatthedebateB-PaperairplaneteamactivityincludingbuildingandracingpaperairplanesSplitparticipantsintoequalgroupsof4or5pergroup,giveeachgroup10sheetsofA4papers(EachgroupgetsadifferentcolourofA4papersheets)

*Trainerexplanationonworksession:Objectives,rulesmainactivitiesandtiming.A-Rulestosettheindividualactivity:Eachpersonhas2piecesofA4whitepaper,pensorpencilswillstayathandbutarenotgiven.Trainerwillexplain:•Youwillhave5minutestobuildyourairplane(s),markitandthenoneatatimegetit(them)acrossthefinish(taped)line•Thewinningpersonsarethosewhogetthepaperairplanesacrossthefinishline

Inateamcompetitiongettopassthefinishlinewiththemoreairplanes

-Pensorpencils-WhitesheetsofA4paper-ColouredsheetsofA4paper-Maskingtape

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Usethemaskingtapetocreateastartlinewhereallgroupswillneedtostandbehindandafinishline(Distancebetweenthestartandfinishlinesis1,5fortheindividualactivityandto2Metersfortheteamactivity)

B-Rulestosetthegroupactivity:•Eachteamhasadifferentcolourpaper•Youwillhave3minutestostrategizewithoutyourpaper•Youwillhave5minutestobuildyourairplanesandgetthemacrossthefinishline(thatwassetfurthertheninthepreviousgame)•Thewinningteamwillgetthemostpaperairplanesacrossthetapedline

60minutes Debate starts by reviewingthe activity(ies) itself andthengoontowhattheyhavelearnt about blocks tocreativity.

•Howdidpeople feel aboutthis activity?Was itmore orless difficult than they hadfirst imagined? What werethemost difficult aspects, orthe most difficult things todealwith?• Did people learn anythingnew about blocks to

PromotethediscussiononwhatweretheblocksiftherewereWhichstrategieswereusedtosolvetheproblemHowdideachindividualmarkedtheirplanes,ifwithapenorpencil,whynotinadifferentway?Explorewaysofmarkinganobject(drawingonit,namingit,cuttingapieceinaspecific

ParticipateatthedebateIdentifyblockstocreativitythatwereinplaceIdentifyotherblockstocreativityRaiseself-awarenessonindividualblockstocreativity

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creativity? Were theysurprised that they actuallyknewmorethantheythoughttheydid?• Were there similarities anddifferences in the differentperformances?

• Were there anyfundamental disagreementsover the idea of building anairplane within the group?Howweretheseresolved?•Basedontheperformances,whatdoparticipantsthinkarethe most common blocks tocreativity?

shape…rememberthatlogosaremarks…“brandingandcreativity”Individualorteamwork–benefits/inhibits?UseoftheBlockstoCreativityPowerPointeithertosummarizeorinducethedebate

15minutes Trainingsessionassessment Supportlearnersifneeded Trainerandlearnersevaluationquestionnaires

Trainersnotes:*Trainermaydecidetodobothactivities(individualandteam)andjusttheteamactivity.Ifbotharedeliveredtrainermustlookondebatingwiththegroupthedifferencebetweenthetwoactivities,whichonewaseasierandwhy,theimportanceoffollowingstrictlynotonlytherulesbutalsothebestindividualperformancediditinfluenceonteamactivityallowingimprovement,rememberingthatcreativityoccursalsoonperfectingpastperformances;searchforotherblockstocreativitythatmayhavebeenpresent.

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Themainobjectiveofbothactivitiesistoallowatimetoreflectonwhatinhibitscreativity,individuallyandasagroup.

Eventhough,inthedynamicsproposed,therearetoofewrules,theperformancesusuallyshowthatwetendtostickveryclosetotherules,maketoomanyassumptions,donotstoptoanalysetheproblemfromdifferentperspectivestofinddifferentandpossiblewaysofsolvingit,whichgreatlyhindersourabilitytothinkcreativelyandcomeupwithnew,“outoftheboxsolutions”tosolveproblems,alsobecausepeoplethinkthatwecan’tdoit,aren’ttalentedenoughorrisktobecriticisedbyothers…

Discussion&Debrief:

Whenrunningtheteamactivity,mostgroupsdonotusethe3minutestobuildagoodstrategyandbrainstormpossiblewaystomakethelargestnumberofairplanesoutoftheir10sheetsofpaperandmakesuretheycanflytheshortdistancefromthestarttothefinishline,socommunicationamongthegroupisforgotten,insteadtheyrushtogettotheconstructionphaseandmostofthegroupsspendthe5minutestheygetforconstructiontocreateasmanypaperairplanes(airplaneswithwingsandtail)andtheresultisusuallythatmostoftheairplanesdonotmakeittothefinishlinebecausethedesignsareusuallynotveryaerodynamic.Whentheteamactivityoccursafteranindividualchallenge,copyingtheairplanethatwasthe“best”tendstohappenwithoutastrategicallylookonwhatelsecanedone

Blocksthatpreventusfromthinkingcreatively:

1. Justdoingitwithoutanysituationanalysis(problemanalysis)2. TryingtoFindthe“Right”Answer3. Believingyouaren’tcreative4. Makingassumptions5. Followingtherulestoostrictly(totheletter)6. Beingserious7. Avoidingrisks8. Beingwrongisbad9. Alwaysstayingwithyourroutines/habits10. Thinkingthereisonlyonesolution11. Makingjudgmentstooquickly

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Ifweapplytheblockstowhathappened,askthegroupswhatassumptionsdidtheymakeandwhatrulesdidtheysticktothatcausedthemtodesigntheairplanesthewaytheydid?

Despitehavingveryfewrulesinthisactivity,mostgroupswillstickverystrictly(literally)totherules,theywillmostlyassumethatanairplanemusthavewingsandtailtobecalledanairplane,whiletheycanbemorecreativeandsimplyjustcrumpleeachsheetofpaperintoaballthatbecomesheavierandcallthatanewdesignorafuturisticairplaneandtheneach"Airplane"willbeheavierinweightanditwillbeveryeasyforthemtoflyorthrowthemoverthefinishline.

Anotherpossibilityistocreatetheairplanesandputthemtogetherinonestackwitharubberbandsothatthecombinedweightofallthepaperairplaneswillensuretheywillpassthefinishline.

Orsimplyputalltheplanesononeoftheofficechairswithwheelsandsimplypushachairfromthestarttothefinishlineensuringalltheirplanespassedthefinishlinesafely.

Seemoreonbuildingairplanesintheappendix“Funpaperairplanes”

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MOREONBLOCKSTOCREATIVITY:

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Fromfire“discovery”to…microwaveoven,atleastfromonemillionyearsago…creativityhasbeenthesourceofdevelopment!

Need,passion,resilience,lookingtodifferentpossibilities,makingunconventionalconnections,opennesstoexperiencearesomeoftheingredientstogenerate:

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CulturalBlocks

Ø TaboosØ Desiretoconformaccordingthenorm:

• “Wedon’tthinkoractthatway!”• “Ourwayofdoingthingsistherightway!”• “Werespectourtraditions”• “Winningteamshouldn’thavechanges!”

Ø Limitingbeliefs• Problemsareonlysolvedbyscienceandmoney• Reason,logicandstatisticsknowitall• It’snotpolitetobetooinquisitive• It’snotwisetodoubteverything• Toeachproblemthereisonlyonesolution• Fantasyisawasteoftime,lazyandevencrazy

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PerceptualBlocks

Ø Linkedwithproblem’sanalysis• Difficultyinlocatingtheproblem• Narrowingtheproblemtoomuch• Difficultyonseeingtheproblemfromdifferentperspectives(viewpoints)• Difficultyondefiningterms• Failuretouseallsenses• Difficultyinseeingremoterelationships• Failuretosee/investigatetheobvious• Overemphasisonpastexperiences• Failuretodistinguishbetweencauseandeffect• Over-generalization

EmotionalBlocks

• Fearofmakingamistake,ofrisktaking,offailing• Grabbingthefirstideathatappears• Securitydesire• Fearofdistrustofothers• Fearoflookingfoolishorridiculous• Preferenceofjudgingideasinsteadofgeneratingthem

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• Rigidityofthinking• Refusaltotakedetourinreachinggoals• Lackofdriveinputtingsolutionstowork

Organization/EnvironmentalBlocks

Ø Externalfactorsthatresultfromenvironmentandororganizationconditionssuchas:• Distractions–mobile,interruptions,noises…• Oppressiveatmosphere• Unsafeenvironment• Unpleasantatmosphere• Lackofcooperation&trustamongpeople

Summarizing:

Someblockstocreativityareinducedbytheenvironmentortheorganization.Forexample,dresscodesandstrictofficesatworkareallsubtlesignalsthatremindusthatwemustconform,eveninourthinking.Forsomepeoplethisatmospherecanbeobstructive.

Manyotherblockscomefromotherpeople.Wearehighlysocialcreaturesandeventhethoughtthatacompletestrangermayfindusridiculousisenoughtomakemostofuscloseinononeself.Peopleis,generally,competitiveandjudgemental,soevaluatingothersandtheirideasiseasy,evenwhenweareawareoftheinhibitioneffectitwillhaveonthem.So,communication,thewayyousayorhearandunderstandwhatihappensaroundmaybecameablocktocreativity.

Thefinalandworstsourceofcreativeblocksis-oneself.That’sthelittlevoiceinsidethatwarnsusofthedangersofunconventionalthought,whichalthoughdifferenthastobeethicalandnotconnectedwiththedarksideofcreativity(dishonesty).Blockstocreativity,mostly,comefromourpastexperiencesandareprogrammedinsinceearlyages.Wearealltaughttofollowtherules,belogicalandtodothingsastheyhavebeendone,toleaveinasafeandconformedway(insidethecomfortzone).Parents,teachersandpeershaveallhelpedustobuildsomepowerfulpsychologicalblockstokeepusontrackwithsociallyacceptedrules.

Inashortwording:ALLBLOCKSTOCREATIVITYAREINTERNAL,althoughpeopleandthingsarounduscanmakeiteasierorhardertogetintoacreativemindset.

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Creativityasanyhumanactbaresethicallimitstobefollowednotcreatively!

Waystokillideas-Creativityarticles-www.creatingminds.org

Theremay,asPaulSimonsung,befortywaystoleaveyourlover,butthereareevenmorewaystokillanew-bornidea.Herearejustafew.Youcanprobablyfillintherest.

IgnoreitSaynothing.Pretendthatitwasnotsaid.Letitdieinsilence.Mostpeoplecantakethishintthattheyhavesaidsomethingthatisnotwanted.

CriticizeitSayhowbadanideaitis.Showyourselftobeanexpertinsuchthingsandthatthepersonofferingtheideaisnotanexpertandhenceunabletoofferanyideaofanyuse.

FaintpraiseDamnitwithfaintpraise.Sayhowveryinterestingitis.Orhowitmightjustwork(withthewindinrightdirection).Andbyimplicationhowuselessitis.

LaughatitSmirk,giggle,laughandchortle.Sayhowfunnytheideais.Thiswillbeveryeffectiveatpreventinganyoneelsetakingitseriously.

AnalyseitAsksearchingquestionsaboutit.Ofcourse,asasimpleidea,thepersonofferingitwillnothavethoughtitthrough.Ifyouprobefarandfastenough,youcantiethemupinknots.Thenjustleaveithanging,likethelawyerwhohasjustcrucifiedawitness.

TrieditSayhowtheideahasbeentriedbeforeandfoundtobecompletelyineffectual.Indoingso,youshowhowthepersoninquestionisonlygoodatcomingupwithideasthatareofpoorqualityandareoldhat.

CompetewithitComeupwithabetterideathatshowstheideatobenotthatgood.Asthenewideaisyours,youcaneithernowgetthecreditordropitquietlyasithasdoneitsjob.

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ChangeitTakeuptheideaenthusiasticallyandadjustitsothatitisnolongerrecognizable.As

ShootthemessengerInsteadofattackingtheidea,haveagoatthepersonbringingitup.Tellthemthattheyarenogoodatcreatingideas.Thattheyshouldnotbeofferingsuchthoughtshere.Particularlyeffectiveatputtingoffotherpeoplefromofferingideas.

GiveittoacommitteeThisisthedeathkissforalmostanyidea.Ensurethecommitteeismadeupofpeoplewhowillargueordelayandendupwithnothinginparticularbeingcreated.

‘Makingthesimplecomplicatediscommonplace;makingthecomplicatedsimple,awesomelysimple,that’screativity.’

Availableresources:

AllCreativeTools–www.creatingminds.org

Hereareallcreativetoolsinalphabeticorder:

• AbsenceThinking:Thinkaboutwhatisnotthere.

• AdoptionChecklist:Achecklistofwhatleadstoadoption.

• Artstreaming:Keepcreatinguntilyougetthroughtheblocks.

• AssumptionBusting:Surfacingandchallengingunconsciousassumptions.

• AttributeListing:Listingattributesofobjectsandthenchallengingthem.

• Brainstorming:theclassiccreativemethodforgroups.

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• Braindrawing:Goodforreticentgroups.

• Brainmapping:Combiningbrainwritingandmind-mapping.

• Brainwriting:Groupdoodlingfornon-verbalstimulation.

• Breakdown:Carefuldecompositiontoexplorethewholesystem.

• CATWOE:Achecklistforthinkingaboutproblemsandsolutions.

• Challenge:Challengeanypartoftheproblem.

• ChangingMinds:Theultimatepersuasionwebsite.

• Chunking:Takeahigherormoredetailedview.

• ConceptScreening:Comparingoptionsagainstabaselinebenchmark.

• ContextMap:Mappingtheoverallproblemdomain.

• CrawfordSlipMethod:Gettingideasfromalargeaudience.

• ADayInTheLifeOf...:Seeingthingsastheyareexperienced.

• DelphiMethod:Exploreideasorgainconsensuswithremotegroup.

• DiffusionLifecycle:Spreadingideasonegroupatatime.

• Doodling:Letyoursubconsciousdothedrawing.

• Essence:Lookingelsewherewhilstretainingessentialqualities.

• ForcedConflict:Usingconflicttostimulatethesubconscious.

• Force-fieldAnalysis:Exploringforcesforandagainstanidea.

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• GuidedImagery:Lettingyoursubconsciousgiveyouamessage.

• Head,HeartandHands:Getallthreesystemsofmotivationengaged.

• TheHundredDollarTest:Howwillyouspend$100onyourideas?

• How-HowDiagram:Breakdownproblembyasking'how'.

• Howto:Framestatementsas'Howto'totriggerfocusedthinking.

• Incubation:Lettingthesubconsciousdothework.

• Is−Isnot:Toscopeoutboundaryofproblems.

• TheKiplingmethod(5W1H):asksimplequestionsforgreatanswers.

• Lateralthinking:Thinkingsidewaystocreatenewideas.

• LotusBlossom:Unfoldtheflowerofextendedideas.

• Mind-mapping:Hierarchicalbreakdownandexploration.

• Modeling:Fortheartistineveryone.

• MomentofTruth(MoT)Analysis:Findingvulnerablecustomermoments.

• MorphologicalAnalysis:Forcingcombinationsofattributevalues.

• NegativeSelection:Sortoutthe'definitelynots'first.

• NominalGroupTechnique:Gettingideaswithminimalpersonalinteraction.

• NUFTest:CheckideaisNew,UsefulandFeasible.

• Pause:Thinkmoredeeplyforaminute.

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• PINCFilter:Evaluateprosandconsofideas.

• Positives,Negatives:Lookatbothproblemsandbenefits.

• Post-Up:BrainstormingwithPost-ItNotes.

• ProblemStatement:Gettingaclearstatementofwhatyouaretryingtoachieve.

• Provocation:Shakeupthesessionbygoingoff-piste.

• PSI:Problem+Stimulus=Idea!

• Purposing:Findingtherealpurposeofwhatyouaredoing.

• RandomWords:Usingarandomwordasastimulus.

• Remembrance:Rememberingsolutionsnotyetdiscovered.

• Reversal:Lookingattheproblembackwards.

• ReverseBrainstorming:Seekfirsttopreventyourproblemfromhappening.

• ReversePlanning:Workingbackwardsfromaperfectfuture.

• Rightbraining:Combineincompletedoodlesaroundtheproblem.

• Role-play:Becomeotherpeople.Letthemsolvetheproblem.

• Rubber-ducking:Getsomeoneelsetolistentoyourtalk.

• SCAMPER:Usingactionverbsasstimuli.

• SixThinkingHats:Thinkcomfortablyindifferentwaysabouttheproblem.

• Storyboarding:Creatingavisualstorytoexploreorexplain.

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• Swapsort:Sortingashortlistbypriorityswapping.

• Takeabreak:Whencreativityisfading.

• Talkstreaming:Justtalkandtalkandtalkuntilyouunblock.

• TRIZContradictionAnalysis:Usemethodsalreadyusedinmanypatents.

• Unfolding:Graduallyunfoldingtherealproblemfromtheoutside.

• ValueAnalysis:Deepanalysisofwheretruevalueiscreated.

• Visioning:Creatingamotivatingviewofthefuture.

• Voting:Democraticcastingofvotesforthebestidea.

• Whynot?:Challengeobjectionsandassumptions.

• Wishing:Stateideasaswishestoexpandthinking.

• Writestreaming:Writeandwriteandwriteuntilyouunblock.

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SomestudiesonCreativity

Unexpectedbrainstructurestiedtocreativity,andtostiflingitDate:May28,2015Source:StanfordUniversityMedicalCenterSummary:Asurprisinglinkhasbeenfoundbetweencreativeproblem-solvingandheightenedactivityinthecerebellum,astructurelocatedinthebackofthebrainandmoretypicallythoughtofasthebody'smovement-coordinationcenter.

InvestigatorsatStanfordUniversityhavefoundasurprisinglinkbetweencreativeproblem-solvingandheightenedactivityinthecerebellum,astructurelocatedinthebackofthebrainandmoretypicallythoughtofasthebody'smovement-coordinationcenter.

Indesigningthestudy,theresearchersdrewinspirationfromthegamePictionary.

Thecerebellum,traditionallyviewedasthebrain'spractice-makes-perfect,movement-controlcenter,hasn'tbeenpreviouslyrecognizedascriticaltocreativity.Thenewstudy,acollaborationbetweentheSchoolofMedicineandStanford'sHassoPlattnerInstituteofDesign,commonlyknownasthed.school,isthefirsttofinddirectevidencethatthisbrainregionisinvolvedinthecreativeprocess.

"Ourfindingsrepresentanadvanceinourknowledgeofthebrain-basedphysiologyofcreativity,"saidthestudy'sseniorauthor,AllanReiss,MD,professorofradiologyandofpsychiatryandbehavioralsciences.

Thestudy,tobepublishedMay28inScientificReports,alsosuggeststhatshiftingthebrain'shigher-level,executive-controlcentersintohighergearimpairs,ratherthanenhances,creativity.

"Wefoundthatactivationofthebrain'sexecutive-controlcenters--thepartsofthebrainthatenableyoutoplan,organizeandmanageyouractivities--isnegativelyassociatedwithcreativetaskperformance,"saidReiss,whoholdstheHowardC.RobbinsProfessorshipinPsychiatryandtheBehavioralSciences.

"Creativityisanincrediblyvaluedhumanattributeineverysinglehumanendeavor,beitworkorplay,"hecontinued."Inart,scienceandbusiness,creativityistheenginethatdrivesprogress.Asapracticingpsychiatrist,Ievenseeitsimportancetointerpersonalrelationships.Peoplewhocanthinkcreativelyandflexiblyfrequentlyhavethebestoutcomes."

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Thecollaborationbeganabout3½yearsagowhenGraceHawthorne,MFA,MBA,aconsultingassociateprofessoratthed.schoolwhoteachesadesign-thinkingskillscoursecalled"CreativeGym,"andoneofherstudentsapproachedReiss,whohaspreviouslystudiedhumorandotherhigher-levelcognitivefunctions.Theyaskedifhecouldobjectivelymeasurecreativity,thebettertoconfirmthatHawthorne'scoursecanenhanceit.

"Wedidn'tknowthatmuchabouthowtodothat,"Reisssaid."Sowedecidedtodesignastudythatwouldgiveusbaselineinformationoncreativity'sunderlyingneurophysiologicalprocesses."

Howdoyoumeasurecreativity?

Asmuchascreativitymaybeindemand,it'snotsoeasytomeasure.Atleast25or30previousstudies,mostlyofprofessionallycreativepeoplesuchasjazzmusiciansandEmmyAwardwinners,havetriedtolookatneuralcorrelatesofcreativity,saidthestudy'sleadauthor,ManishSaggar,PhD,aninstructorinpsychiatryandamemberoftheteachingteamattheschool.

"Everybodywantstothinkcreatively,"Saggarsaid."Buthowdoyougetsomebodytoactuallydothatoncommand?Forcingpeopletothinkcreativelymayactuallyhampercreativity."

Theproblemisexacerbatedbythefactthatsubjects'brainprocessesaremonitoredwhilethey'reconfinedinsideadark,crampedMRIchamber.Thisenvironmentisnotexactlythefirstplacethatcomestomindwhenyou'rethinkingaboutplaceswherecreativitycanflower,Saggarsaid.

"Creativityhastobemeasuredinafunenvironment,"hesaid."Otherwise,you'reboundtohaveanxietyandperformanceissues."

SaggarcameupwiththeideaofborrowinganapproachfromPictionary,agameinwhichplayerstrytoconveyawordthroughdrawingtohelptheirteammatesguesswhatthewordis.Heselectedactionwordslike"vote,""exhaust"and"salute."Thenhe,Reissandtheircolleaguesseriallytested14menand16womeninanMRIchamber,recordingactivitythroughouttheirbrainsviafunctionalMRIscanswhiletheydreweitherawordor,forcomparison,azigzagline,whichrequiredinitiationandfine-motorcontrolbutnotmuchcreativity.Participantsweregiven30secondsperword,longenoughforadecentscanbutshortenoughtoelicitspontaneousimprovisationandstaveoffboredom.

"Wedidn'ttellanyone,'Becreative!'Wejusttoldthem,'Drawtheword,'"Reisssaid.

ThedrawingswerecapturedonaspecialMRI-safeelectronictabletdesignedbystudyco-authorRobertDougherty,PhD,researchdirectorattheStanfordCenterforCognitiveandNeurobiologicalImaging.ThedrawingswerethensenttoHawthorneandAdamRoyalty,aresearcheratthed.schoolandco-authorofthestudy.HawthorneandRoyaltyseparatelyratedthedrawingsonfive-pointscalesofappropriateness--diditdepictwhatitwassupposedto?--andcreativity--howmanyelementswereinthedrawing?Howelaboratewasit?Howoriginal?

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WhentheyemergedfromtheMRIchamber,subjectswereaskedtoratethewordsthey'dbeenaskedtodrawforrelativedifficulty.Increasingsubjectivedifficultyofdrawingawordcorrelatedwithincreasedactivityintheleftprefrontalcortex,anexecutive-functioncenterinvolvedinattentionandevaluation.Buthighcreativityscoreslaterassignedbytheraterswereassociatedwithlowactivityintheexecutive-functioncenter.Highercreativityscoreswereassociatedwithhigheractivationinthecerebellum.

Onanalysis,anumberofbrainareasweremoreactivewhensubjectswereengagedindrawingwordsthanwhentheyweredrawingzigzaglines.Peakactivationoccurredinthecerebellumandregionsofthecortexknowntobeinvolvedincoordinatingmotorcontroloractingasavisualsketchpad.Thelatterregions'involvementindetaileddrawingwasn'tparticularlysurprising.

'Themoreyouthinkaboutit,themoreyoumessitup'

Buttheheightenedactivityinthecerebellumwasunexpected,aswasitsassociationwithhighcreativityscoressubsequentlyassignedbytheraters.Inmonkeys,thisbrainregionhasbeenfoundtobeespeciallyactiveinlearningandpracticingnewmovements.

Butthosemonkeyfindingsmayhavethrownresearchersoff,Saggarsaid.Newerstudiesshowthat,unlikethemonkeycerebellum,thehumancerebellumhasrobustconnectionsnotonlytothemotorcortex,thebrain'shighermovement-controlcenter,buttotheotherpartsofthecortexaswell.

"Anatomicaland,now,functionalevidencepointtothecerebellumasdoingmuchmorethansimplycoordinationofmovement,"Saggarsaid.

Heandhiscolleaguesspeculatethatthecerebellummaybeabletomodelallnewtypesofbehaviorasthemorefrontallylocatedcorticalregionsmakeinitialattemptstoacquirethosebehaviors.Thecerebellumthentakesoverand,inaniterativeandsubconsciousmanner,perfectsthebehavior,relievingthecorticalareasofthatburdenandfreeingthemupfornewchallenges.

"It'slikelythatthecerebellumisthecoordinationcenterfortherestofbrain,allowingotherregionstobemoreefficient,"saidReiss.

"Asourstudyalsoshows,sometimesadeliberateattempttobecreativemaynotbethebestwaytooptimizeyourcreativity,"hesaid."Whilegreaterefforttoproducecreativeoutcomesinvolvesmoreactivityofexecutive-controlregions,youactuallymayhavetoreduceactivityinthoseregionsinordertoachievecreativeoutcomes."

Saggarputitmorebluntly."Themoreyouthinkaboutit,themoreyoumessitup,"hesaid.

StanfordUniversityMedicalCenter."Unexpectedbrainstructurestiedtocreativity,andtostiflingit."ScienceDaily.ScienceDaily,28May2015.<www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/05/150528084158.htm

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ScientistssearchforsourceofcreativityDate:March5,2012Source:UniversityofSouthernCaliforniaSummary:Researchersareworkingtopindowntheexactsourceofcreativityinthebrain--andhavefoundthatthelefthemisphereofyourbrain,thoughttobethelogicandmathportion,actuallyplaysacriticalroleincreativethinking.Ittakestwototango.Twohemispheresofyourbrain,thatis.USCresearchersareworkingtopindowntheexactsourceofcreativityinthebrainandhavefoundthatthelefthemisphereofyourbrain,thoughttobethelogicandmathportion,actuallyplaysacriticalroleincreativethinking.

"Wewanttoknowhowcreativityworksinthebrain?"saidLisaAziz-Zadeh,assistantprofessorofneuroscienceattheUSCDornsifeCollegeofLetters,ArtsandSciences.

Ifyoupaintorsculpt,youmaythinkofyourselfasright-brained.Therighthemisphereofyourbrainoftenisthoughttobethecreativehalf,whiletheleftisthoughttobetherational,logicalside.

ButanewstudyfromateamledbyAziz-Zadehdemonstratedthatwhiletherighthalfofyourbrainperformsthebulkoftheheavyliftingwhenyou'rebeingcreative,itdoescallforhelpfromthelefthalfofyournoggin.

Thestudy,whichfocusesonhowthebraintacklesvisualcreativetasks,supportspreviousfindingsabouthowthebrainhandlesmusicalimprovisation.

Co-authoredbyUSCgraduatestudentSook-LeiLiewandUSCundergraduateFrancescoDandekar,thestudywaspostedonlinelastmonthinSocialCognitiveandAffectiveNeuroscience.

"Weneedbothhemispheresforcreativeprocessing,"Aziz-Zadehsaid.

TheUSCscholarandherteamusedfunctionalmagneticresonanceimaging(fMRI)toscanthebrainsofarchitecturestudents,whotendtobevisuallycreative.

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Whilebeingscanned,thesubjectswereshownthreeshapes:acircle,aCandan8.Theythenwereaskedtovisualizeimagesthatcouldbemadebyrearrangingthoseshapes--forexample,aface(withthe8onitssidetobecometheeyes,theConitssidetobecomethesmilingmouthandthecircleinthecenterasthenose).

Thestudentsalsowereaskedtosimplytrytopiecethreegeometricshapestogetherwiththeirmindsandseeiftheyformedasquareorarectangle--ataskthatrequiressimilarspatialprocessingbutnotnecessarilycreativity.

Eventhoughitmainlywashandledbytherighthemisphere,thecreativetaskactuallylitupthelefthemispheremorethanthenoncreativetask.Theresultsindicatedthattheleftbrainpotentiallyisacrucialsupporterofcreativityinthebrain.

Aziz-Zadehsaidsheplanstoexploremoreofhowdifferenttypesofcreativity(painting,acting,singing)arecreatedbythebrain,whattheyhaveincommonandwhatmakesthemdifferent.

SupportfortheresearchcamefromtheBrainandCreativityInstituteattheUSCDornsifeCollegeofLetters,ArtsandSciences,theUSCDivisionofOccupationalScienceandOccupationalTherapy,theNationalScienceFoundationandtheUSCProvost'sPh.D.Fellowshipprogram.

UniversityofSouthernCalifornia."Scientistssearchforsourceofcreativity."ScienceDaily.ScienceDaily,5March2012.<www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120305132438.htm>.

Howdoesourbrainformcreativeandoriginalideas?Date:November19,2015Source:UniversityofHaifaSummary:Anewstudyattemptedtocracktheconnectionbetweenbrainactivityandcreativity.Theresultsshedanew,perhapsunexpectedlight,onourabilitytothinkoutsidetheboxDevelopinganoriginalandcreativeidearequiresthesimultaneousactivationoftwocompletelydifferentnetworksinthebrain:theassociative--"spontaneous"--networkalongsidethemorenormative--"conservative"--network;thisaccordingtonewresearchconductedattheUniversityofHaifa.

Theresearchersmaintainthat"creativethinkingapparentlyrequires'checksandbalances'."ThenewresearchwasconductedaspartofthedoctoraldissertationofDr.NaamaMayseless,andwassupervisedbyProf.SimoneShamay-TsooryfromtheDepartmentofPsychologyattheUniversityofHaifaincollaborationwithDr.AyeletEranfromtheRambamMedicalCenter.

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Accordingtotheresearchers,creativityisourabilitytothinkinnewandoriginalwaystosolveproblems.Butnoteveryoriginalsolutionisconsideredacreativeone.Iftheideaisnotfullyapplicableitisnotconsideredcreative,butsimplyonewhichisunreasonable.

Theresearchershypothesizedthatforacreativeideatobeproduced,thebrainmustactivateanumberofdifferent--andperhapsevencontradictory--networks.Inthefirstpartoftheresearch,respondentsweregivehalfaminutetocomeupwithanew,originalandunexpectedideafortheuseofdifferentobjects.Answerswhichwereprovidedinfrequentlyreceivedahighscorefororiginality,whilethosegivenfrequentlyreceivedalowscore.Inthesecondpart,respondentswereaskedtogive,withinhalfaminute,theirbestcharacteristic(andaccepted)descriptionoftheobjects.Duringthetests,allsubjectswerescannedusinganFMRIdevicetoexaminetheirbrainactivitywhileprovidingtheanswer.

Theresearchersfoundincreasedbrainactivityinan"associative"regionamongparticipantswhoseoriginalitywashigh.Thisregion,whichincludestheanteriormedialbrainareas,mainlyworksinthebackgroundwhenapersonisnotconcentrating,similartodaydreaming.

Buttheresearchersfoundthatthisregiondidnotoperatealonewhenanoriginalanswerwasgiven.Fortheanswertobeoriginal,anadditionalregionworkedincollaborationwiththeassociativeregion--theadministrativecontrolregion.Amore"conservative"regionrelatedtosocialnormsandrules.Theresearchersalsofoundthatthestrongertheconnection,i.e.,thebettertheseregionsworktogetherinparallel--thegreatertheleveloforiginalityoftheanswer.

"Ontheonehand,thereissurelyaneedforaregionthattossesoutinnovativeideas,butontheotherhandthereisalsotheneedforonethatwillknowtoevaluatehowapplicableandreasonabletheseideasare.Theabilityofthebraintooperatethesetworegionsinparalleliswhatresultsincreativity.Itispossiblethatthemostsublimecreationsofhumanitywereproducedbypeoplewhohadanespeciallystrongconnectionbetweenthetworegions,"theresearchersconcluded.

UniversityofHaifa."Howdoesourbrainformcreativeandoriginalideas?."ScienceDaily.ScienceDaily,19November2015.<www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/11/151119104105.htm>.

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Trustyouraha!moments:Experimentsshowthey'reprobablyrightDate:March7,2016Source:DrexelUniversitySummary:Aseriesofexperimentsshowedthatsuddeninsightmayyieldmorecorrectsolutionsthanusinggradual,methodicalthinking.Inotherwords,saytheresearchers,it'sabsolutelyworthlisteningtoyour"aha!"momentsWhenasolutiontoaproblemseemstohavecometoyououtofthinair,itturnsoutyou'vemorethanlikelybeenstruckwiththerightidea,accordingtoanewstudy.

Aseriesofexperimentsconductedbyateamofresearchersdeterminedthataperson'ssuddeninsightsareoftenmoreaccurateatsolvingproblemsthanthinkingthemthroughanalytically.

"Conscious,analyticthinkingcansometimesberushedorsloppy,leadingtomistakeswhilesolvingaproblem,"saidteammemberJohnKounios,PhD,professorinDrexelUniversity'sCollegeofArtsandSciencesandtheco-authorofthebook"TheEurekaFactor:AhaMoments,CreativeInsightandtheBrain.""However,insightisunconsciousandautomatic--itcan'tberushed.Whentheprocessrunstocompletioninitsowntimeandallthedotsareconnectedunconsciously,thesolutionpopsintoawarenessasanAha!moment.Thismeansthatwhenareallycreative,breakthroughideaisneeded,it'softenbesttowaitfortheinsightratherthansettlingforanideathatresultedfromanalyticalthinking."

Experimentswithfourdifferenttypesoftimedpuzzlesshowedthatthoseanswersthatoccurredassuddeninsights(alsodescribedasAha!moments)weremorelikelytobecorrect.Moreover,peoplewhotendedtohavemoreoftheseinsightswerealsomorelikelytomissthedeadlineratherthanprovideanincorrect,butin-time,answer.Thosewhorespondedbasedonanalyticthought(describedasbeinganideathatisworkedoutconsciouslyanddeliberately)weremorelikelytoprovideananswerbythedeadline,thoughtheselast-minuteanswerswereoftenwrong.

TrustYourself

CarolaSalvi,PhD,ofNorthwesternUniversity,wasleadauthoronthepaper"Insightfulsolutionsarecorrectmoreoftenthananalyticsolutions"inthejournalThinking&Reasoning.

"Thehistoryofgreatdiscoveriesisfullofsuccessfulinsightepisodes,fosteringacommonbeliefthatwhenpeoplehaveaninsightfulthought,theyarelikelytobecorrect,"Salviexplained."However,thisbeliefhasneverbeentestedandmaybeafallacybasedonthetendencytoreport

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onlypositivecasesandneglectinsightsthatdidnotwork.Ourstudyteststhehypothesisthattheconfidencepeopleoftenhaveabouttheirinsightsisjustified."

Otherco-authorsonthepaperwithSalviandKounioswereMarkBeeman(co-authorof"TheEurekaFactor"withKounios),alsoofNorthwestern,EdwardBowden,oftheUniversityofWisconsin-Parkside,andEmanuelaBricolo,ofMilano-BicoccaUniversityinItaly.

PuttingInsighttoTheTest

Eachexperimentmakingupthestudyusedonegroupofdistinctpuzzles:oneexperimentusedonlylinguisticpuzzles,anotherusedstrictlyvisualones,andtwousedpuzzleswithbothlinguisticandvisualelements.

Forexample,onetypeoflinguisticpuzzleshowedthreedifferentwords:"Crab,""pine"and"sauce."Theexperimentparticipantwasthenaskedtoprovidethewordthatcouldfitallofthemtomakeacompoundword,whichwas"apple,"inthiscase.Thevisualpuzzleprovidedascrambledimageandrequiredtheparticipanttosaywhatobjecttheythoughtthepuzzledepicted.

Eachexperimentconsistedofbetween50and180puzzles.Participantsweregiven15or16secondstorespondafterseeingapuzzle.Assoonastheparticipantthoughttheysolvedthepuzzle,theypressedabuttonandsaidtheiranswer.Thentheyreportedwhetherthesolutioncamethroughinsightoranalyticalthinking.

Overwhelmingly,responsesderivedfrominsightprovedcorrect.Inthelinguisticpuzzles,94percentoftheresponsesclassifiedasinsightwerecorrect,comparedto78percentfortheanalyticthinkingresponses.Forthevisualpuzzles,78percentoftheresponseswerecorrect,versus42percentfortheanalyticresponses.

BadGuesses,GoodInsights

Whentakingthetimingintoaccount,answersgivenduringthelastfivesecondsbeforethedeadlinehadalowerprobabilityofbeingcorrect.Forthelinguisticpuzzles,34percentoftheresponseswerewrong,comparedto10percentoftheresponsesbeingwrongforquickeranswers;forthevisualpuzzles,72percentoftheanswersgivenduringthelastfivesecondswerewrong.

Themajorityofthoselatewronganswerswerebasedonanalyticthinking.Inoneoftheexperiments,thenumberofincorrectresponsesrelatedtoanalyticthinkingrecordedinthelastfivesecondswasmorethandoublethenumberofincorrectresponsesrecordedasinsights.

Thosenumbersforthelastfivesecondspointedtosomeparticipantsguessingatthepuzzles'solutions.Theseparticipantswereanalyticalthinkers.

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"Deadlinescreateasubtle--ornotsosubtle--backgroundfeelingofanxiety,"Kouniossaid."Anxietyshiftsone'sthinkingfrominsightfultoanalytic.Deadlinesarehelpfultokeeppeopleontask,butifcreativeideasareneeded,it'sbettertohaveasofttargetdate.Adrop-deaddeadlinewillgetresults,buttheyarelesslikelytobecreativeresults."

Insightfulthinkerstendnottoguess.Theydon'tgiveanansweruntiltheyhavehadanAha!moment.

"Becauseinsightsolutionsareproducedbelowthethresholdofconsciousness,itisnotpossibletomonitorandadjustprocessingbeforethesolutionentersawareness,"Salvisaid.

Hmmvs.Aha!

Analyticalthinkingisbestusedforproblemsinwhichknownstrategieshavebeenlaidoutforsolutions,suchasarithmetic,Kouniossaid.Butfornewproblemswithoutasetpathforfindingasolution,insightisoftenbest.Thenewstudyshowsthatmoreweightshouldbeplacedonthesesuddenthoughts.

"Thismeansthatinallkindsofpersonalandprofessionalsituations,whenapersonhasagenuine,suddeninsight,thentheideahastobetakenseriously,"Kouniossaid."Itmaynotalwaysbecorrect,butitcanhaveahigherprobabilityofbeingrightthananideathatismethodicallyworkedout."

DrexelUniversity."Trustyouraha!moments:Experimentsshowthey'reprobablyright."ScienceDaily.ScienceDaily,7March2016.<www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/03/160307144013.htm>.

Theneuroscienceofcreativitywww.medicalnewstoday.com/articles

WrittenbyTimNewman-Published:Wednesday17February2016Published:Wed17Feb2016

Neuroscientificinvestigationsoftencrossthebordersbetweenscientificdisciplines;theywalkboldlyfrombiologytopsychologyandstridestraightthroughtotheotherside,dippingtheirtoe-andsometimestheirentireleg-inthemurkywatersofphilosophy.

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Neurosciencecanbeadenseandunrelentinglycomplexareaofstudy.Thescientistsinvolvedstrivetoanswerdisparatequestionsrangingfrom"howdowewalk?"to"howdowerememberthings?"andfrom"howdonervecellmembranescommunicate?"to"whatispleasure?"Ittakesabraveresearchertoattempttobridgethegapbetweenthephysicsofafiringneuronandtheconstructionofajazzdrumsolo.Thegapisnowherenearfullybridged,butstridesarebeingmadetoanswersomeofthemoreesotericquestionshumanityhasposed.Onesuchintractabletopiciscreativity.Whatisit?Whydoesitexist?Andhowonearthdoesaspongy3lblumpcreatesurreallandscapesandconstructsoaringarias?Somescientistsbelievecreativityisnotasubjectworthpursuing,thatitistooetherealandperhapsnotrelevanttoscience.Othersdisagree.Humanity'sabilitytocreatenovelsolutionstoproblemshasallowedustothriveonalmosteverypatchofgroundonthisblueballwecallhome.Fromthefrozennorthtothetropicalwaistbandofourworld,humanityhasfiguredoutcreativewaysofstayingalive,solvinglife-threateningproblemseverystepoftheway.Evolutionhasfosteredandrewardedcreativity.Creativityisashumanasconversation.Inthisarticle,wewilllookbrieflyatsomeaspectsofthebrainthataresuspectedtobeinvolvedincreativity,aswellassomeexperimentsandtheoriesthatshedalittlelightonsuchadifficultareaofscience.

Networksvs.regions

Thefirstpointtomakeisthatcreativityisnottobefoundinonedistinctsectionofthebrainorasingularclumpofnervesbehindyourleftear.Theprocessissharedacrossanumberofregionsandinvolvesaconcertoofbrain-wideneuronalactivity.

Thismakessensewhenconsideringthevarietyoftasksthatexerciseourcreativebent.Completingajigsaworasudokuinvolvesacertainamountofcreativethought,butthesectionsofthebrainrelevanttocarryoutthesetypesoftaskswillbedifferentfromthoseinvolvedindesigninganartinstallationorforgingtheperfectsentencetoexplainacomplexconcept.

Thegeneralconsensusisthatthecreativeprocesshastwostages.Thefirststage(whichwewillmostlybediscussinghere)isthefreeflowofexperimentationandthecreationofanewconceptorworkofart.Thesecondphaseinvolvesrehearsing,editingandassessingthefinalproductasitevolvesintothefinalpiece.

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Aswiththestudyofotherdenseareasofneuroscience,likeemotions,brain-widenetworksarekeytounderstandingourthoughts.Belowarethreesuchnetworksthatareconsideredtoplayimportantrolesincreativethought.

Theexecutiveattentionnetwork

Ifataskrequiresathoroughlevelofconcentration,theexecutiveattentionnetworkwillbecalledintoplay.Connectinglateralregionsoftheprefrontalcortexandareastowardthebackoftheparietallobe,thisnetworkisengagedwhenfocusingallofyourattentiononataskandutilizingyourworkingmemory.

Creativityseemstobedependentontheinteractionbetweennetworksratherthanspecificbrainareas.

Forexample,asyoureadthis,yourexecutiveattentionnetworkwillbebusyingitself(aslongasyouarepayingattention,ofcourse).

Theexecutiveattentionnetworkisnotengagedforallcreativeprocesses;sometimes,allowingyourmindtowanderawayfromitswatchfulgazeisnecessary,asweshallsee.

Theexecutiveattentionnetworkisprobablyusedmoreheavilyinthesecondphaseofcreativitymentionedabove-focusingon,checkingandsharpeningthefinalproduct,ratherthantheinitialfreeformcreativeprocess.

Thedefaultnetwork

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Thedefaultnetwork,alsoreferredtoastheimaginationnetwork,isusedtoconstructdynamicmentalsimulations.Situateddeepintheprefrontalcortexandtemporallobe,withconnectionstopartsoftheparietalcortex,itbuildspicturesbasedonpreviousexperiencesandimaginesalternativescenariosandevents.

Activeduringboutsofdaydreaming,whenthebrainisnotfocusedontheoutsideworld,thedefaultnetworkisimplicatedinfunctionssuchascollectingfactsabouttheself,reflectingonpersonalemotionsandrememberingpastevents.

Thisnetworkalsoappearstobeinvolvedinsocialcognitionandempathy;itplaysapartinhelpingusimaginewhatanotherindividualmightbethinking.

ThesaliencenetworkThedorsalanteriorcingulatecorticesandanteriorinsularhousethesaliencenetwork.Thissetofcircuitryhelpsthebraindecidewhattopayattentionto.Oureyes,ears,mouth,noseandskinareconstantlybombardedwithsensorystimulation.Thesaliencenetworkhelpsuschoosewhichinputstopayattentiontoandwhichtoignore.

Thesaliencenetworkisthoughttobeinvolvedinswitchingbetweenrelevantnetworksofneurons,turningthemostappropriategroupsofforondependingonitsassessmentofasituation.

Asanexample,whiledrivingacar,yourvisualfieldisfilledwithasphalt,sky,trees,trafficlights,birds,thesteeringwheel,youreyelashesandmuch,muchmore.Despitethewealthofoptions,thesaliencenetworkdrawsyourattentiontothewomanwiththebuggyattemptingtocrosstheroad200mdownontheright.

Theabilitytoswitchbetweennetworksisavitalaspectofcreativity.Forinstance,focusingonacreativepuzzlewithallofyourattentionmightrecruittheskillsoftheexecutiveattentionnetwork.Ontheotherhand,ifthecreativetaskinvolvesproducingasonicallypleasingguitarsolo,focusmightbeswitchedfromintenseconcentrationtoareasmoreinvolvedinemotionalcontentandauditoryprocessing.

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TheroleoflatentinhibitionAsmentioned,thebrainisrequiredtoconstantlyweedoutirrelevantinformationenteringoursensesandtoputthecorrectemphasisonincominginformationthatisdeemedrelevant.

Withoutlatentinhibition,wewouldbeforcedtoperceiveeverythingaroundus.

Thisabilitytoessentiallyignoreinformationwehavepreviouslyratedasirrelevantiscalledlatentinhibition.Forinstance,ifweareattendingalectureandhearalawnmowerstartupoutside,itisnotlongbeforethelawnmower'ssoundmovestothebackofourconsciousnessasthespeaker'svoicemovestothefront.

Withoutthesubconscious'abilitytopickandchoosewhatentersourattention,theworldwouldbealoud,brightandconfusingplacetoinhabit.

Somestudieshavelinkedareductioninlatentinhibitiontopsychosis.However,astudyusinghigh-IQindividualsfoundthatthosewithlowerlatentinhibitionscoresweremorelikelytobecreative.

Theauthorswonderwhetheraninnatepropensitytobeopentoexperiencemightplayaroleincreativity.Simplyput,peoplewhoarelesslikelytoclassifyanobjectorasoundas"irrelevant"areatanadvantagewhenitcomestoproducingcreative,originalcontent.

Jazzpianoandbrainscans

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Astudypublishedin2008investigatedtheneuralcorrelatesofjazzimprovisationinpianists'brains.TheytookMRI(magneticresonanceimaging)scansofpianists'brainsastheyperformedwell-practicedpiecesandcomparedtheresultswithscanstakenwhiletheyimprovised.

Theauthorsreportedthatduringthecreativeactofimprovisation,theyfound:

"Adissociatedpatternofactivityintheprefrontalcortex:extensivedeactivationofdorsolateralprefrontalandlateralorbitalregionswithfocalactivationofthemedialprefrontal(frontalpolar)cortex."

Inotherwords,partsofthebrainresponsibleforself-monitoringandtheconsciouscontrolofactionsweresuppressed;theinnercriticwassilenced.Thedorsolateralprefrontalandlateralorbitalregionscanbeviewedasthebrain'sself-checkingmodules,makingsureweconformtosocialdemandsandinhibitinginappropriateperformance.

Ontheotherhand,themedialprefrontal(frontalpolar)cortexisthoughttobeinvolvedingeneratingautobiographicalnarrativesandthecreationofself.So,anactivationinthisregionmightimplythatthepianist'simprovisationshadapersonal,story-likeproperty.

Althoughthisisvastlyover-simplifyingthings(whileinflatingothers),theideaofajazzmusicianweavinganintimatetalewithhismelodyisatemptingconclusiontodraw.

Theauthorsconcludethatinthisparticularactivity,areductioninself-monitoringwithincreasedactivityinthe"story-telling"partofthebrainworkedtogethertoproduceanoriginalcompositioninrealtime.

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Freestylerappinginascanner

Creativityseemstorelyonstimulatingsomebrainareaswhilerepressingothers.

Anotherstudy,conductedin2012,tookMRIscansofrappersasthey"freestyled."Theycomparedthesewithscansoftheartists'brainsastheyperformedrapstheyhadrehearsedandknewwell.

Theresultssharedsomesimilaritieswiththejazzpianistexperiment.Thefrontalcortexwasonceagaintheprimaryareaofactivity.Themedial(autobiographicalarea)wasactivatedwhilethedorsolateral(self-monitoring)regionwasdeactivated.

Theteamalsofoundincreasedactivityinareasofthebraininvolvedinmotoractivity,whichisunsurprisinggiventhetaskathand.

Additionally,increasedactivationofthecerebellarhemisphereandvermiswasfound;otherstudieshaveimplicatedbothoftheseregionsintasksinvolvingrememberingandmatchingrhythmicpatterns.

Thealphawave

Sincethediscoveryandperfectionofelectroencephalography(EEG),scientistshavemeasuredtheelectricaloutputofthebrainduringavarietyoftasks.Onetypeofneurologicaloutputreferredtoasalphawaveshasbeenimplicatedintheprocessofcreativity.

Alphawavesarestrongestduringwakefulrelaxationwithclosedeyesandshowreducedactivitywithopeneyes,drowsinessandsleep.

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Initially,thesetypesofwaveswereconsideredtobethe"sound"ofthevisualcortexatrest.Amorerecenttheoryisthatalphawavesmightinhibitareasofthecortexwhentheyarenotinuse.

Somescientistshavelinkedthestrengthofalphawavestolevelsofcreativity.OnestudymeasuredEEGalphawaveswhileparticipantssolvedverbalproblems.Individualswereaskedtocomeupwithasmanyoriginalsolutionsaspossible.Theresultsshowedthatthemostcreativesolutionswereaccompaniedbymeasurableincreasesinalphapower.

Otherresearchhasshownsimilarmatchesbetweencreativeactsandalphawaves;itseemswemighthaveyetanotherplayerintheneuralgameofcreation.

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TrainingResources

APPENDIX-“Funpaperairplanes”

www.funpapersairplanes.com

seefile“Airplanes_Models”

Followingarejustaselectionofthemanydifferentpaperairplaneideasavailableatwww.funpaperairplanes.com

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