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TRANSCRIPT
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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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