September 9, 2010

How to increase your creativity using simple techniques

Lately, I've been researching how to increase my creativity and productivity using some simple methods and techniques, and those are my findings, so far!

Exercise improves our brain activity:
A study at the University of Muenster in Germany found that participants who ran sprints learned new words 20% faster than those who did nothing. Other research has tied physical activity to improve both attention and memory, and increases production of the stem cells that develop new brain cells.
"Exercise is the best thing we can do to ready our brain to learn," says John J. Ratey, M.D., author of Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain. "We know that the cells become more malleable and ready to make connections. And the learner is more focused, calm and motivated." (Source)


A cup of coffee improves our memory
A 2002 University of Arizona study found that adults over 65 who drank a cup 30 minutes before a memory test scored higher than those drinking decaf. Memory researchers have found coffee to increases short-term recall, the ability to focus attention, and alertness. A writer badly needs a good memory, to pick the right word and the right expression. (Source)
“My only guideline is moderation in caffeine intake,” she says. For most people, drinking one to two cups of coffee – decaf or regular – per day seems safe." Sarah Morgan, MD, and a registered dietitian at UAB.


Allotting a definite time of the day to certain work:
Writers must create a physical and mental environment where innovative thoughts can develop. A lot of great ideas and information can be obtained through researching, reading, or listening to something for 10-15 minutes everyday at a certain time. The more we do this, the more innovative our thinking will become.
"The men who practice with system, allotting a definite time of the day to certain work, accomplish much more and have at any rate a little leisure; while those who are unmethodical never catch up the day's duties and worry themselves." Dr. William Osler speaking to medical students at the University of Minnesota (1892). (Source)

The best time to write is when you feel like it:
I've found my researches and studies suggesting that before mid-day or early in the morning is the best time of day to study. Well, Dan Brown’s best time of the day to write is 4 am, and that time will suit all of us. My best bet is: write whenever you feel like it, but you must write everyday.
"If you want to be a writer, you have to write every day. The consistency, the monotony, the certainty, all vagaries and passions are covered by this daily reoccurrence. You don't go to a well once but daily. You don't skip a child's breakfast or forget to wake up in the morning. Sleep comes to you each day, and so does the muse." (Walter Mosley, July 2000)

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