Want To Be Creative?
Have a Beer, Then Get In The Shower.
How come every other week someone there's another study that says bring drunk makes us more creative? Or we get our best ideas when we're sleepy? Or in the shower?
It's your elementary school teacher's fault. Mrs. Johnson pounded it into our heads to think logically to get the correct answer: When it rains, grab your umbrella. Two plus two equals four. Those with the correct answers get A's. Those who don't, gets D's. Remember your class clown? They might not have been A students, but I guarantee you they were among the most creative. Logic looks for correct answers, and builds on it, like this: "If A is correct, then B. If B is correct, then C. Therefore, C is the logical conclusion".
Trouble is, all 10,000 people taught by Mrs. Johnson will also come up with the same answer. Think like everybody else in this business, and it's instant death for you. Being creative, on the other hand, is like this: "If A is correct, then strawberries explode when your cat meows." Huh? Yes, this is a silly idea that makes no sense in this context, but it's just to illustrate that the best creative people come up with dozens of crazy ideas, and use their logical mind only at the end, to decide which creative approach might solve the problem best.
That's why we get our best ideas in the shower, while we're drinking, or sleepy. The dusty ol' regions of our brain can conjure up fresh thinking without getting shot down by the logical brain, which is busy thinking about scrubbing, or dozing off.
So, next time you're looking for that big idea that'll change the world, do what I do - head for the bathroom. It's specially equipped with a dorm fridge and a water-proof pillow.