It is not uncommon for a scientific or mathematical discovery to occur at an unexpected moment. We often refer to occasions on which this happens as “Eureka moments,” after the Greek polymath, Archimedes, who purportedly figured out how to calculate volume and density while in the bath. After this flash of insight, he repeatedly exclaimed “Eureka” while running naked through the streets of Syracuse. Similarly, Sir Isaac Newton is thought to have discovered gravity after an apple serendipitously fell upon his head (although there is reason to doubt the full truth of both stories). If only all discoveries befell us in such a seemingly effortless and convenient fashion (minus the head trauma, of course). But, in both cases, the discoveries in question likely came far less easily than might at first glance be imagined. After all, it is doubtful that the experience of bathing, or having an apple clonk me (or any other non-expert) on the head, would occasion any mathematical or scientific breakthroughs. Indeed, given my luck, the latter would only set me up for early onset dementia! Importantly, the discoveries of both Archimedes and Newton were preceded by considerable study and investigation. Their prior experiences and theoretical pursuits established the cognitive backdrop that made their sudden insights possible.
In addition to having the requisite knowledge or understanding to process their discoveries, both Newton and Archimedes had the right mindset for discovery. Their minds were mulling over their respective problems and maintained an openness to a solution. Interesting, Barbara Oakley, the researcher on how to learn mathematics whom I mentioned in my earlier post (“Three Reasons Why Creativity Decreases with Age”), instructs students to step away from a problem that they are struggling with instead of beating their heads against a door in frustration. Sometimes we are better able to solve a problem when we walk away from it, thereby creating some cognitive distance between the problem and ourselves. Still, even though we as conscious beings are not thinking about the problem, our minds are often doing so at an unconscious or sub-personal level. At such times, a solution might befall us when we least expect it. Like Archimedes and Newton, struggling math students have a problem on their minds and are very much open to its solution. We could say that they have the proper mindset for a sudden solution to befall them as they take a break and make themselves a snack or coffee. And, again, this is because they are preoccupied with the problem, if only at some unconscious level.
In 1619, as a young man traveling with the Dutch States Army, René Descartes had three famous dreams that influenced his vocation and philosophical thinking. We can be nearly certain that Descartes would not have had these dreams, and interpreted them as he did, had he not been well-versed in the sciences. Similarly, August Kekulé is thought to have discovered the ring structure of benzene after dreaming of a snake eating its own tail. His dream, like Descartes’, was precipitated by his own scientific preoccupations. Aware that dreaming can, as in these instances, be an occasion for profound insight, some scientists urge us to intentionally invoke a problem that we are struggling with before falling asleep; we can, in this way, invite a dream-induced solution upon ourselves—multitasking at its best! Deidre Barrett, author of The Committee of Sleep: How Artists, Scientists and Athletes Use Dreams for Creative Problem Solving—and How You Can, Too believes that we may have an increased ability to solve problems in dreams because our thinking is more creative. And this, she explains, is due to the fact that “the prefrontal lobes that control censorship are, on average, much less active during dreams.” By approaching sleep with the right thoughts, or state of mind, we too can exercise some indirect control over our dreaming lives. Crucially, though, we cannot expect to arrive at any brilliant conclusions to problems with which we are not preoccupied. These kinds of discoveries require the proper cognitive backdrop and mindset.
How does all this apply to creativity? Well, in the first place, science and mathematics both involve creativity and imaginative thinking. Given how these subjects are sometimes taught in grade school (at least in my Generation X experience), it is no wonder that we sometimes think of these fields as being completely devoid of creativity. Secondly, and more importantly for our purposes, creative thinking in the arts also benefits from having the right mindset, i.e., a creative mindset. Just as toiling over a mathematical puzzle may prompt a welcome but unanticipated insight, so also does a preoccupation with artistic creation prompt weird and wonderful ideas in the arts. Creativity involves a certain openness to the unbidden.
Sometimes those who do not create complain that they have no sudden flashes of creativity and wonder why. I think that the answer, in part, is that creative production is not on their minds in the way that it might be on the mind of an artist or creator. When one is in the habit of creating, or is determined to engage in creative work, one opens the mental floodgates to creative thinking. In my own life, there have been long stretches of time wherein I was not engaged in visually creative work. I won’t say that my life lacked creativity altogether; it is just that I was not visually creative. I was somewhat creative as a graduate student, but my creativity was directed at philosophical or intellectual problems. But I have noticed that, when I make a place for visual creativity in my life, I open myself up to an array of ideas that would otherwise never have existed.
Think about it this way. When you are looking to buy a house, especially in a seller’s market, you will have lots of house-related thoughts. You will notice “for sale” signs that you would otherwise drive right by. When I was looking for a house, I remember thinking about things like ceiling height, house square footage, light fixtures, backyard fencing, etc. This makes sense. When you are looking for a house, thoughts of this kind become a priority. You want to find a house that satisfies your needs and preferences while also being within your budget. After my hunt for a house ended, my engagement with the world thankfully changed; “for sale” signs and open houses were no longer salient. They faded from my field of consciousness.
During times when I am visually creative and am active in the process of making works of art, ideas pop into my mind. I could be washing dishes, driving to work, or making dinner when a visual image suddenly appears to me like a gift from the creativity gods. (Experiences like this make it easy to understand how the ancient Greeks took this idea seriously, positing the existence of the Muses.) And then I might experience a certain degree of restlessness or anxiety until I can get it out. Making art can in this way can be cathartic. But I am sure that such ideas would not pop int my mind if I were not already in a creative space that was receptive to them. Just as all kinds of work gets done below the hood when you are trying to solve a mathematical problem, all kinds of work gets done below the hood when you have an established creative practice—a preoccupation with creating. Now, to be sure, this conclusion is not the result of any empirical data. It is nevertheless compatible with much human experience, including my own, and seems almost obvious.
Aristotle believed that we can exercise some control over our character by way of the activities that we engage in. We can become charitable, brave, or kind by engaging in charitable, brave, or kind activities. How you spend your time, or the habits that you develop, influences who you become. There is some truth to this, as is demonstrated by work in the field of brain plasticity. What we habitually do leaves physical traces in the structure of the brain. As Norman Doidge has shown, watching pornography, playing an instrument, and driving a taxicab, can lead to physical change in the brain, often resulting in behavioral changes as well. This also applies to habitual thinking. Studying logic, for example, can help us think more logically, or at least alert us to various logical traps and missteps in ourselves and others. (Unsurprisingly, we are humorously better at detecting the fallacious reasoning of others than of ourselves.) And developing a creative practice, or the habit of creating, can set us up for creative thoughts.
So, if you don’t have creative ideas, a first step is to ask yourself whether your mind is open to creativity. Do you approach the world with an openness to creativity (in the domain in which you desire to create)? If you are not occupying a creative space, then creative ideas may not befall you. Again, this might seem platitudinous, but people often claim not to have any creative ideas without immersing themselves in the business of creativity.
To be sure, I am not saying that we all have the same capacity for creative thinking. Just as we do not all have the same genetic aptitude for mathematics or philosophy, we do not all have the same genetic prerequisites for creating music, poetry, or visual art. But there is nevertheless much that we can do with what we do have. And, as Aristotle and many others have recognized, we cannot expect to improve much in any area of life without the right kind of practice. We should not write ourselves off without first trying to cultivate a creative mindset in our domain of choice.
In future posts, I hope to talk more about how to cultivate creative habits.