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Creativity as a muscle: How to pump imagination and why it is necessary
Why Creative People See the World Differently (and How to Join Their Club)
When Leonardo da Vinci wrote in his diary, “I want to do miracles,” he wasn’t joking. Modern neuroscience confirms that creativity is not a gift of the elect, but skill that can be developed. The MIT study found that 15 minutes of creative exercise per day in 6 weeks changed the structure of the brain.
Neurophysiology of imagination: What's going on in the brain?
Professor N. Andreasen in the work “Creative brain” found: in moments of insight:
- Activated. frontal cortex Alternative solution detector
- Decreased activity prefrontal cortex (Internal critic shuts down)
- Increased connection between the right and left hemispheres
5 Unobvious Ways to Awaken Creativity
- The Leonardo method: Draw with your left hand (if you are right-handed) – activates new neural pathways
- The 10% rule: Intentionally leave flaws in the work – train acceptance of imperfections
- Association game: Connect random words (e.g. "coffee" + "space" = cafe on the ISS?)
- Digital detox: Daily 40-minute "analog" session without screens
- Dreaming: 7 minutes of daytime rest with visualization of the problem - like Salvador Dali
Creativity = Superpower: 3 Hidden Bonuses
According to the American Psychological Association, creative people are:
- 37% faster to adapt to change
- Have 29% lower levels of anxiety
- +23% productivity in routine tasks
Technique "Free flight": Instructions
Developed at the MIT Media Lab for breakthrough innovation:
- Select an object (such as a teapot)
- Make a list of its 20 non-obvious features (book stand, musical instrument)
- Draw 3 variants of modifications
- Come up with a business model for the most absurd option
Glossary
Divergent thinking
Ability to generate multiple solutions to a single problem
Neurogenesis
The formation of new neurons in the brain
The Medici Effect
Creative breakthrough at the intersection of different disciplines
“Creativity is the intellect that has fun. Stop looking for inspiration and start generating it like electricity.
- D. Gilford, psychologist
