Silence is Creative Gold

Want to know my A Number One Creativity Tip for executives?

Schedule time to look out the window.

Actually, this is a key ingredient for anyone seeking creativity, solutions and new ideas.  Every artist knows that times of reflection are essential to the creative process.  Without this quiet time, this space, there would be no (or only mediocre) creation.

Perhaps you have had the “shower experience”.  You know – been wrestling with a problem for days;  can’t figure it out;  and then ta-da!  That “light bulb” moment — the answer comes when you aren’t thinking about the problem at all. . .like in the shower.  This happens because you created some “mental space”:  what Graham Wallas refers to in the creative problem solving process as “illumination”, is preceded by “incubation”.  (aka -  quiet time and space.)

I have had executives and managers debate me on this point.  It goes something like this:  “But I get my most creative ideas in interaction with others; talking about the problem, arguing about it”.  I understand this; it can be a valuable part of the creative process.  However I maintain that it is a different phase of the process; that Creative Energy exists in silence, stillness, reflection and space.  While you can stimulate and express creativity by being active, you can only access or tap Creative Energy by “non-activity”.  (See The Creative Gap)

And now, science agrees with me.

In a recent article by Newsweek’s science editor Sharon Begley, called I Can’t Think, the sub headline reads “The Twitterization of our culture has revolutionized our lives, but with an unintended consequence – our overloaded brains freeze when we have to make decisions”. She goes on to write:

“One of the greatest surprises in decision science is the discovery that some of our best decisions are made through unconscious processes.”  “Creative decisions are more likely to bubble up from a brain that applies unconscious thought to a problem, rather than going at it in a full-frontal analytical assault.”

It is in the spaces, the silence, the stillness, that you are entering the Creative Gap and connecting with your Creative Energy.  Therefore it is essential that we learn how to be silent, still, reflective, create space.  This skill is not only how we get in the Creative Gap, it is how we learn to allow Creative Energy to flow.

This can be a very tall order in our 24-7 world.   For those of us who are “do-ers”; who believe our value is determined by how much we get done in a day; who have a strong work ethic; “left brainers” who have very active minds (thinking all the time) – or for Type-A personalities — it may seem impossible.

The good news is that I have found even a short practice of entering silence can help us tap into that Creative Energy.  Here is a brief “non –activity” that may help.

1. Do your best to focus your full attention on the natural rhythm of your breathing
2. Inhale deeply through your nostrils, mentally speaking the word “in”
3. Hold your breath for 4 seconds and exhale through your mouth, mentally speaking the word “out”
4. Notice the length of time until you are ready to inhale again naturally
5. Repeat the process 4 times

Or, you could just stare out the window. . .

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Creative Portal Guide

Looking for an easy way to tap your creativity?

This fun guide is designed to facilitate the deep engagement of Creative Energy.  Playful and thought provoking with lots of hands-on activities (and “non-activities!), you can use it on your own, in a team or a group.

Accelerate your intentional success!

Click here to learn more. . .