A common notion about creative ideas is that they are “eureka” moments that suddenly come to us. But according to experimental psychologist and Drexel University professor Dr. John Kounios, coming up with something uniquely imaginative involves “many different systems” that “work together in a seamless way.”
As Dr. Kounios explained (via the American Psychological Association), there are two routes to a creative spark: “System 1” processes, which involve “quick, unconscious thoughts,” and “System 2” processes, which are about slow, deliberate thinking.
“Creativity can use one or the other or a combination of the two,” Dr. Kounios explained. “You might use Type 1 thinking to generate ideas and Type 2 to critique and refine them.”
Creativity is also a muscle we can train through developing habits, according to renowned American psychologist Dr. Robert Epstein. To take proactive steps, he recommends recording new ideas by either writing them down.
Dr. Epstein also advises seeking out challenging tasks that don’t necessarily have a solution. Examples he gave were figuring out how to try to make a dog fly or building a “perfect” brain model. You may not come up with something substantial, but you will be compelled to generate ideas.
A worried, occupied mind is unlikely to produce results. It can happen when you put pressure on yourself to come up with something, which likely won’t be your best work. It’s something Irish artist Anne Ryan avoids doing.
“It’s not about going into the studio to make a painting, because then you never do. But it’s going in to read a book or play with things,” Ryan told The Guardian.
So, dear readers. Which of these photos caught your eye? What about them grabbed your attention? Was it about how unique the final work turned out to be? Or was it because of how very little sense they made? Share your insights in the comment boxes!
