The Goldilocks Theory of Creativity

Photo by Celine Chamiot Poncet on Unsplash

“Respect your body when it’s asking for a break. Respect your mind when it’s seeking rest. Honor yourself when you need a moment for yourself.”
~ soulseeds

Are you feeling a little more “pep in your step” now that Spring is here and the world is starting to open up a bit? I’m definitely more motivated than I was a few months ago.

I’ve written in the past about the fact that motivation is a tricky thing, requiring just the right amount of stimulation. (It reminds me of the experience of Goldilocks in the children’s fable, where after wandering into the three bears’ cottage and tasting porridge that was too hot and another that was too cold, she found a bowl that was “just right” and ate it all up.) Too much or too little stimulation derails our internal drive. With the pandemic, oddly, we’ve had both extremes, and very little in the middle.

When it comes to creativity, motivation is an ever-present topic, especially among writers. In the freelancing group I belong to, we don’t subscribe to the “writer’s block” concept. Or the “waiting-for-inspiration-to-strike” theory. Those who are trying to earn a living, or even just some extra money, know that the best way to be productive is to put your “behind” in a chair and start writing. The acronym for that measure of time spent is affectionately known in the business as “AIC.” (I’ll let you figure that one out.)

Unfortunately, though, I’m not a good sitter. I get too antsy. I certainly have times when I’m in the zone and can concentrate for hours, but more often than not, I can only manage 40 minutes before I need to get up and move. Although I appear calm on the outside, I have a kind of anxious energy, which a therapist explained to me is actually kinetic energy (the energy of motion), that builds up.

I’m not alone in this. It turns out that many writers have the same problem. Among my peers, a number have been clinically diagnosed with ADHD, and others are simply aware of having very active, distractible brains. There are pros and cons to it. Many of my acquaintances do woodworking, gardening, painting, sculpting, sewing, quilting, and other creative activities on the side. We complain to each other that, although our desire to put words on the page is high, we often find ourselves procrastinating by doing one of those other more hands-on tasks instead.

For me, as soon as I get restless, I typically pop up out of my chair and do some mindless household chores. I bustle about, tossing clothes into the washer, loading the dishwasher, folding clothes, wiping counters, and chopping up vegetables for dinner. After a bit, I’m tired, and I sit down to do more writing. Fortunately, I do have a good ability to jump back in after my temporary breaks.

This morning I came across an interesting article about creativity and problem-solving. Just as it takes the right amount of stimulation to produce motivation, for optimal problem-solving it takes switching to a different, unrelated task for a bit that requires just the right amount of brain power. Under those conditions, the unconscious will continue to work on the problem on a separate track from the activity at hand, and eventually come up with a solution. Simply resting (too little brain activity) or working on a more difficult task (too much brain activity) isn’t as effective.

I tend to feel the need to move most when I’ve run out of ideas or I can’t work something out. As it turns out, I’ve stumbled upon the formula for problem-solving without even knowing it. I just assumed that it’s good to move my body to get my creative juices flowing, but didn’t realize I’ve been doing the kind of chores which require the perfect amount of focus for optimal thinking.

“Facing an impending deadline, we may fear taking any time away from the task at hand,” says the authors of the article I mentioned above. But “for creativity, what you really need is looser, less focused thinking – and that seems to come with slight engagement in an undemanding task.” 

If you’re stuck on a problem of any kind, it appears the most helpful thing you can do is take a break and do something that requires just a bit of mental energy, like washing your car, sweeping off your porch, or pulling some weeds.

If you’re stuck for ideas, however, after brainstorming for a while, it’s best to do something completely mindless—take a shower or go for a walk. Your mind will be under-stimulated, and will tend to fill in the empty space, so you’ll get a rush of new ideas. Here are some suggestions about how to create more Aha! moments.

Or you can try relaxing your mind with a little Mozart, whose ideas, it is reported, came to him randomly while doing everyday activities. Isn’t it comforting to know that we might have something in common with geniuses throughout history?

To get you started, check out this amazing pianist who gives us a quick little survey of some songs you may know but did not know were penned by Mozart. This site includes a more serious sampling of his most famous compositions, for those of you who are into classical music and opera.

Here’s to finding your own “just right” formula for more “get up and go,” free-flowing ideas, and creative problem-solving!

Affectionately,

Elaine