How Our Most Celebrated Geniuses Defeated Creative Block

Source: Dumb Little Man

Do you understand your own mind? Do you know how to spark creativity at will?

Probably not. Nobody does.

In the 21st century, we have maps of the brain. There are libraries of books on psychology, behavior, and self-improvement but the very wealth of literature demonstrates very little to no knowledge of what really goes on in that gray matter.

When you’re working towards a deadline and the ideas aren’t flowing or when you’re building a masterpiece and you’re facing a lot of problems, the idea of a hack or shortcut to the solutions can seem attractive.

Unfortunately, there is no switch you can flick to ignite that lightbulb moment in your brain. There are, however, plenty of things you can try. And we have centuries of geniuses to refer to when looking for such hacks.

Here’s a look at how some of our most inspired artists and inventors got their creative juices flowing.

Distract yourself

Many of these celebrated figures recognized that there was a part of the human mind that works on problems just below the surface of conscious thought. Of course, we know of this place as the subconscious. But waiting for ideas to reveal themselves in your dreams is unlikely to provide results before your deadline hits.

In fact, sometimes, it’s best to go in the opposite direction. If you quiet your mind and reduce the clutter, the voice from downstairs might become audible.

How you do this depends on your preferences and circumstances.

Igor Stravinsky, perhaps the most talented Russian composer of the 20th century, would stand on his head to shake the ideas out.

Bizarrely, he believed that his action allowed his head to rest. In truth, it’s likely that concentrating on his balance took Stravinsky’s mind off of his work for a moment. That allowed new ideas to surface.

Steve Jobs notoriously used to bathe his feet in toilet water when he hit a wall. He said that he would do so to reduce stress. The cold water on his feet must have got him out of his head for a while. A regular footbath, or something more strenuous like a round of table tennis, are slightly more sanitary methods you might try.

Take a shortcut to your subconscious

The surrealists, an artist movement originating in the 1920s, believed the subconscious contained a wealth of ideas and solutions that modern man and woman were neglecting. They had many ways of trying to access these, including games…

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