Last week I realized that I kept discovering solutions to problems while taking a shower. In mid-shampoo, I realized that if I set-up registration in a certain way, it would eliminate hours of work for my office manager. The next day, I choreographed a brilliant combination for my tap class. The next - I got lost in imagining new lifts for my dancers to try.
Why were these moments of brilliance isolated to the shower?
Because I was "disconnected".
No ringing phones, no email notifications or text messages. I was on my own, free to let my mind wander without consequence.This is apparently not isolated to me - Ismene Brown writes an article about a ballet conceived in a bathtub (theartsdesk.com), Steve Palina discusses his process for exploring creativity, and Wikipedia defines this state of mind.
The ten or fifteen minutes of creative energy I experienced is often referred to as "creative flow". It is that period where ideas are free-flowing and you are so involved in the task at hand that you can tune out the world. Choreographers or dance teachers, this may sound familiar: have you ever been driving while a song comes on and you don't just hear the song, you SEE the choreography. Your mind is in its creative flow.
So, the next time you need to solve a problem, create some choreography or find inspiration - "unplug" from the world. Go for a walk (WITHOUT the ipod or phone!), take a long bath or just sit in your favorite room with the TV off. Find your flow.
The next problem - remembering your ideas once you get out of the shower!
I completely agree about ideas and solving problems in the shower. I am most creative in a late night shower! :)
ReplyDelete