Common Spaces that Spark Creativity
How many times have you scratched your head with a problem you find yourself puzzled with, or thrown out a dozen scratch papers for a thought that doesn’t fully encapsulate “The idea” you’re shooting for, or even stared blankly at a task or project before telling yourself you need a break?
In contrast, how about the instances when you are relaxing at the beach or park, or when you take a nap, a shower break, or go on a walk around your neighborhood and, out of the blue, the idea finds you?
Between studying for a big presentation and organizing a jam-packed event, it is something stressful most of us may face several times in our lives. What if there was a way to pinpoint the source of our feelings and thoughts, and influence it to achieve our desired mental state, reduce stress, and spark creativity? Whether we try to pull out our best and most creative ideas right then and there, or these ideas unintentionally come to us, the spatial qualities of our surroundings evoke our creativity whether we anticipate it or not. Why does this happen? To further understand the implications of the external world to our natural creative process, let us focus inwardly with what happens during these special moments.
The human brain
Your brain is the command central of all you think, feel, and do.
The thoughts, feelings, and actions of a person are communicated within our brains between masses of neurons interacting with each other by synchronized electrical pulses known as brainwaves. A variation of brainwaves generally describes the overall brain activity of a person. A specific brain wave will be dominant over the others depending on what a person is doing at the moment.
There are five different types of brain waves active during different mental states:
SLEEP: Delta brain waves are generated in deep meditation and dreamless sleep. These are the slowest brain waves. Delta brain waves helps us access the subconscious mind and enables us to retrieve information in our unconscious mind. Examples of spaces that can induce this state are: sleeping in a bedroom, napping in a hammock in nature, resting along the beachside, etc.
“AUTO-PILOT”: Theta waves are generated with inner focus, and free-flowing unconscious thought. They are also very slow and often occurs while doing automatic tasks and during dreaming sleep. Most people increase their theta waves during long freeway drives, or even when brushing your hair (when tasks become so automatic that you can mentally disengage from them).
RELAXED: Alpha waves are associated with the resting state of the brain during some meditative and mindful activities when the mind is quiet and calm. Alpha brain waves is “the power of now”-being here, in the present. Some spaces most people can increase their alpha waves are: meditation rooms, a scenic secluded getaway, walking along the nature (beach, garden, park, lake, etc).
ALERT: Beta waves occur when one is alert and focused. Mostly common during the normal waking state, these waves are also active during problem solving or actively engaging with our environment. Having conversations with friends at the bar, working at a coffee shop or in a private office/ studio increases one’s attentiveness, allowing for more beta waves to take place.
AWARENESS: Gamma brain waves are the fastest and are indicative with higher levels of consciousness as well as when you have achieved peaked concentration. The mind must be quiet to access gamma brain waves, and is highly active when in states of love, altruism, and the ‘higher virtues’. Most people increase their gamma brain waves when hiking in the mountains, practicing in-motion meditation (yoga), or tuning into the symphonic music at an opera house.
How is this relevant to spatial ambiguity and creativity? Understanding electrical waves in the brain can provide information about one’s mental state and functioning and can help encode the reason why creativity sparks in different spaces.
“Make an empty space in any corner of your mind,
and creativity will instantly fill it.” – Dee Hock
In addition, the brain is divided into two halves, or hemispheres, wherein specific regions regulate certain functions within each half. Bundles of nerve fibers connect the two hemispheres together, forming an information highway. The two sides of your brain look similar to one another, but the way they interpret information is highly different. There are two paths the brain can take to solve a problem: the left brain is said to handle the logic, analysis, math, methods and fact, while the right side of the brain caters to art, emotion, intuition, creativity, and imagination. Although the two sides have contrasting styles, they work together and complement each other. They do not function independently of one another meaning you are not using just one side of the brain at a time; you are getting input from both sides of your brain whether you’re doing a logical or creative task. For instance, language is attributed to the left brain, but the right brain allows you to comprehend meaning and tone.
For the spaces we experience, the spatial qualities affect the senses and the brain.
For example, when we’re in the shower, the touch of water, the air temperature, the lack of intense visual and mental focus and the state cleansing the body are mind (all things that are connected to our senses) helps us unwind and get to a relaxed state.
The Beach: the sound of the waves, the touch of our feet on the sand and our connection to the earth, the touch of our body to the ocean, the smell of the ocean, the heat from the sun, the nutrients from the sun (vitamin d), all help us reach a relaxed state of mind, increasing our alpha brain waves.
The Mountains: being around nature is very important because human beings are part of nature and our environment is part of who we are. Living plants and animals are part of our life and we are part of theirs. Smelling different natural scents, walking on different landscapes (rocks, grass, dirt), reaching heights and indulging a variety of scenic views all help us develop more appreciation and gratitude, and expands our spiritual emergence.
“Creativity is piercing the mundane to find the marvelous.”
– Bill Moyers
The next time you feel stressed or relaxed, inspired or burnt out, think about what your brain is doing and how you can help it unwind or get energized through the experience of different spaces. Mind over matter!