At the Young Alberta Book Society AGM, I spoke about Jonah Lehrer's new book, Imagine: How Creativity Works. Then we took a brainstorm walk around artist/author Georgia Graham's farm.
To get creative, Lehrer says, we think we need to sit at the computer or drawing board for hours until inspiration strikes. But really, according to Lehrer, the best ideas pop up when we're not buckled down. So when we're taking a walk or a shower or playing the piano, that's when our brains draw new connections.
To that end, some companies have installed napping couches in their offices. Pixar housed the engineers, techies and artists in one building and made them share a bathroom because bumping into people for unexpected conversation can trigger creativity.
That's not to say that after you have the good idea, you don't need to spend zillions of hours at the drawing board to finish your book!
How do you fire up your creativity? Let's have a conversation in the comments.
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Or give me a call the next time you're in Calgary - we'll take a brainstorm walk!
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