Innovation Blog

Want to Think Creatively? Shut Down Your Brain!

By Shlomo Maital

Today’s Global New York Times carries a great article by Matt Richtel, who is based in San Francisco and who covers the digital world. [1] Richtel cites scientific evidence that shows “when people keep their brains busy with digital input [cellphones, iPad, iPod, iPod, and so on], they are forfeiting downtime that could allow them to better learn and remember information, or come up with new ideas”.

Richtel interviewed Dianna Bates, who while churning her legs on an elliptical machine at a fitness center is listening to songs on her iPod, then tapping out an email on her iPhone and watching HD television.

All this activity is an antidote to the boredom of exercise, Richtel says.  But hey – let’s hear it for boredom!

I myself am a confirmed jogger, and love to do 5 km. runs along the boardwalk in my city Haifa, or sometimes 10 kms. on the weekend.    Some of my very best ideas have come from those runs.  The prolonged monotony and rhythm of running provide the perfect seed bed for thinking creatively.   Your mind detaches itself from your body, floats above your head at 10,000 feet, and wanders, tackling all the problems you have buried deep in your subconscious just waiting for the chance to solve them.     If you do not create down time,  and if your mind is constantly busy with its variety of digital gadgets, when will it have the space and time to ‘float’ and to create?

What is the evidence for this?

●   People learn significantly better after a walk in nature than after a walk in a city.

●   Digital games are increasingly played for shorter and shorter time periods; one mobile game, stacking blocks, gets played for an average of 2.2 minutes.  That is potential down time that is lost.

●   At the fitness center Richtel visited, of 70 cardio machines, 67 have TV’s attached.  Recently, when the cable TV went down, patrons went ballistic.  But one fitness fan gets it.  He looks out at the pool and the palm trees.  “I come here to clear my head,” he says.

So, innovator – get bored.  Do monotonous things without any toys.  Watch your mind wander – and be surprised at the things it tosses at you.   Be sure, however, to capture them – I always run with pad and pen.

[1] Matt Richtel, “Digital devices deprive brain of needed downtime”, Global NYT Aug. 24/2010.