Stretch Your Brain!

Take a look at the picture at the top of this page. Do you know what it is? “Of course,” you respond. “It’s a dot!” But what else could it be?

Take a break in your busy day to stretch your brain. On a a piece of paper, write down a list of all the things this could be.

I’ll Wait …….. (Insert theme from?Jeopardy?here.)

How long is your list? Do you have five items listed? Maybe you wrote down one or more of the following: ?an Oreo cookie with the cream licked off, a black hole, a bug, a freckle or the top of someone’s hat?

You might be surprised to know that in response to that question, the average six year old will generate a list of about 25 different ideas, while the average 45 year old will think up three possible solutions.

Why? What happens to us as we age? For many of us, that short list is a result of letting our creative muscle atrophy. Our brains are efficient, making hundreds of decisions for us every day. But to keep ourselves sane, we often?build?rules, look for?familiar?patterns and take the most obvious answer first.

This is really a shame, because now, more than ever, businesses need creative solutions. As we race to keep up with changing market conditions, we need new ways of approaching old problems, new strategies, new tactics and new tools.

The good news is that this atrophy can be reversed. Here are a few simple ways to keep your creative muscle strong:

Stop censoring yourself.?Give?yourself permission to laugh and to fail. Children answer the dot question with whatever pops into their head. They aren’t?embarrassed?and they don’t hold back. Sometimes the most?interesting?solutions start as really crazy ideas.

The next time you are up against a challenging situation, try brainstorming solutions with abandon. Don't reject the crazy ideas immediately. Sit with them and see if a modification might make them workable.

Strong muscles start with fuel.?When I was a kid, Wonder Bread claimed to build strong muscles 12 ways. Build your creative muscle the same way. Read magazines?unrelated?to your field, drop by an art museum, take a class on something you have always wanted to learn.?Spend time with people who don’t see the world the way you do. You don’t have to agree, but find someone with completely the?opposite?political views and ask them why.

Stretch your brain with puzzles and games.?Even a five minute intermission in the afternoon can help shake those brain cells our of their rut. Websites like?https://www.lumosity.com/?have lots of games and brain teasers, or you can simply buy a book of puzzles.

When I ran Roundpeg, we would take a break and sit outside on a hot summer days to have?Popsicles. The ones we purchased had a silly riddles on each stick. We would share the riddles, laugh at the solutions and return to our desks, refreshed, and ready to be creative for our clients.

So, starting today have a little fun, learn something, do something, and most of all find time to laugh.

Bringing creativity into your business and life was the topic of one of my favorite presentations.