Comments on: How Water Affects Your Creativity and Your Writing

By: Joanna

Joanna — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 15:40:32 +0000

Hi Edinburgh Fan, and sorry for the delay in replying.

I like the sound of infinite potential.

I think that’s something writing can do for us too

Joanna

By: Edinburgh Fan

Edinburgh Fan — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 16:16:21 +0000

Water can make a big imapct in my own writing, as to me it conjures images of the vastness of space and the openness of infinity. When I look out over an endless horizon of water, there is a sense of mystery, forboding, and of infinite potential.

By: Emma

Emma — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 09:53:04 +0000

Hi Joanna, Roy, Ulla and Darren

I love water, be that the sea, a lake, a river, a waterfall or even a bath. I’m lucky enough to live a two-minute walk from a beautiful beach in Sardinia which means I spend a lot of time there. But, as Joanna suggested, I’ve shifted seeing it as a place for ‘time-out’ and one where I can actually work. Some of my best brainstorming comes from a swim in the sea and I’m known to take clients there, too. Either for some business brainstorming or as a wind down after the consult that we do on my veranda overlooking the sea.

But, like you say Ulla, anything to do with movement gets my perspective shifting and unlocks my ability to write.

By: Joanna

Joanna — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 12:18:21 +0000

Roy, it’s good to see you here, and thanks for the extra info on ways we can get our brains working.

Interesting too to think about the different parts of our brains… or different brain states… and how those affect our creativity.

Thanks too for enlightening me about the zamboni!

By: Roy Jacobsen

Roy Jacobsen — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 10:29:46 +0000

Ulla, I’ve read in a number of places that moving around is a powerful creativity enhancer, for the reasons you cite, and more. (For example, exercise, in and of itself, is good for your brain; see Brain Rules by John Medina — http://www.brainrules.net.)

Regarding water, Charles Schultz said that there are three things that people can watch for hours on end: moving water, fire (campfire or fireplace), and a zamboni. I think there’s something about water and fire at least that switches on the contemplative, meditative parts of our brains.

Roy Jacobsens last blog post..A random question about how expressions change

By: Joanna

Joanna — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 13:47:19 +0000

Ulla, you sound like me. Getting and walking is an instant way to get the words to flow!

Though I have noticed there are different results depending on the environment I walk in. And that travelling by ferry makes a *big* difference to the way I feel, even if it’s just a wee boat to a small island. Something to do with transitions and borders I guess – external and internal.

Joanna

By: Joanna

Joanna — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 13:45:32 +0000

Darren, I like the idea of the water flowing inside us. That’s a great prompt to think about creativity as ‘flow’ and looking inside to see how it’s flowing or what we could do to get the water moving again.

I know what you mean about free time vs work time. Emma might have some interesting perspectives on that as she’s changed what ‘work’ looks like so completely. Of course we’re also promoting the beneficial effects of taking some ‘time out’ to help get the creative juices going by coming to one of our workshops

Interesting point about the book – the author highlights many sources of running water including taking a shower and sitting in a cafe near a fountain feature. She thinks it might have something to do with negative / positive ions.

Joanna

By: Ulla

Ulla — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 18:17:19 +0000

I made the experience that it is not so much the water, it’s the walking, the movement, which gives me ideas. Just to walk has a bit of meditation for me, it’s the movement of my feet, the feeling of fresh air. And then sometimes it happens – ideas are coming!

Ullas last blog post..Bavaria # 4 Landscapes

By: Darren Daz Cox

Darren Daz Cox — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 17:36:20 +0000

I like the poetry of this idea and perhaps the question is rhetorical as most people associate beaches, lakes, waterfalls etc with ‘free time’ not ‘at the job’ time.

I think that the water inside you is more important to fostering your creativity than pretty scenery, as poor health can affect creativity more than environment, but yeah, there really is something inspirational about water!!!!

I used to listen to my ipod on my morning walk on the beach but i found that i had some of my most creative ideas on my walk just letting my mind wander as I walked and looked around!

Darren Daz Coxs last blog post..Sunset Animals – how many can you see?