Sometimes we need a creative spark, and the inspiration just isn’t there.
Our brain is making many connections to enable the experience of inspiration.
Combining brain science with inspiration techniques can provide the space for ideas to flow.
What happens in our brain when we are inspired?
Inspiration is a complex phenomenon that involves both emotional and cognitive processes.
Various regions of the brain are involved in different aspects of this complex emotion.
Our prefrontal cortex has goals in mind and a vision for the future.
Our limbic system taps into our emotions (positive and negative).
Neurotransmitters engage – dopamine (happy), serotonin (wellbeing), and norepinephrine (alertness).
These three parts of our brain come together to increase our openness to inspiration and creativity.
How can we trigger inspiration?
Understanding where and when we are inspired from yesterday’s post is a good starting point.
We can put ourselves in the right places and times to increase our personal likelihood of ideas.
When we do these things and still feel stuck, we can try a few of the ideas below.
These don’t need to be in our area of focus.
In fact, exploring something completely opposite of what you are trying to do can work perfectly.
Engage our Curiosity: Explore the world around us, engage all our senses, and ask questions.
Learn Something New: Pick up a book, watch a TED talk, search for a new topic online.
Be Creative: Engage in a different creative endeavor – write, paint, cook, quilt…you decide.
Seek Out Events: Attend lectures, exhibitions, concerts, or conferences with people who inspire you.
Create a Vision Board: Shift the focus from the work to a vision for the future.
Talk to a Stranger: Strike up conversation with someone you meet or see often at a café or a park.
Your Turn
Does your inspiration more frequently come from positive or negative emotions?
Which of the trigger activities are most interesting to you?
Are there other ways you set the conditions to spark your inspiration?