Creativity in the Shower
Your company is growing.
You want to be the leader in the next phase of your industry. So, you bring together your team to
brainstorm ideas on what that “next phase” could be. You ask them to bring their fresh ideas to
the meeting. No judgement on their
value. Any and all ideas are welcome.
The meeting doesn’t go as well as you had hoped. Ideas aren’t forthcoming. As the leader of your organization, you
normally have a flow of ideas and those seem stifled, too. What could be the problem? You’re not in the shower.
Yes, you read that right, you’re not in the shower. What does that mean? Most people report that they recall things
they’ve been trying to remember and solve previously unsolvable problems while
in the shower. It’s as if the memory, or
answer to a problem, suddenly appear. They also say that many of their best
ideas come to mind while showering. What
causes this phenomenon?
Creativity, the Brain.
the Mind, and the Science
Time in the shower is real “me” time. We’re alone, the water is refreshing and
soothing, our mind can drift to any place it wants to go. We feel safe.
We’re relaxed. It’s during times
when we’re in this state that the parts of our brain that allow us to recall
information and create new ideas works optimally. There are, in fact, nerves in our body for
being “At-Ease”.
When we’re in a safe, relaxed state, the brain allows blood
and naturally produced chemicals to flow freely to all its areas. This means that our thoughts and thinking are
allowed to flow freely to go beyond surviving and into self-actualization,
including creativity. You’ll notice in
the graph below that all other human needs must be met before achieving this safe
state and creativity. Unfortunately,
many company executives and managers create an unsafe environment…
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You’re About to Lose
Your Job
How does that sentence make you feel? There’s usually an immediate reaction of fear.
worry, scarcity, and all the other sensations related to being unsafe. Many times, that’s how your people feel,
whether it’s real or imagined. They
won’t tell you they feel that way, directly.
They will fake their smiles and enthusiasm for the company to keep
getting a paycheck until they find another job.
Now, their job may not be in jeopardy. However, if they discern that you’re not
being transparent, authentic, that they’re being left ‘in the dark’; that your
company’s official statement of culture is that your people are cared about,
but the behaviors don’t match the words; when leadership seems in disarray and
gives the impression of incompetence, and so many other areas too vast to
mention, their brains will go into, and stay, in Survival
Mode. The only way their creativity will
show up are in ways to keep their jobs, or find new ones.
So, when you ask your people to be creative and innovative,
guess what you’re going to get? Less
than optimal results, to put it mildly.
One of my favorite scenarios I’ve seen in companies is when a
“Creativity Meeting” is called.
It’s as if someone believes creativity can be turned on, like a learned
skill, such as math. Under most environments’
meetings are held in, they actually are counterproductive for being creative. There is fear of being laughed at (even
though every idea is supposed to be welcomed).
There is the stress of trying to become creative. There is the pressure of wanting to please
the boss. etc.
So, the question is; Is there a way to help you and your
people go into “The Zone”, the state where all feel safe and the
brain and mind are allowed to flow freely with creativity at any time it’s
needed, even in a meeting setting?
Yes!
This isn’t Mindfulness or Meditation. Though, those are helpful tools. This is a proprietary process called Dynamic
Visualization. Dynamic Visualization can
be programmed to become active whenever a person needs resources, such as
creativity. You might wonder, what does
he mean by “Programmed”?
We’ve all been programmed from the time we were born. Did you know that the only two fears we’re
born with are fear of heights and fear of loud sounds? Every other fear has been programmed,
learned.
Think about a song that makes you sad. Now, think about a song that makes you
happy. There are circumstances
surrounding those songs that caused those feelings to be programmed in you,
which you may be totally unaware of.
Advertisers are constantly trying to program you to buy
their product or service through various marketing techniques. That programming takes place without your
intention or your control.
Now, imagine being able to intentionally program your mind
for beneficial purposes, such as having creativity, confidence, certainty,
power, focus, and so much more! That’s
what Dynamic Visualization can do!
So, if you’re looking for the answer to having you and your
people to become more creative, I’m only a phone call or email away! Or, maybe you can think of a more creative
way to get in touch with me…
ed@trans-think.com or 972.900.9207
Dr. Edward Lewellen is an expert in creating methodologies for people to learn to use their mind; their beliefs, thoughts, and behaviors, and put them back in control of their lives and become top-producers. He is a Master Executive Coach, leadership and sales expert, and keynote speaker for some of the largest global organizations.
For more information, call Dr. Ed at 972.900.9207
Author of:
Life Mastery: The Fully Functional Life
