Creativity and Your Brain

by Indre Viskontas

Shedding light on what creative people do, and how they do it, neuroscientists are mapping the regions of the brain that come into play during creative work, showing that creativity is a skill and something that all of us can cultivate.

In these 24 compelling lectures, Professor Viskontas takes you on a deep dive into the human creative faculty, exploring core themes, such



How Creative Work Activates the Study the regions of the brain that shape creativity, as well as the synchronized activity across brain regions that characterizes creative thinking. Stages and Types of Study two practical models of the creative process, one which breaks down recognizable steps or stages in creative work, and one which defines different kinds of creativity, involving two types of mental work. Myths about Creative Examine notions linking mental illness with creative people; regarding creative people and depression, investigate whether depression drives creativity, or the reverse. Core Features of the Creative Study the phenomenon of creative insight (the “Aha moment”), and how to increase the likelihood of insight; take account of how imagination can be stimulated; and consider the flow state (being “in the zone”), and what occurs in the brain during flow. Mastering Creative Skills, Thinking, and Grasp the process of mastering a skill, whether in sports, the arts, or any setting; study the steps of design thinking, as a practical aid to creativity; and learn the rules of creative improvisation. The Creative Note how an open exchange of ideas and a collaborative dynamic fosters a culture of creativity and observe how interaction between human cultures and social ecosystems makes creativity and innovation blossom. Through the many areas of knowledge within the course, Creativity and Your Brain offers empowering and inspiring guidelines for developing your own creativity.

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About the author

Indre Viskontas is a sought-after science communicator across all mediums. She co-hosted the 6-episode docuseries Miracle Detectives on the Oprah Winfrey Network and has appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show, major radio stations across the US, including several appearances on the NPR program City Arts & Lectures and The Sunday Edition on the CBC in Canada. She currently co-hosts the web series Science in Progress for Tested.com and VRV. She is also the host of the popular science podcast Inquiring Minds, which boasts more than 7 million downloads. As a working singer, she is especially interested in the intersection between art and science, particularly when it involves music, and her new podcast, Cadence: what music tells us about the mind is now available on iTunes.

Follow her on twitter: @indrevis

Combining a passion for music with scientific curiosity, she is affectionately known as Dr. Dre by her students at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where she is pioneering the application of neuroscience to musical training, and at the University of San Francisco, where she is an Adjunct Professor of Psychology. She received a BSc in psychology and French literature from the University of Toronto, an MM degree in vocal performance at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and a PhD in cognitive neuroscience at UCLA.

As a scientist, Dr. Viskontas has published more than 50 original papers and chapters related to the neural basis of memory and creativity, including several seminal articles in top scientific journals. Her scientific work has been featured in Oliver Sacks’ book Musicophilia, Nature: Science Careers and Discover Magazine. She has also written for Mother Jones.com, American Scientist, Vitriol Magazine and other publications.

She often gives keynote talks, for organizations as diverse as Genentech, the Dallas Symphony, SXSW and Ogilvy along with frequent invited talks at conferences and academic institutions. Her 24-lecture course Essential Scientific Concepts was released by The Great Courses in 2014, selling more than 20,000 copies in its first year. Her second course, Brain Myths Exploded: Lessons from Neuroscience was released in early 2017.

Reviews

[A.M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

AN Opera singer AND neuro scientist? sighs.

We know so little about our own brains.

So fascinating to ’see’ what happens to jazz musician brains inside an FMRI while they play instruments.

And given her interest in music, she plays it where possible.

4 stars

[Victor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting up-to-date summary. Bloated with social nonsense.
Gets repetitive.

[Eleni Thanou · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was interesting. There was some very good info in it. But overall can’t say I loved it