How to Wire Your Brain for Instant Inspiration

There’s a science to creativity, which is a good thing for me, because I never considered myself a very creative person.

I’m a neuroscientist, raised in a family of accountants and engineers. Analytical? Yes, that’s me. I have spreadsheets of spreadsheets. Organized? Absolutely. I gave my wedding party typed and itemized instructions on our wedding day. Hard-working? You bet. I’ve always been willing to put in the hours to get things done. But creative…that’s not me…or is it?

As small business owners, entrepreneurs, and leaders, our jobs require us to think creatively. All. The. Time. We have to be able to generate out-of-the-box solutions that attract raving clients to our businesses, write engagement-boosting content on social media that explodes our audience, and create unique blog posts, articles, and podcast episodes that not only demonstrate our authority and expertise…but feel fun to create.

Our brains are amazing. But we can get in our own way when it comes to accessing our creative side, because there’s also a psychology to creativity.

Pause here for a moment and consider what you learned growing up about creativity… What makes a creative person? (Or, how do you know someone’s not creative?)

Our brains are learning machines, constantly taking in information from the moment we’re born. This means we’ve learned beliefs, values, and expectations about what it means to be creative. And those beliefs about ourselves can become fixed.

That’s the difference between a growth mindset and a fixed mindset, according to Dr. Carol Dweck.

If I have a fixed mindset about creativity I’m more likely to have beliefs and thoughts like:

• “I’m not a creative person”
• “Creativity is something you’re lucky to be born with (or not)”
• “Some people are just more creative”

But if I have a growth mindset about creativity, I’m more likely to have beliefs and thoughts like:

• “Creativity is a skill. One I can learn.”
• “I’m not very creative right now, but I can improve”
• “I think creative people just practice creativity more than others”

See the difference?

This all matters because the words we say, even in our own head, impact how our brains perceive ourselves and the world. How you think about your creativity will determine whether you prioritize time for creativity in your business.

If my brain thinks “I’m not a creative person” → other tasks are going to take precedence, especially when I already have a never-ending to-do list.

But if my brain thinks “creativity is a skill I can grow” → Then I’m way more likely to engage in activities that give my brain a chance to expand my creativity.

The good news? There’s a science to creativity. It’s a skill that can be grown and one that you can learn to activate on demand.

It’s possible to intentionally activate the brain networks involved in creativity on demand.

Here are 3 keys to start rewiring your brain for inspiration:

#1. Activate your imagination network

Also known as your default mode network, your imagination network is a broad set of connections in your brain that lights up when you’re not actively focused on any one thing (sometimes referred to as your “do nothing network”), and it plays a key role in creative and original thinking.

Ever get a brilliant idea while standing in the shower? That’s your default mode network in action.

Creativity Essential Reads

The History of Creative Schmoozing

The Power of Ambiguity

But in our modern world, especially for us high performers, we tend to be the hard workers, the responsible ones, and we’re taught it’s not valuable to give ourselves time to let our brains wander. The focus is on always doing more.

Give your brain some do-nothing space today. You might be surprised what creative nuggets pop out.

#2. Increase the connectivity between your left and right brain

Being left or right-brained is a bunch of pop-psychology.

But you do have two halves or hemispheres to your brain. They’re connected with a bundle of white matter fibers called your corpus callosum. This region plays a role in memory consolidation, integrating information from your senses, and enhancing language skills.

The more you use both sides of your brain together, the stronger these connections can become.

Tasks that boost this connectivity include anything where you use both hands at once, like gardening, woodworking, and crocheting or knitting.

#3. Fortify the brain centres involved in creativity

Activate your prefrontal cortex, which is involved in divergent, out-of-the-box thinking with activities like doing visual puzzles and word puzzles. Regularly activate your rich expressive language networks with tasks like regular reading (fiction and nonfiction), socializing with friends and family, and volunteering. And target your visual creativity within your frontal-parietal and frontal-subcortical networks by taking up a hobby like painting or graphic design, or even grab a coloring book every once in a while.

Intentionally activating inspiration and creativity relies on increasing interconnectivity between hemispheres, taking advantage of that default mode network, and strengthening brain centres that foster your unique creative genius

Because there’s a science to creativity, you can wire your brain for inspiration whenever you need it with a little practice.