Logical Creativity: 9 Left-Brain Activities to Help Enhance Creative Thinking
If you are a writer, designer, crafter, knitter, potter or any kind of “creator,” much of your day-to-day revolves around that mysterious, mystical word: CREATIVITY. In fact, some days may be spent putting too much focus on creativity — too much of what many people call right-brain thinking, and not enough utilization of left-brain thinking.
The left brain/right brain debate is a long and extensive dialogue. The general thought has been that left brain thinking is more logical and analytical and right brain thinking is more creative and abstract. The important thing we should take from these discussions is not a distinction and separation between the two, but the importance of the two sides working together to produce your unique creativity.
I’m guilty. Probably more than most. I tend to spend all my time focused on the abstract, divergent thought processes that are associated with right brain thinking. However, I think it’s incredibly important to take time on regular basis and focus on the analytical side too. Your creative nature will only be enhanced when both right and left brain are working so smoothly together.
So if you are right-brain focused as well, here’s a few ways to give some loving to the logical left side of your brain.
- Balance Your Checkbook —- I know, I know. I hate it too. But, it’s got to be done. So, why not think of it as a break from all that creativity you churn out each day. If you want to get extra “left brainy,” try doing it without a calculator.
- Logic Problems —- One of my favorite left brain activities. They require a linear style of thinking that’s good for you and even better for your development.
- Memory Exercises —- You’ll find hundreds of tips, tricks and advice on how to improve your memory. Test out a few of them. Test out some of the more interesting ones.
- Call Your Mom and Catch Up —- Social activity is a great way to stimulate your logical side. Not only does it help develop your cognitive thinking skills, but it keeps you sharp and perceptive. Dealing with people (especially inquiring minds like your mother) can challenge your left brain.
- Test Your Grammar Skills —- I bet you thought it couldn’t get any worse than balancing your checkbook, huh? But, seriously, everyone can use a little brushing up on English 101 essentials. Things like email, instant messenger and Twitter have made us lazy when it comes to this subject. Pass it around to your friends who don’t seem to know their keyboard has comma and period keys.
- Pick-Up-Sticks —- A classic! I remember some seriously competitive games of pick-up-sticks that took place at my house growing up. Employing logical, linear thinking is the only way you can come out on top in this game.
- Make a To-Do List —- Better yet, make lots of to-do lists. Make categories of to-do lists. The left side of your brain is a list-making fool.
- Plan Your Next Vacation —- This falls right along side the list-making. All the details and specifics that go into trip planning tap into the logical side of your brain. And, being immersed in pleasant vacation details for a few hours is often a nice little mini-vacation for your mind.
- Put a Puzzle Together —- The great thing about this is you’ve got so many choices! You can even choose HOW you do the puzzle: either on the computer or the old-fashioned way.
Connect and Survive: Using Creativity to Grieve
My heart is heavy as I write today. The beautiful spirit who I considered my second little sister, my parents’ saw as their third daughter, and who WAS and always will be my sister’s soul mate passed away this week. Jessica was a significant presence in our family and the sillyness and laughter and companionship will be missed. I’m not sure how to help fill this huge whole that is left in my sister’s world.
But, I definitely know how to make it better and maybe even a little easier - even if for just a few hours.
Expressing Yourself
Creativity has so many different meanings. One thing we can all agree on, though, is that creativity requires you to search within yourself. To be creative, you have to step back from your ego, silence the negative critic and find peace with your vision - whatever that vision is for you. Creativity requires the courage to express yourself freely. Could there be a better complement for the grieving process?
Connecting with Your Grief
Everyone grieves differently. But, just like that unifying aspect of “creativity,” it’s all about finding the comfort and courage to express yourself in whatever way is best for you.
So, yesterday Amy and I purged our pain and grief with creativity. We laughed, cried, smiled, reminisced and remembered Jessica with our creative spirit. We wanted to honor Jessica and also find a way to make this whole mourning process make sense. Our creation solidifies all the reasons I love scrapbooking. Memories are an amazing and wondrous force of nature.
Three simple sentences in Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way
One of the great misconceptions about the artistic life is that it entails great swathes of aimlessness. The truth is that the creative life involves great swathes of attention. Attention is a way to connect and survive.
Attention is a way to connect and survive…
Paying attention to our creative souls, Amy and I connected in order to survive yesterday. My sister has many hard days ahead, but I’m overcome with the joy that I could help her get through one of the harder ones with a little creativity.
We Love You, Jessica.
Open For Business: Unobstructed Creativity Crafts for Sale on Etsy
I’m so happy to announce that I finally have a place to peddle all my crafting creations.
The minute I find a craft I love and have fun doing, I’ve got another one added to my list that I want to try. I just appreciate the idea of “handmade” so much. Besides, all this crafting keeps me out of trouble. 
I’ll be adding more and more in the next week or so. Please check it out:
Unobstructed Creativity on Etsy
Sparks of Creativity: 3 Inspiring Sources for Writing, Crafting and Scrapbooking
There are so many different ways to spark your creativity. Today I want to share three different means that inspire me.
For Writing:
Book Mooch
I discovered BookMooch last year and have been addicted ever since. The concept is simple at its core: offer books you want to give away, get points when others mooch those books from you, use your points to mooch others’ books you want.
I truly believe there is no better inspiration for your own writing than the exceptional writing of those who have come before you. BookMooch is my favorite place to find an unexpected treasure. Example:
My most recent gem is Kenneth Atchity’s “A Writer’s Time: A Guide to the Creative Process, from Vision to Revision.” Atchity wrote the book about 22 years ago - before computers and cell phones and all this crazy technology. Some of the bare-bones advice is such a refreshing reminder of the importance of the writing process itself. One of my favorite lines has to do with writing your first draft. He talks about how the first draft is the time to get it all out, and then later worry about what to do with you. Atchity says, “This is the process of giving birth, not the process of surgical intervention.” Love it.
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For Crafting:
Paper Samples
If you are crafter, I’m willing to bet you have an appreciation, if not a downright obsession, for beautiful paper. The sheer number of texture, weight and color combinations make the possibilities endless. Paper can be luxurious, classy, stylish, elegant, artistic — oh and EXPENSIVE.
I’m letting one of my favorite paper crafting secrets out of the bag…..paper samples.
While a lot of companies don’t charge for their paper sample books, they are really made for designer and agency use. Your best source for a nice stock of sample books: your local advertising agencies. I promise you, most of these businesses will have more paper samples than they know what to do with - so help them with the answer: you!
A quick Google or Yellow Pages search will give you a good list of the agencies in your area. Call or email the art director in the agency and ask if they have any old paper sample books they might need to clear out. If so, try and get an idea of how many (so you know if you need more than one box for transport) and offer to come pick them up. Most likely, the agency will be grateful for the extra space you’ve helped clear.
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For Scrapbooking:
One thing I love about scrapbooking is that anyone can do it, with anything they want to use. You don;t have to have all the expensive tools and papers and embellishments to put together a beautiful memory on the page of your scrapbook. In fact, some of my favorite pages have been the ones where I was super thrifty and resourceful with the different elements I used.
In the 2-page layout about my college graduation, I took the ceremony program, an Alumni Association Annual Report and a football program, and cut out elements from each. Not only, did it add character to my page, but I was able to pull the things I wanted to keep from each bulky publication and then get rid of each, which freed up some of the clutter my scrapping tends to accumulate.
The Joy of a Byline
If you’re a writer, you understand.
By Kristen-The-Published-Author…
For anyone who is passionate about writing, the title of this post alone is enough to trigger the rush of seeing your name in print. I hope the joy doesn’t pass over time.
I hope the joy doesn’t pass over time.
Does it?
A Cheeseball Moment Over My Own Byline
This morning, I picked up a few copies of the Jackson Free Press because I’ve got a story in this week’s issue. As I was getting back in my car at the gas station, lo and behold, what do I notice? My name on the front cover.
I’ve been doing freelance with the JFP for about a year, writing mostly smaller articles - nothing over 500 words. This article is the longest I’ve put together, and it got me my first kudos on the front cover.
Love it…
