About creative thinking

Being creative can be challenging when the mind is busy. In the words of Andy Puddicombe “Even when the mind is friendly, when the thoughts are helpful or creative, it is the space in between the thoughts – the silence – that provides the clarity and the precision”.

But how do you stop the chatter?

Have you ever tried to find a solution for a problem and spent hours, perhaps working with others, without finding anything suitable? It’s only at the point when you stop and start doing something else – taking your mind off the matter – that an idea, a creative thought, a solution to your issue arises…

I experience this very often, in fact I have to admit that my best ideas always come when I’m either cycling or meditating. Those are my moments of clarity, the moments when I have enough mental space to be able to let go of the chatter and listen to the silence. It is at that point that ideas pop up and that I am able to process them.

What about you, how do you get your best ideas?