A Creative Idea

Creativity – noun – the state or quality of being creative; the ability to transcend traditional ideas, rules, patterns, relationships, or the like, and to create meaningful new ideas, forms, methods, interpretations, etc.

***

As writers, we’re all creative people, or strive to be. The creative process is part of who we are. So, if I could give you one simple thing to enhance your creativity and improve your writing, as well as making you healthier in the long run, would you be interested? I thought so.

Recent studies reveal some surprising findings about the relationship between exercise and creativity.  We’ve all heard of the benefits of aerobic exercise to strengthen our bodies and reduce stress, but there’s more.

According to a 2016 online article in Quartz by neuroscientist Dr. Wendy Suzuki, exercise encourages the growth of cells in the hippocampus area of the brain. This is advantageous no matter how old we are since the hippocampus is one of only two brain areas where new brain cells continue to be generated throughout our lives. And research has shown the hippocampus is important in enhancing long term memory and even possibly – listen to this, writers – creativity. Dr. Suzuki writes that “… this discovery suggests that exercise might be able to improve the imaginative functions of the hippocampus …”

Further evidence appeared in an article in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience in 2013: “Anecdotal literature suggests that creative people sometimes use bodily movement to help overcome mental blocks and to get deeper into a problem.” They even quote the philosopher Henry David Thoreau: “The moment my legs begin to move my thoughts begin to flow – as if I had given vent to the stream at the lower end and consequently new fountains flowed into it at the upper.”

As recently as February 2021, The New York Times published an article about exercise with the subtitle “To spur innovation and ideas, try taking a walk.”

Runner’s World magazine expanded the list of benefits in its August 2018 issue with an article that states, “Studies have shown that running can help prevent obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, some cancers, and a host of other unpleasant conditions. What’s more, scientists have shown that running also vastly improves the quality of your emotional and mental life. It even helps you live longer.” More time to write!

Of course, there are many ways to exercise: brisk walking, swimming, biking, jogging, zumba classes, and more. The benefits of aerobic exercise are so enormous, we can’t afford to ignore them. We can live longer, happier, healthier lives and be more creative if we do just one simple thing: exercise to get our brains moving along with our bodies.

Be strong and write long!

TKZers: What exercises do you do to keep in shape? Have you noticed an increase in your creative output after exercising? Have you found a brisk walk or other exercise helps to overcome a mental block in your writing?

 

“DiBianca’s motif of time, clocks, and watches—evident in her previous novels—is a superb gimmick, and the idea of two teams of smart female detectives working almost in parallel is equally clever.” – Kirkus Reviews

Limited Time Sale – 99¢

This entry was posted in Writing by Kay DiBianca. Bookmark the permalink.

About Kay DiBianca

Kay DiBianca is a former software developer and IT manager who retired to a life of mystery. She’s the award-winning author of three mystery novels, The Watch on the Fencepost, Dead Man’s Watch, and Time After Tyme. Connect with Kay on her website at https://kaydibianca.com.

39 thoughts on “A Creative Idea

  1. Good morning, Kay. What you describe in your post has been 100% true for me. Exercise has also improved my general ability to focus not only with writing but also with daily functioning. While I don’t run (I used to jog but the ice kept falling out of my glass) I started using the treadmill three times a day (for something other than a coat tree) and lifting weights (something heavier than a Lorna Doone) on a daily basis. I may in a month or two describe in a guest post how I came to this point.

    Thanks for a terrific post to start the day.

    • Good morning, Joe.

      “Exercise has also improved my general ability to focus” — I know what you mean. And we need all the focus we can get for this writing life, eh?

      I’m looking forward to your guest post!

    • “(I used to jog but the ice kept falling out of my glass)”

      Yes, jogging is contraindicated for many people. My belt kept breaking, with dire consequences for onlookers.

  2. I try to do a ten minute high-impact-interval-training (HIIT) session three times a week. I like these because they’re short and don’t require a trip to the gym, etc.

    For strength, a session on my official Chuck Norris-endorsed Total Gym. I want to be like Chuck. When he does pushups he doesn’t push himself up; he pushes the Earth down. (Did you know he has a bear rug in his house? It’s not dead, it’s just afraid to move.)

    Or take a walk and listen to an audio book.

    • Good morning, Jim!

      Sounds like you have all the bases covered. I also like to intersperse running days with cross-training. I have some ancient exercise videos, and I know those routines so well that i turn the volume all the way down and work out while listening to craft of writing courses (e.g., “How to Writer Best-Selling Fiction” with James Scott Bell.)

      Love the Chuck Norris stories.

    • LOL! Love the Chuck Norris-isms. Also like “Chuck Norris blows bubbles with beef jerky.” 😎 😎 😎

  3. Kay, I couldn’t agree more. If I can’t think of a word, simply standing up from the computer and moving a few steps almost always pops the missing word right into my brain.

    Walking, zumba, and air boxing all improve my creativity and productiveness. When I don’t do something physical, my mind turns to sludge.

    This post makes a perfect lead-in for my post tomorrow:10 tips from a chiropractor for helping a writer’s wellbeing.

    • Good morning, Debbie!

      I’ve never tried Zumba, but I’ve heard it’s a great way to get exercise. And air boxing! i could use that to get over some of the frustration I have with certain apps.

      Looking forward to your post tomorrow.

  4. And another good morning, Kay. Walking is my drug of choice. I have a route along our waterfront where I head out daily and put my mind in neutral to see what pops up. It’s like the monkey says, “Sometimes I sits up in the tree and thinks and sometimes I just sits up in the tree.” Enjoy your day!

    • And good morning back to you, lucky Vancouver resident! I envy you. Walking along the waterfront in beautiful Vancouver has to be inspiring.

      I ran the Vancouver Marathon once, and I kept stopping to look at the magnificent views. Say hello to Stanley Park for me.

      Have a great week.

  5. I live in the mountains. Dirt roads, trails, and lots of changes in elevation. I have a dog who demands her Walkies every day. I also go to a yoga class once a week. If I sit at the keyboard too long, my watch reminds me to move 250 steps/hour. As added incentive, my insurance company pays me $10/month if I walk over 7500 steps a day for 10 days in that month.
    Does it help the writing? Honestly, I don’t know. But I’m sure I’m healthier than if I didn’t get out and about and move.

    • Good morning, Terry. Walking in the mountains must give you plenty of inspiration as well as great workouts. Lucky you.

      Your insurance company pays you to walk? I’m going to call my agent today — I could use a few extra dollars for book promos. 🙂

  6. Great post, Kay. I agree 100%. The importance of exercise in managing and preventing many health problems cannot be stressed enough.

    I was a runner from high school until my 40s, when lower back problems ended that. I discovered Nordic Trac and the old “ski machine.” It has helped my back and allowed me to continue vigorous aerobic conditioning. I exercise daily with upper body, calisthenics, and the Nordic Trac.

    Debbie mentioned not exercising turns her mind to sludge. I feel logy when I miss a day of exercise. And outside physical work (mindless work) with nothing to distract me is wonderful for cooking up new ideas, techniques, and inventions.

    As for overcoming mental block in writing, the boys in the basement stay healthier and more productive when they know I’m exercising, too.

    Carpe exercitium!

    • Good morning, Steve! I was looking forward to your comment since you’re the health expert here.

      The Nordic Trac is another wonderful invention. We lived in Wisconsin for five years during some of the coldest, snowiest winters on record there. (Just our luck.) We took up cross-country skiing just to fight back, and we discovered all the benefits of that great sport.

      Have a great week!

  7. Good morning, Kay! Great post! I also couldn’t agree more about the importance of exercise, both for physical and mental health, and for creativity. Like Steve, I used to run, but had to give it up after developing sciatica in my mid-30s. Long walks and quality time on the elliptical trainer and treadmills followed.

    These days it’s walk each day before breakfast with my wife LeAnn every morning. We also do Zumba three times a week, and yoga 3-4 times a week. Granted, yoga can be slow stretching, but can also be aerobic if you’re doing a Vinyassa flow style class where you move from one pose to another fairly quickly.

    In all cases, I often get ideas when exercising. But more important than that, my mind feels more alert and energetic.

    Have a wonderful day!

    • Good morning to you, Dale!

      You have a great exercise schedule. Lots of different ways to get things moving. The elliptical is another great invention that gives us all the benefits of running without the pounding.

      I have to try Zumba one of these days.

  8. I jog, and I walk the dog everyday. My long-legged dog used to be my running companion, but he’s getting on in years and only feels like breaking into a jog once in awhile. If I work a long session, then a walk clears my head. It feels like my thoughts get broader. I can see (imagine) more things at once.

    • Good morning, Priscilla!

      “It feels like my thoughts get broader. I can see (imagine) more things at once.” Great description.

      Have a great week.

  9. Great post, Kay! After our last discussion on TKZ about exercise I’ve been squeezing in short Zumba sessions a few times per week. Mainly, I’m a walker. Not a brisk walker. I think better when I stroll. Winter’s tough, though. The streets are so narrow from snowbanks. So, every 25 minutes I stroll around the house for 8-10 minutes. And every morning I stroll around the yard, which is tri-leveled. My amazing husband snow-blows a track for me and the wildlife. There’s nothing like fresh air to get the juices flowing. 🙂

    • Good morning, Sue!

      Good for your husband clearing a track through the snow for you to walk on. I bet that brisk New England air gets the brain cells moving.

      Enjoy your day!

  10. Multi-tasker here. I find fairly boring exercise (mine at bike riding and swimming) are great for creativity – I always come home with new ideas!

    • Hi Harald!

      “Every day, without fail.” Good for you. Even though it can be hard to carve out that hour or two from a busy schedule, the return on investment is well worth it.

      Have a great week.

  11. Hi Kay…great reminders here from all of you.

    Our very large German Shepherd walks us 2 miles every day. Through the orchards, sometimes down the hilly dirt road we live on. If I miss a day, I know it.

    We also have a pulley hanging on a coat closet door that we use to get our arms over our heads. We’ve found that just doing that for 10 minutes helps with flexibility in our *ahem* aging bodies. And I have a recumbent bike in a corner of my office that gets my blood flowing.

    Happy Monday to all . . . and pray for the Ukrainian and Russian people. 🙂

    • Hi Deb!

      I’ve seen pictures of your German Shepherd, and she looks like a good walking companion. “Through the orchards, sometimes down the hilly dirt road we live on.” Sounds wonderful.

      Just curious: Have you ever set your laptop up on your recumbent bike and tried working while pedaling? Seriously.

      Have a great week.

  12. I’ve been doing Pilates for 18 years now and can still touch the floor flat-handed, something I couldn’t do when I started. I have a 40-minute routine I do 6 days a week right after I get out of bed that includes stretching, aerobics, and corner push-ups for my shoulders. I also walk, weather permitting.

    And today instead of taking a nap, I’m going to put my feet up on the wall (ala JSB) for ten minutes.

    • Good morning, Patricia!

      Touch the floor flat-handed? Bravo! Sounds like you have a great exercise routine in place. And the “dumb criminals” articles you post on your blog are evidence of your creativity.

      I think I’ll put my feet up on the wall today as well. Thanks for the idea.

      Have a great day.

  13. For years, I’d stop at the post office to check the family box for mail, find bad news from whatever publisher or agent I was hopeful about, then head to Nautilus. I’d walk in under a gray cloud of unhappiness and work through the machines as I mentally cussed out the idiots who sent me the rejection. Then I’d turn to figuring out where I’d go next. I’d walk out hopeful and ready to keep moving forward. Even if we don’t feel that our creativity needs a boost, we need a way to deal with stress.

    And let’s not forget lawn and house work. That repetitive crap does wonders for problem solving. I was about 75,000 words into one of my novels and discovered that the Poe poem I was using to tie the historical and contemporary plot together had a different date than my careful research had shown. A nuclear bomb had just exploded, and my novel was blown to smithereens. Half way through cleaning the fridge, the solution came. Never underestimate the power of wiping up pickle jars.

    • Good morning, Marilynn!

      Stress can do some really bad things, and I agree exercise can clean away the tension and get us back to normal.

      I never thought of cleaning out the refrigerator in a positive way before. You’ve motivated me. The next time I encounter a mental block, I’m going to grab a sponge and head to the kitchen. Thanks. 🙂

    • I liked your article. My inner warehouseman is slowing down, but he still gets the job done. 🙂

      I like crossword puzzles, and I’ve noticed that if I get stumped on a word, I’ll leave the puzzle for a while. When I return I usually see the answer right away. I don’t know if it’s the warehouseman or the boys in the basement, but I’m glad they’re still working.

      • The thing is, you’re adding stuff to your warehouse every day, and there’s just one little guy and his hand truck, so he has to travel farther and farther as you get older. Give him time to do his job. I always thank him for a successful search. Giving up may not be the best policy. It took my warehouseman a half hour once to come up with “Ron Gagliano,” a classmate at USC from 60 years ago, whose name I was trying to remember. It just suddenly appeared in my mind.

  14. My main thing that I stick to is walking, though I try hard to work in some basic strength training because our muscles are not kind to us if we don’t keep working them. Sometimes I find that walking does help me solve some writing problems, but not all the time.

    Tried running about 10 or so years ago in my 40’s. Found I really liked it, but started too late in life–my knees did not enjoy it.

    LOVE LOVE LOVE kickboxing but I don’t have the ability to set up a heavy bag at home. I have a bag stand, but that’s just not the same as beating the tar out of a heavy bag and getting it swinging. LOL!!!!! And gyms that do real kickboxing are usually pretty pricey. 8-(

    Most of all whether writing or doing other work at a computer, I get up and move around often to keep those up-n-go muscles working.

    • “The “Unconscious” is not unconscious, it is conscious; it is our consciousness that is unconscious of the Unconscious’s consciousness.” I’m going to have to turn this one over to the boys in the basement. 🙂

      Thanks for the links and have a great week.

Comments are closed.