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Feeling stuck creatively or want an extra boost of inspiration? John Cleese says creativity isn’t something you’re born (or not born) with – it’s a way of thinking and it can be taught. Discover insights on sparking a creative mindset… and how music can accelerate the creative process.
I’m Mindy Peterson, host of Enhance Life with Music podcast, where we explore the ways music can make our lives better. And this is Microhance, a micro-dose of musical enhancement.
I recently came across the short book by John Cleese, aptly titled, “Creativity: A Short and Cheerful Guide.” It is, indeed, a quick, easy, and humorous read that I highly recommend. The author is best known for his film work, writing, and comedy; so I found it intriguing that he had initially studied science and physics, followed by law. I find transdisciplinary work and transferrable skills inspiring, fascinating, and always enhanced by music. So it was through that lens that I read this book.
Cleese describes creativity as simply “new ways of thinking about things.” He says: “Most people think of creativity as being entirely about the arts – music, painting, theatre, movies… etc… But this simply isn’t so. Creativity can be seen in every area of life – in science, or in business, or in sport. Wherever you can find a way of doing things that is better than what has been done before, you are being creative.”
He goes on to say, “Another myth is that creativity is something you have to be born with. This isn’t the case. Anyone can be creative… And you can teach creativity. Or perhaps I should say, more accurately, you can teach people how to create circumstances in which they will become creative.”
I completely agree that creativity transcends the arts, and that it can be taught. AND I know that music can spark and accelerate the creative process like nothing else! Whether you consider yourself a musician or not, let music shift you to a creative mindset.
- One way music can guide this shift is by activating subconscious problem solving. Cleese points out that, perhaps counter-intuitively, creativity often flourishes when we are NOT focused on problem-solving, and instead create space for playfulness and curiosity. Music naturally invites us into this open mode. Whether we’re listening, composing, or making music, music gives us permission to play, to experiment, to step outside rigid thinking. Think about how some of your best ideas surface when you’re lost in a song, letting your mind wander. Letting your unconscious mind do the work is crucial for creativity. Music helps us do just that. While I love efficiency and intentionality, I also try to recognize when I’m simply spinning my tires and digging a rut. Allowing my mind an incubation period of not thinking about a problem often allows my subconscious to develop solutions in the background.
- Music training develops creativity by encouraging exploration, improvisation, and self-expression within a structured framework. Learning an instrument or composing music requires students to experiment with sounds, interpret emotions, and think outside the box to create something unique. Additionally, music lessons enhance problem-solving skills by challenging students to break down complex pieces, troubleshoot technical difficulties, and adapt when mistakes occur. The process of mastering music fosters perseverance, flexible thinking, and the ability to find multiple solutions to a challenge—skills that extend far beyond music into everyday life.
- The third and final thought I’ll mention is very much a personal experience of mine that I’ll call the EMDR Effect of Music. EMDR is a therapeutic technique that involves alternating back-and-forth stimulation using rhythmic tapping or eye movement or both. This technique is used to mitigate trauma and evoke more accessible states of mind. The idea is that alternatingly activating both sides of the brain “relaxes” the corpus callosum, the bundle of nerve fibers that allow the brain’s two hemispheres to communicate. This allows new, stronger connections to be made between the two sides of the brain.
As soon as I learned about EMDR, it immediately gave me a way to describe the phenomenon I have consistently experienced while playing the piano. Since I was young, I’ve noticed that playing music that I enjoy and is in a sweet spot of not-too-hard, and not-too-easy, puts my mind in a type of flow state that super-charges my subconscious processing of events and feelings and problem-solving. It makes sense to me that playing the piano (and other instruments) would have this EMDR effect, since it involves bilateral hand, foot, and eye movements and rhythmic stimulation. And it’s been well documented that making music engages the entire brain and strengthens the corpus callosum.
If you know of more information on this EMDR Effect of Music, please let me know as I would love to understand this more!
So, if you’re feeling stuck creatively or would just enjoy an extra spark of inspiration, take a cue from Cleese – and enhance it with music: put your mind in open mode. Put on a favorite song, play an instrument, or attend a concert and let music guide your mind to an incubation state. Let it wander. You never know what ideas might emerge.
If you have a go-to method of jumpstarting creativity with music, I would love to hear about it.
You can always connect with me on email (mindy@mpetersonmusic.com), Facebook, Instagram, X, or LinkedIn.
I’m Mindy Peterson, and I hope this inspires you to enhance your life with music.
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