Left, right, left, right....
It seems likely that creative activities, from inventing and problem solving to painting and sculpting, need both halves of the brain to be fully engaged. In terms of problem solving, for instance, we are often trying to develop out-of-the-box ideas whie keeping one eye on commercial or other realities. Even when sculpting or painting there are mechanical or similar considerations that may utilize the left hemishpere's capabilities while the 'ideas' part of the process will be coming from right hemisphere activity. While a musician may be using the right hemisphere to improvise or to add musicality to a performance, the left hemisphere is largely responsible for reading the music and controlling many of the body's mechanical activities.
The craze for labelling human activities as either left-brain or right-brain has largely passed, but not without leaving a legacy. We still hear and read references to certain activities being conducted by one half of the brain. So is this really how we think?
Well, yes and no. We tend to look at differences between things rather than similarities. For instance, there may tend to be differences between the behavior patterns of men and women, and these attract our attention. But these differences are dwarfed by the similarities between the sexes aren't they? Similarly, there are tasks that preferentially load one side of the brain and many that do not.
When it comes to thinking, then, we perform most cognitive tasks using both halves of the brain. But, it is true to say that some types of activity seem to be performed by one hemisphere preferentially. The right side of the brain seems to be more active when listening to music, for example; whereas playing music seems mostly to involve the left hemisphere.
Well, yes and no. We tend to look at differences between things rather than similarities. For instance, there may tend to be differences between the behavior patterns of men and women, and these attract our attention. But these differences are dwarfed by the similarities between the sexes aren't they? Similarly, there are tasks that preferentially load one side of the brain and many that do not.
When it comes to thinking, then, we perform most cognitive tasks using both halves of the brain. But, it is true to say that some types of activity seem to be performed by one hemisphere preferentially. The right side of the brain seems to be more active when listening to music, for example; whereas playing music seems mostly to involve the left hemisphere.
‘Inside every big problem
are lots of little problems
trying to get out’
are lots of little problems
trying to get out’
Left brain tendencies
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Needs stability and structure
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Neat and orderly
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Reads phonetically
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Reads before experiencing
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Considers function before appearance
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Relates to words rather than graphics
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Instructions are detailed
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Learns pieces then assembles them
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‘I love deadlines, especially the woooshing sound as they go flying by’
Right brain tendencies
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Likes surprise and randomness
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Neatness not a priority
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Reads whole language
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Learns by experience not reading
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Appearance before purpose
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Relates to graphs and illustrations
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Broad picture and flexible
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Learns big–picture, & focuses later
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One important factor in developing creativity, then, is to do things that help thinking become a 'whole-brain' activity......Spherical Thinking™, that is, rather than hemispherical.
Dial-up versus broadband
One of the difficulties to overcome when developing activities that encourage spherical thinking is that the two hemispheres do not communicate readily. You'd think, considering what a staggeringly sophisticated device the brain is, that it would have got this sorted out, wouldn't you? But no. In the land of broadband, the two hemispheres communicate with what amounts to dial-up. The corpus collosum is to blame. That's the piece of wet string that joins the two halves of the brain from a communication perspective.
Interestingly, the corpus collosum is better developed in people who started learning to play a musical instrument before they were seven years old, possibly because playing a musical instrument uses both left and right sides of the brain. That, of course, is of little help to those of us who left the age of seven behind some while back. However, all is not lost. There are other ways you can hone your corpus collosum as well as develop Spherical Thinking™. Helping you learn these techniques is one of the goals of Creative Paths’ workshops and is invaluable whether you are applying creative energy within an organizational environment or for your own self-development.
Interestingly, the corpus collosum is better developed in people who started learning to play a musical instrument before they were seven years old, possibly because playing a musical instrument uses both left and right sides of the brain. That, of course, is of little help to those of us who left the age of seven behind some while back. However, all is not lost. There are other ways you can hone your corpus collosum as well as develop Spherical Thinking™. Helping you learn these techniques is one of the goals of Creative Paths’ workshops and is invaluable whether you are applying creative energy within an organizational environment or for your own self-development.
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