Blink, and you might myth it...
There is a fabulous Greek Myth about a strapping young lad called Sisyphus. Sure he was all about travel and commerce - but had this nasty habit of killing travellers and being a terrible liar (his lies were actually quite believable, he just did it often).
For this awful way of behaving, he was cursed with the task of pushing a boulder up a hill only to watch it roll down again... forever...
There are times when the creative task in front of us can seem like that steep and unforgiving hill, when being at the bottom with that heavy looking boulder can bring about panic, fear even... But if we're creative people then doing anything else will send us mad eventually - so how do we face this creative curse, this Double-Edged Sword?
Creative Eating
I'm not suggesting you tear down that canvass and have yourself a novel wrap, nor devise bold new ways to tackle that bolognese - but some foods have links to health and happiness and , in turn, creativity.
- Avocados - filled with monosaturated fats (good fats!) and oleic oils
- Blackberries - Filled with antioxidants (help prevent cellular damage) specifically in the brain area
- Cinnamon - filled with lovely things I can't pronounce that help your blood and your brain
- Leafy Greens - Fight the bad stuff and help you build the good stuff better... squeeky is good!
- Water - Keep hydrated! A dehydrated brain is a lizard brain and creativity flows from the higher functions of that grey matter
To sleep, perchance to dream
There have been many studies into creativity and sleep has been the "glass half full" of the majority. Some say that plenty of sleep allows creativity, others that insomnia is the key component. Regardless of the studies, when you are well rested it is easier for you to attain a state of relaxation and this in turn leads to the 'open' state where creativity happens.
For some people, the sleep itself is the moment of creation. The song Yesterday came to Paul McCartney in a dream, Frankenstein was inspired by a dream that Mary Shelley had a Lord Byron's villa and Coleridge's seminal Kubla Khan came to him in a dream (albeit a drug induced one).
If you have trouble sleeping here's a few things that help:-
- Read - This helps focus your mind on one thing rather than racing through the things that the day dumped on you
- A pillow between the legs - This can help reduce discomfort and pain and allows the hips to attain a more natural position
- Use a mask and/or Earplugs - shielding our eyes from the light and better managing the sound helps your mind relax and slip into that unconscious REM which brings deep sleep
For more information on how to sleep better, visit the SLEEP HELP GUIDE and read to your hearts content!
PART TWO TO FOLLOW
