Water & Creativity

  1. Water/horizon on the visual, aural, standing position
    1. Blue Mind vs Red Mind
  2. Water on brain:
    1. parasympathetic nervous system
    2. negative ions with extra electron
    3. dopamine
  3. Shower
    1. noise, limited input, ions
    2. moderately engaging, not boring – sweet spot
    3. unique bc diff from rest of day
  4. How to get over block?
    1. medial prefrontal cortex turns on → incubation period
    2. after subconscious has been working to solve problem, now it can wander
    3. therefore, after conscious work
  5. As creative, how to harness
    1. work most of day, then shower
    2. pomodoro method: look at water feature during 3-min break
    3. washing dishes
    4. walk by stream, lake, or ocean, especially after working

Water Changes our Visual, Aural, and Sensory Input

Imagine standing and looking out at the ocean. Our field of view is simplified with a straight horizon and the rhythmic repetitive sounds plug us into a synchrony or “groove” (that’s the scientific term!). The color blue actually creates feelings of calm and peace. If we enter the ocean (or bath) then the hundreds of muscles that work to hold us upright no longer have to work as hard.

When the brain regions responsible for managing these complex inputs can take a break, it frees up space to slide into the “Blue Mind,” which is a mildly meditative state of being more connected to yourself and your environment. That opens a set of cognitive skills that are not available to us in our busy, rushing, sensory-filled “Red Mind.”

The Neurological, Physical, Literal Effects of Water on the Brain

Imagine you are walking next to a burbling stream towards a waterfall.

The noises and visuals activate your parasympathetic nervous system, which soothes and calms the body. A relaxed state of mind is essential to creativity. 

As you take a deep breath, you fill your lungs with negative ions, which have gained or lost an electrical charge as air molecules break apart in moving air and water. In our bloodstream, negative ions produce biochemical reactions that increase serotonin, which alleviates stress and boosts our daytime energy levels.

In turn, those good feelings–and the beauty of your surroundings–trigger the release of dopamine, which is another essential element of creativity. The more dopamine released, the more certain brain areas become active – and trigger more creativity.

If you don’t have an ocean, what about the shower?

I don’t live near a major body of water, do you? But a bath or shower also has a stunning effect on our creative brains.

Just like visiting the ocean or walking to a waterfall, stepping into the shower gives us a limited scope of audio and visual input, and we breathe in negative ions (as my previous posts described). 

But is it too boring? Our “blue mind” brains need a sweet spot between too much input (red mind) and too little (bored). Creativity is highest during a “moderately engaging activity.”

When we are in the bath or shower, our sensations are different from the rest of the day. We feel water pounding, splashing, or cradling us; we have the sensation of not wearing clothing; we are surrounded by specific smells. Although the articles I read did not include it, I have to think that rubbing our skin and especially massaging our head also stimulates new neural pathways.

Surrounded by negative ions, flooding your body with serotonin and dopamine, and engaging in a stimulating but not too interesting activity –no wonder you have great ideas in the shower!

How the Neuroscience of Water Overcomes Creative Block

Remember the last time you just felt stuck during your creative work. Often, “working harder” doesn’t do anything, so how does water change what our brains can do?

Over the last few days, I have posted about the physical changes that water creates in the brain. This turns off the brain areas associated with making decisions, and turns on the medial prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for association, context, and emotional response. 

All day, your brain has been working hard while you struggled with how to solve this problem (fix a plot hole, find the right color mix, figure out the rhythm). Now that your brain chemistry shifts and the medial prefrontal cortex is in control, your mind wanders – and the solution that was brewing in your subconscious mind can bubble to the surface.

How to Use the Power of Water in Your Own Creative Practice

As a creative person, how can we use the neuroscience of water to solve problems and work more fluidly?

  1. Work for most of the day, especially on the problem that you want to solve. This ensures that the problem is percolating in your active brain regions. 
  2. Then take a shower, walk by a stream, or watch the ocean. 
  3. You can increase the effects by combining the water with other positive associations, such as driving home or eating good food (which increase dopamine and serotonin).
  4. Keep a notepad with you to jot ideas wherever you go.
  5. If you have walking or jogging as part of your routine, see if you can vary your routes to go along a stream or coast–especially if you are particularly jammed in a problem.
  6. Visit an urban fountain. Perhaps spend some time sketching or writing in a park near a water feature.
  7. Pause while your sprinkler is dancing a sparkling arc through the sky. Bring a lawn chair into the garden while the sprinklers are going, or talk through the problems out loud as you water your plants. 
  8. If you use the pomodoro method, try using your 2-minute break to watch a small fountain, fishtank, or other household water
  9. Appreciate handwashing dishes! Perhaps a negative household chore will feel more pleasant once you can appreciate the negative ions you are breathing.

Resources Cited:

Wallace J. Nichols, a renowned marine biologist, bestselling author, and expert on the incredible psychology of water.

https://nextbigideaclub.com/magazine/conversation-blue-mind-the-neuroscience-behind-waters-creativity-boosting-stress-reducing-effect-on-your-brain/18421

Jonathan Schooler, professor of psychological and brain sciences at the University of California at Santa Barbara

https://www.nbcnews.com/better/health/what-beach-does-your-brain-ncna787231

https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2023/01/12/shower-thoughts-creativity-brain

https://www.webmd.com/balance/features/negative-ions-create-positive-vibes

https://buffer.com/resources/shower-thoughts-science-of-creativity

Leave a Reply