Creativity in motion
Or thinking on your feet
When do you have your best ideas?
I’ve found there’s an intrinsic link between movement and inspiration. There’s something about motion or physical action that allows my mind to wander and explore more intriguing pathways than my desk-bound brain discovers.
Movement makes me intensely present and focused, yet at the same time fires up my imagination.
Logically, you’d think there’s an inherent contradiction between being in the moment and allowing your mind to flit around, zipping from one idea to another. But since when have insights and creativity had to be logical?
I’ve come to view being present with my imagination as another form of mindfulness, allowing thoughts to just arise, as they will – entering a state of flow as one idea sparks another and another in a chain reaction of unlikely connections.
Hi, I’m Holly - coach, mindfulness facilitator and author of Zestful Zen. I write about self-care, change, personal growth, mindfulness, and purpose. If you like life to be full of zest and energy, complemented by a zen, calm mind, Zestful Zen is the community for you! 💖✨
What movement works best?
For me, I could be using my hands to complete a chore, jumping up and down in a workout class, hiking in a forest, walking to work or unpacking boxes from a house move – the physicality is the key. Having said that, I’ve noticed some situations tend to ignite insights more often.
Showering. I often generate work ideas (or remember a task I forgot to complete!) Occupying my hands with shampooing frees my brain to make serendipitous associations or recall forgotten details.
Sweeping the floor and washing the dishes. There’s something about working with my hands that activates my cognition. The repetitive movements and the satisfaction of clean plates and floors calms my mind and slows down my soul, allowing random notions to percolate. With the bonus warm fuzzy feeling of having ticked a chore off my to-do list!
Walking. The rhythmic motion of striding to my destination, feet hitting pavement, one-two, one-two, hones my focus. The cacophony of noise and the hustle and bustle of the city sets my neurons firing in invigorating new directions. A chance observation of a poster or a snippet of conversation overheard might prompt an idea I’d never have dreamt of.
Soaking up nature. The flip side of my walking coin, a bracing woodland hike (or lazy stroll) allows me to be present with hyper-awareness, zooming in on tiny details often missed in the flurry of modern daily life. I notice raindrops pendulously streaming off leaf-tips, vivid wildflower petals, miniature snails or ladybirds sunbathing, honeybees drinking nectar, birds serenading. Maybe these observations spark a flight of fancy or intuition as I ponder the natural world going about its business.
Science agrees with me!
Of course, you don’t have to take my word for it – plenty of boffins have found a link between exercise and creativity. To cite just three…
A January 2024 review of studies1 found that:
Walking had a positive effect on divergent thinking (originality), and in some studies it also enhanced fluency and flexibility.
Evidence suggested that moderate intensity aerobic exercise and dance also positively influenced divergent thinking.
Japanese research results from 20232 suggested that outdoor exercise increases neuronal activity in brain regions related to creativity.
And a 2023 study3 found that after 6 weeks of regular physical activity, participants showed improvements in the fluency and originality components of divergent thinking.
All in all, plenty of good reasons for getting moving!
How about you?
Let’s get a conversation going!
What sparks your imagination?
Do you love the quiet calm of a cosy corner for creating?
Or prefer perpetual motion to ignite those insights?
When are you most “in the zone”?
Chen, C. Exploring the impact of acute physical activity on creative thinking: a comprehensive narrative review with a focus on activity type and intensity. Discovering Psychology 4, 3 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s44202-024-00114-9
Kimura, T., Mizumoto, T., Torii Y., Ohno, M., Higashino, T., Yagi, Y. Comparison of the effects of indoor and outdoor exercise on creativity: an analysis of EEG alpha power. Frontiers in Psychology 14, (2023). https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1161533
Bollimbala, A., James, P.S. Impact of chronic physical activity on individuals’ creativity. Psychological Research 88, 684–694 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00426-023-01862-4
Love this, Holly. For me, it’s swimming or knitting. The repetitive nature and not having to concentrate too hard relaxes my brain. Funnily enough, playing the piano doesn’t have the same effect because I’m too involved in the music.