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There is one method I have consistently used when faced with creative tasks or problems which has been particularly effective for me. I call it the “Burst Method”, since it consists of intense burst of production.

Creative geniuses throughout history have also used it in many fields. According to anecdote, Leonardo Da Vinci, when working on The Last Supper, was criticized for apparently disappearing from his workplace for hours at a time after spending days without sleeping. Now, I don’t recommend taking 20 years, as Leonardo did, to complete an endeavor (unless you end up with something of the quality of The Last Supper). But he surely used those ‘rest periods’ to incubate what he had accomplished in the previous work period and come up with fresh ideas before he returned to work.

So, how can you apply the “Burst Method” to your own life? Simple: Read more »

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Sometimes I’ve been a typical couch potato, and at other times I’ve followed my exercise program loyally. Without exceptions, I’ve been most inspired to learn and create during the latter, when I’m most physically active.

When I realized this I did some research in the internet to see if there was a cause-effect relationship between exercise and creativity. Lo and behold, I found a huge amount of respectable studies that demonstrate this relationship (some of which I link to at the end of the post) which I knew existed because of personal experience.

So, I guess you know what I’m gonna tell you right? That’s right: exercise. Your creative and intellectual endeavors will benefit in many ways: Read more »

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(…) the time will come when every house even will have not only its sleeping-rooms, and dining-room, and talking-room or parlor, but its thinking-room also, and the architects will put it into their plans. Let it be furnished and ornamented with whatever conduces to serious and creative thought.” — Henry D. Thoreau, A Yankee in Canada, The Portable Thoreau, p. 252

Every house still does not have a thinking-room as Thoreau suggested in the above quote. I think they should, and this post will give you some steps to add one to yours. Don’t worry! You won’t need to tear walls down or spend thousands of dollars to add a thinking-room to your house. But you will have to think (no pun intended) a little about it.

What is a thinking-room and why should I have one? Read more »

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It is commonly believed that I.Q. tests are the best measurement for identifying a genius. Many scientists have said that if you have a score of more than 140, you’re a genius.

Many other people, including myself, hold ‘genius’ to be much more than a number. But let’s face it: Some people solve problems more easily than others, or socialize more naturally. Do these people necessarily have higher-than-normal I.Q. scores? No. What these people do have is a different way of looking at the world.

They look at the world with a curious mind, as opposed to a stale mind. A genius is someone who achieves greatness through positive action that is the result of a burning curiosity of the unknown. In simpler terms, I propose that a genius seeks continually to improve in the following three main areas: Read more »

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