The “Burst” Method of Creative Production
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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:
- Devote your full attention to one thing for an extended period of time. When I say ‘full attention’, I mean maniacal, ridiculous, obsessive attention.
- Rest.
- Repeat Step 1.
Here are some to implement:
- Structure your work-rest periods beforehand: A good way to use the “Burst Method” is to plan ahead. When I study for finals, for example (I’m a law student, remember), I structure my time so that I study for 45 minutes and rest for the next 15 minutes every hour. At first I thought that I was wasting too much time, but when I tried to study for 2 or 3 hours straight, my mind would wander and I would study just about 30 minutes (vs. 45 min.) out of every hour.
- Work periods are WORK periods: One of the virtues of this method, as I’ve found, is that you feel positive ’stress’ that propels you to focus your mental and physical energy on the task at hand. But some people may still feel the temptation to slack. If you’re one of them you’ll just waste your time, so don’t let that happen.
- Rest periods are REST periods: Another temptation many people have is to keep working during the rest period just because they feel ‘pumped-up.’ Don’t fall into this trap. The “Burst Method” is also very effective because it allows you to set a comfortable pace that helps you to conserve energy for when you need it the most. Use this rest period to disconnect yourself from the task at hand. By the way, this means turning your phone off and not catching up with email.
Finally, here are some of the best instances for the application of this method:
- School: At the micro-level, structure your study periods. At the macro-level, plan your year with full-out study binges.
- Work: Reward yourself with extended leisure periods (as possible) after grueling work periods.
- Creative projects: I believe this is the most effective way to do creative tasks. The rest periods serve as incubation and usually better products follow. The creative part takes place during those rest periods. The rest of the time is just execution.
- Exercise: O.K., maybe I caught you a little off-guard, but interval training has proven to be the most effective way to lose fat and build muscle, and it uses the same “burst” principles. Visit this site to learn more.
What are other ways of implementing the “Burst Method”?
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