Create While You Sleep

By Stephen Bucaro

When it comes to creativity, the human brain is an amazing device. But sometimes, when you need an idea or a solution, your brain seems to hit a wall. Writer's call this phenomenon "writer's block". Here's the solution: Forget about it! Take a nap. Go to Sleep. Let me explain.

There are several problems with the human brain that can block creativity. One problem is that the brain is focused on what's happening in your current environment. There are many things going on in your life and around you, and your brain is busy analyzing each one. It doesn't have time for creativity.

Another problem with the brain, related to creativity, is that sometimes it gets stuck on one train of thought, and it can't seem to leave that track. But there is one part of the brain that can generate creative ideas even when the rest of the brain is blocked. It's your subconscious.

Many scientists, artists, and writers say they've gotten their best ideas and solutions to problems while walking, daydreaming, or thinking about something else totally unrelated. These ideas and solutions came from their subconscious mind. Here are the steps required to put your subconscious to work.

1. Load your brain up with all the information you have about the problem or solution you need. Since we're probably talking about a problem that you've already tried to solve by ordinary thinking, you've probably already loaded your brain with plenty of facts and information. If you haven't, first load your mind with everything you can find about the problem, including what kind of solution you would find preferable.

2. Deliberately instruct your brain to come up with an idea or find a solution. You can do this with internal self talk. You can look in the mirror and verbally instruct yourself to come up with an answer. You can write the answer down and read it to yourself. The instruction must be serious and impress your mind as to the importance and seriousness of finding an answer. Demand that your mind come up with an answer.

3. Then let go of the problem. Don't think about it at all. Work on something else. If possible lay back and daydream. Take a nap. Go to sleep. You may be daydreaming or sleeping, but your subconscious is busy scanning your brain for information. It's busy putting together patterns. It's not just using the information that you loaded it with, it's using all the information your brain has gathered over your entire lifetime. It's even using information that you didn't consciously know.

4. While scanning your brain for information and trying different patterns, at some point your subconscious will find a solution. It might find it while you're at the pickup window a Macs. It might find it while you're watching Gilligan’s Island reruns. It might find it while your asleep. When it does, it's going kick that answer into your conscious mind, and you better be prepared to catch it.

Make sure you keep a piece of paper and pencil ready for when your subconscious mind kicks the answer up to your conscious mind. If you don't write it down, much like a dream, it will quickly fade from memory. You may remember that you thought of a solution, but you may not remember what that solution was.

Be aware that the subconscious works in mysterious ways. You have to be patient because you never know WHEN the subconscious will kick the answer up to your conscious mind. And you never know the form of the answer. It may kick up the answer to WHERE TO LOOK FOR THE ANSWER. It may be a friend or acquaintance that you didn't think of. It may be a document in your file drawer that you didn't think of. It may kick up the answer to WHAT CRITICAL PIECE OF INFORMATION IS MISSING AND IS NECESSARY before a solution can be created. It's telling you to go research that information.

So if you're having a problem getting an idea or finding a solution. If your brain seems to have hit a wall. There is one part of the brain that can generate creative ideas even when the rest of the brain is blocked. It's your subconscious. Use the steps described in this section to put your subconscious to work.

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