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Applied neuroscience—a fancy way of saying "how to use neuroscience knowledge in real life"—helps us understand how to practice the creative process. And it turns out, when you break down the brain processes involved in creative achievement, it becomes clear that mindfulness goes hand in hand with creativity. In fact, there are actually scientific ways to apply mindfulness to the creative process. First, let's look at the key ingredients for the creative process.
Mindfulness practice is the key to this balance.
Meditation strengthens both the freestyle and control networks, but more importantly, it also strengthens a third network—the salience network—which maintains balance of the first two networks by deciding which is activated and when.
Incubation: Mindfulness is particularly useful for this important and often underemphasised phase. Many people find it hard to go offline, relax, and stop obsessing. Even a short mindfulness meditation can calm your distracting thoughts, reduce anxiety or stress, and help you enter a truly chilled state. Maybe your great idea may even appear during meditation! The point is, don't try to make it happen—it will occur naturally. Sleep and any form of mindful practice that doesn't involve active thinking of the creative task is helpful. Walking meditation is great for reducing stress and anxiety that may arise when ‘doing nothing'. Relax and let the insight come naturally!
Illumination: When we practice mindfulness, we are more clear and can see our thoughts better—In other words, mindfulness increases awareness. If a brilliant insight appears in a cluttered and noisy mind, you may just miss it. So when the moment of insight comes, be sure to receive a clear signal.
Verification: In this phase, where the veil of reality is laid over your genius idea, it is important to stay focused, positive and motivated without getting defeated. Even if the first attempt doesn't get you the results you want, each time adds to the next. Exercise and meditate during your refinement process. This promotes attention and skill during convergent thinking, for choosing the most novel and effective pathways to solution.
The creative process is a window into our cognitive tendencies—how well we are conducting the orchestra – and a chance to practice non-judgment and self-compassion, especially when things don't turn out perfectly. Even the professionals encourage perseverance. Like this, balancing the art of the creative process also becomes a process of balancing our minds.