Recently, I listened to a Marketing Over Coffee podcast, and one of the hosts made a passing reference about an article that said some people get their best ideas while in the shower. Christopher Penn was referring to Tactics to Spark Creativity, a WSJ column and video by Sue Shellenbarger about how people get a-ha moments that allow them to solve troubling problems.
Evidently, there is a growing body of research that says if you want to come up with a breakthrough idea or experience an epiphany, take a break from thinking about your problem. You should get out of your routine or do some other activity that gets you in a creative mood or reduces stress. This could be as simple as taking a walk or it could be taking a vacation.
This jibes with my own experience in that water seems to help me think— whether I am in it or just watching it. I am fortunate to live a few miles from the Atlantic Ocean. If I ever need to brainstorm with myself, I head to the beach. A few minutes of gazing at the waves, and I get very contemplative. It works for me just like Tom Cruise’s character in A Few Good Men when he held his softball bat.
