Most people have particular ways of working or studying that they feel work best for them. For example, my partner always has music on while she works, whereas I prefer silence. Is this just a personal preference, or is one actually better than the other? Some of the things that scientists have been finding out about how we can be most creative might surprise you. It turns out that she’s right and I’m wrong (not for the first time!). According to Professor Ravi Mehta, a moderate level of noise is better for our creativity than silence. So quiet music is a good idea. Too much noise isn’t good, though – especially listening to other people’s telephone conversations. This is particularly distracting because our brain is automatically trying to solve the puzzle of what is being said by the person we can’t hear.
And what about heating? Surely it’s better to be in a cooler room to stop yourself from being sleepy? Well, apparently not. One study from Cornell University showed that when temperatures were lower, at twenty degrees Celsius, employees made 44% more mistakes than when it was twenty-five degrees. If you’re feeling cold, you are using a lot of your precious energy to keep warm, so there’s less energy for being innovative. And that’s not all. Ever been told ‘tidy desk, tidy mind’? Well, apparently, having a messy desk is actually better for being inventive. Think that being tired makes it difficult to come up with good ideas? Think again. When we’re tired, our brain is less efficient, but it’s also more likely to make new connections, which means we’re more likely to come up with something truly creative. Naps can also be good, though, especially at helping you remember things. It seems that most of what I thought about being creative is wrong!
