https://www.ted.com/talks/marily_oppezzo_want_to_be_more_creative_go_for_a_walk?language=en
Can we really enhance our creativity? In her TED talk “Want to be more creative? Go for a walk”, Marily Oppezzo approaches this question. An Instructor of Medicine at the Stanford Prevention Research Center, Oppezzo studies how physical movement can affect the mind’s capabilities.
Oppezzo begins by describing the many ways that individuals have attempted to define creativity in the past. She states that “The definition of creativity a lot of people go with is “appropriate novelty”. This is the intersection between what is new and what is suitable to the activity.
To ignite this creative process, one must first pick a problem for brainstorming, thinking ahead about what needs to be accomplished. And with that, the moving creative process can begin. Once you are moving, Oppezzo advises, find a comfortable pace to walk. At this pace, Oppezzo challenges viewers to come up with as many ideas as possible, not limiting oneself to any specific idea. She reminds viewers, “Do not lock onto that first idea”.
In the Spring of 2018, I was enrolled in a Creative Strategy Course. One of our in-class units focused on design thinking and the notion of the “first idea”. Is the first idea the best idea? There is a lot of evidence that proves that your first idea is usually not your best idea. Although it seems easy to trust that your gut, your first thought is not usually the best. Ideas require the power of conversation and further research.
The TED Talk Oppezzo presented first and foremost drew me in with its simplicity. Creativity does not always mean coming up with the most outlandish idea. Especially in an advertising scenario, what is best for the client and their product is not always what requires thousands of dollars and hours of labor. A simple solution can be creative because it solves a problem in a new way.
As a dancer, I know that creativity is a process and requires attentive participation. Sitting at a desk trying to come up with a “creative” idea is not going to work. Walking and physical exercise stimulate the right brain, propelling creativity. I would highly encourage anyone looking for a straightforward explanation of the correlation between exercise and creativity to watch this TED Talk. Oppezzo shares first hand research and experiences that prove that this idea actually works. She doesn’t make assumptions about the extent of creativity and encourages each person to adapt this process to make it work for them.
