Comments on: Move Your Body, Solve Your Problem!

By: gretchenwegner

gretchenwegner — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 17:00:53 +0000

Ann, thank you sooooo much for chiming in, here. During grad school I paced in the back of the classroom. Actually, sometimes I would even sit on the floor and stretch (luckily I went to a school where this was acceptable behavior). I love your observation about the energy drain of defeating thoughts (like “this is too hard”), and how knitting-while-listening interrupts those sorts of thoughts. Yes!! Did you check out the MuseCubes? I find that they’re especially fun in community. My roommates and I will sometimes through the MuseCubes together — it’s more fun to shake and howl in the company of others. I’m so glad you checked into the blog, and took so much time to write a thoughtful response. Thanks!!

By: Ann

Ann — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 16:45:24 +0000

I’m a grad student, living with another grad student. I noticed that we both, feeling guilty but unable to stop, will jump up and do some housework or take a walk when we’re pressed with some deadline. We both noticed that when we got back we were able to concentrate and work better. In classes that are really intense either in terms of material volume or difficulty, I have found that if I knit during lecture my listening is much more focused and the time flies by. I was thinking at the time that whatever brain resources I have to devote to the knitting are resources I’d otherwise squander on distracting thoughts like “this is too hard” and “why does everyone else seem to understand except me?” and so on. If I knit, I can’t think those things because those resources are allocated somewhere else, to parts of my body that are moving and require a certain amount of coordination. So I wholeheartedly agree with your ideas here.

Sadly, I have seen things on campus that support the claims about mental health problems there. I find it quite interesting that an institution devoted to pedagogy gives so little thought to effective methods of transferring knowledge in order to produce more, and more advanced, knowledge.

By: Surf’s Up: Top Creativity Links for June 4, 2009 « Creative Liberty

Surf’s Up: Top Creativity Links for June 4, 2009 « Creative Liberty — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 01:54:46 +0000

[...] Move Your Body, Solve Your Problem! [...]

By: gretchenwegner

gretchenwegner — Fri, 15 May 2009 02:00:30 +0000

Lovely, Barbara! I read an article in the New Yorker that I’ll try and blog about soon — about inspiration and where it comes from. It seems that by thinking intensely and focused about something for a while, and then giving ourselves time away, is the best way to get inspired. The brain continues to chew on the problem although we’re not conscious of it, and we feel the inspiration at random moments, like the ones you listed here. I’ll go dig that article up soon; maybe it’ll be part of my blogging week next week.

Thanks for being my cheerleader during this self-imposed challenge to blog 3-5 times this week. (I think it’ll be 3).

By: Barbara Martin (@Reptitude)

Barbara Martin (@Reptitude) — Fri, 15 May 2009 00:50:37 +0000

This is so fascinating. And it has a name! Embodied cognition, who knew.

Many people have Eureka moments while walking, running, swimming, etc and these are full body, two sided, symmetrical movements.

But people also report creative insights while doing manual work such as hand weeding (that’s me!) or washing dishes or quilting. Somewhat methodical and physical, and mentally not too taxing.

Driving seems to be another sort of creativity-friendly hypnotic experience.

I was just reading something about how side to side eye movement can increase short term memory for recalling things like lists.

Kids sometimes need to “shake the sillies out” and adults often benefit by renewed attention span by getting up and moving around a little.

I wonder how much of it has to do with increased oxygen flowing through the body?

And here’s another random factoid that sort of pops off the page for me every once in a while, labyrinth walking engages both left and right and seems to produce some interesting mental results.

Wonder what else is going on between brain and body that we don’t know about (yet)?

Can’t wait to hear what else you find!