The Key to Creativity: The Science Behind Ideas and How Daydreaming Can Change the World

Novelist Østby (Diving for Seahorses) explores creativity in this fascinating inquiry. After a bike crash left her with a mild concussion, the author experienced a surprising side effect: a mind flush with new ideas. Eager to understand the neurology behind this burst of creativity, Østby looked into the science of the creative brain. Though creativity is often seen as a talent, Østby posits that anyone can nurture it through practices like daydreaming, meditation, or even being bored, which enable the brain’s “default mode network”—a neural network that’s active when the mind isn’t focused on a task—to freely wander. This allows for “aha moments” that paradoxically “come when we’re not looking for them.” (Østby notes that Haruki Murakami swears by naps, while Gustav Mahler got ideas for symphonies while rowing.) The author also discusses the nervous system’s role in creativity: stress activates the sympathetic nervous system and with it an internal “state of emergency” that precludes creativity, while the parasympathetic nervous system invites it. Throughout, she draws on Alice’s fall through the rabbit hole in Lewis Carroll’s classic novel as a metaphor for her quest into creativity’s unknown realms. Østby’s thoroughly researched offering is a joy to read—accessible, edifying, and supported by fascinating anecdotes from her own life and those of artists, inventors, and thinkers ranging from Dr. Seuss to physician Alexander Fleming. Curiosity seekers will be enlightened. (Apr.)