Albert Einstein once said, “Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited; imagination encircles the world.” That being said, Einstein wasn’t the biggest fan of final exams.
Whether one’s area of study depends on igniting imagination or studying stone-cold fact, even the most innovative minds have trouble channeling creative energies into stressful midterm papers and projects. Fortunately, remedies for stunted artistic vision exist nearly everywhere.
As the home of countless creative professors and students, DU consistently integrates both knowledge and imagination into its curriculum. The Arts & Humanities Department is widely renowned for their unique style and extreme academic prominence.
The university’s Creative Writing doctorate program attained first place in Poets & Writers Magazine’s 2012 national rankings, and the Lamont School of Music “boast[s] an outstanding faculty of extraordinary teaching artists and scholars who record, tour, perform, publish and present scholarly work and compositions locally, nationally and internationally.”
If you still can’t seem to beat that midterm writer’s block with the help of your professors, here are some other ways to get your creativity going.
Strategically listen to music: Though it may seem cliché, music is capable of igniting emotional reactions within the brain which stimulate innovation and fresh ideas.
Jeffrey Thompson of The Center for Neuroacoustic Research in San Diego, a musician who also specializes in brainwave frequencies, suggests that brainwaves attempt to adhere to the rhythmic patterns of music—listening to angry, intense noise might create sporadic and severe thought processes, while enjoying ambient, soothing sound potentially eases mental tension and allows for more fluid, clear thinking.
According to Thompson, this paralleling process “alters your consciousness, creating a more dreamlike state…[which] mirrors the state of consciousness associated with creativity.” It is undeniable that all music inspires novel ideas – carefully choosing which genre of music to enjoy can largely affect the outcome of creative flow.
Stop watching TV: (Or at least limit what/how often you watch.) Most programs can now be found online or through Netflix, eliminating many of the mind-numbing commercials constantly bombarding the brain—yet sitting stagnant in front of a screen literally zombifies the mind.
Similar to the cognitive effects of music, television alters brainwaves, placing them in a passive state comparable to hypnosis and stunting any possibility of original reflection. Imagination isn’t at work while watching television – entertainment that you would otherwise need to provide for yourself is played out entirely before your very eyes.
Take a walk everyday: Walking is beneficial for countless physical and emotional reasons: fresh air – be it in an urban or more natural environment – allows for higher sensory reception than air recycled through a building or a room.
Strolling through the outside world is sure to provide countless encounters with things and people not characteristic of an everyday routine–if it’s light outside and you’re tempted to log into Facebook, leave your room, instead.
Hearing the birds sing, smelling a few flowers, noticing the way the wind whistles through the trees, or the shapes and patterns of the clouds can certainly alter perspective and give birth to inspiration.
Innovation and imagination are the foundations for evolving intellectual awareness, as creativity inspires new developments and ideas from which to build various aspects of life. While it is important to cater to academic inclinations, relaxation and inspiration are equally – if not more – significant to bettering the world
