Heading elsewhere...

I'm excited to write that The Idea Girl has her own home at www.Idearella.com. I'll post there from now on.

My two faithful readers... I hope to see you there!

Bonnie

The Idea Girl

Idearella

Front and Back Brains And How This Blog Can Help

"Let me sleep on it.” We’ve heard the phrase, probably even used the phrase. In essence “sleeping on it” is using the "back brain." In day to day functioning, we use the front brain. When someone asks an easy question, we think about it, in the front brain, and respond. A more difficult or challenging question requires using the back brain. This isn't to imply that every challenge needs a nap (indeed wouldn't that be great!), only that it is important to allow time for the back brain to engage.

This blog will contain many exercises to distract the front brain while allowing the back brain to work. Like in hypnotism, you have to force the conscious to take a hike so the subconscious can be accessed and taught. The back brain doesn't work with our help. It works on its own.

Generally the process works like this:
1) Encounter a problem.
2) Think about the problem in the front brain.
3) Allow the back brain to think a while.
4) Think about the problem again in the front brain.

When you encounter a problem, your front brain gives it structure, starts the work and then you can take a break. The back brain kicks in and does the internal processing so that when you come back to the problem the front brain can apply the processing to the structure and come up with a solution.

These blog posts will aid in all four steps. You might think that you don't need assistance in encountering problems, and perhaps you don't. Upon reading many of these blog posts, though, you may find that you create your own "problems." You will find patterns, curiosities and things to ponder in your everyday world.

These posts will help with step two by exercising your front brain so it can analyze and dissect the problem. In essence, laying the foundation for the back brain to work.

The posts will teach the front brain ways to exercise itself while staying out of the way of the back brain. Practicing the skills in these blog posts will give the back brain more fodder on which to play.

Finally, they will help you be able to unite the back brain with the front brain to solve the problem.

Keep in mind that these are designed to get your brain in gear so it can handle all these steps. What you won't find in this blog are discrete "plug-n-chug" methods for solving a problem through the steps. Lifting weights doesn't teach you how to play sports, it gives you the strength power so when you learn a game you can do it better. Think of this blog as your brain's time in the gym.

Enjoy!

Throw away the box!

"We need to think outside the box."

We've all heard it. When it comes down to it, what IS this box anyhow?

The Nine Dots Puzzle goes like this: using four straight lines, connect nine dots arranged in a square (the "box") without lifting your pen. (Spoiler below, so solve it before you look to the next paragraph.)

The solution requires you to extend three of the lines outside of the square in order to acheive the goal. It has been interpreted traditionally as requiring the puzzler to "think outside the box." We have extended this to be an analogy of creative thinking - don't let the perceived boundaries inhibit you in your solution of a given problem.

The thing that is bothersome about this is not that people want to think outside the box but that they discount anything INSIDE the box. They are so frantically struggling to think OUTSIDE to come up with a solution that they neglect to consider what is before their very eyes. Even Dorothy figured out that things are usually found in her own backyard.

The challenge is to practice enough "throw away the box" thinking so that when a problem arises, we have the skills to think. Just think. Period. Not think inside the box. Not think outside the box. But just think.

Welcome to the fun!

It's like starting over...

I'm planning on my new book and my friend Dawn suggested that I start a blog. Since the book will be about improving one's creativity, I just hunted down an old blog.

Kinda like pulling out an old notebook that already has stuff written in it (but only a few pages) and using it again.

Which incidentally I just did the other day.

So I'm going to start posting again to this site and hopefully this will turn into the book of my dreams.

bon