We talk in the book how giving the unconscious mind a crack at a problem often helps with creative process. New research suggests what’s might be going on. The researchers found that compared to folks who focus all their energy on solving a problem (one problem they gave was what to do while waiting in a queue for the cash register), those given a distracting task to perform did not come up with better ideas. But, they were better at selecting the best ideas, maybe as a result of some “unconscious tagging process”. They conclude that “the unconscious mind plays a vital role in creative performance.” Suggestions on some distracting activities to do while solving problems creatively can be found in our book and in our iPad CREATIVITY app, available in the iPad app store.
