To get creative just take a walk

The next time you're in need of creative inspiration, try thinking outside the box – or cubicle. New research by Jeffrey Sanchez-Burks and Suntae Kim of the University of Michigan shows that engaging in physical acts and experiences enhances creative problem-solving. 

    "Metaphors of creative thinking abound in everyday use," said Sanchez-Burks, associate professor of management and organisations. 
    "By thinking 'outside the box,' by considering a problem 'on the one hand, then on the other hand' or by 'putting two and two together,' creativity presumably follows. Such prescriptive advice is no stranger within research labs, advertising teams, higher education or other contexts where pioneering novel approaches to pressing problems are valued. These metaphors suggest a connection between concrete bodily experiences and creative cognition." 
    The findings revealed that physically and psychologically embodying creative metaphors promotes fluency, flexibility and originality in problemsolving, Sanchez-Burks said. 
    "The acts of alternately gesturing with each hand and of putting objects together may boost creative performance," he said. "Literally thinking outside or without physical constraints, such as walking outdoors or pacing around, may help eliminate unconscious mental barriers that restrict cognition." MM