Creativity as a Tool for Problem Solving and Discovering New Mental Pathways

by Marie Antoine, Kriyol Dance! Collective Public Voice

In this week’s wellness conversation we are discussing creativity as a tool for problem solving and discovering new mental pathways. In times of uncertainty, what do we need to do on an individual level in order to activate our ability to access new solutions, imagine new possibilities and innovate new approaches for dealing with unfamiliar challenges? 
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This current health pandemic is creating major shifts in our society. This reality leaves many feeling powerless and anxious wondering how we will handle these changes, what impact will they have on our individual lives and what does this unfamiliar space have in store for all us?  Each of us are accountable for taking part in co-creating our shared reality; but many of us do not feel equipped or capable of taking on this responsibility. This collective passivity is a result of our being taught to solely rely on others for ideas and solutions. “What can I do?” “What strengths do I possess that will enable me to rise to this challenge for myself and for my community?” The answers to these questions lie within, yet  we choose to wait for the answers from elsewhere; thereby negating our respective creative faculties and externalizing individual responsibility.

Creativity is a gift that each of us are born with. It is our innate ability to transcend or transform a current reality whether it be an idea, a pattern, or a thought form.

As children, we exhibit our creative capacities early on through our imagination and play. Creativity is one antidote for the days when we’re stuck in a rut or caught in a particular frame of mind. That is because when we’re engaged in any creative capacity we are activating the right hemisphere of our brain. This hemisphere is also responsible for imagination, synthesis, holistic and relational thinking. Consistent creativity, such as learning a new recipe, building a piece of furniture or practicing a social dance challenge; can help us avoid the angst that arises when we are overburdened and stuck in a particular mental loop.

This society stifles creativity in order to sustain consumerism; therefore in adulthood many of us tend to lose touch with our creative faculty and solely rely on our logical minds to meet our daily challenges. In doing so, we end up overwhelming our left brain functions which leads to mental blockages and anxiety. That is the sequence which leads to the trap of consumerism. Whether it is entertainment, a bar or a mall, it is typical to turn to consumption as a way to escape or detach from a problem, mindset or situation that feels insurmountable. However, we are able to achieve major breakthroughs when we practice seeing the bigger picture or using our intuition when logical sense is not applicable.

Sometimes what keeps us from moving through a problem is that we’re not able to see how this particular issue relates to greater patterns in our lives. Spending more time in the right hemisphere of our brain through creative endeavors allows us to see these patterns and become more holistic in our ability to problem solve thereby accessing new solutions, imagining new possibilities and innovating new approaches to deal with our challenges;  financial, emotional, relationship, mental or otherwise.