Quicklet on Jonah Lehrer's Imagine: How Creativity Works

Nobody is talented enough to not have to work hard, and that’s what grit allows you to do.

The work of Charlan Nemeth is used to further support these points. It’s indicated that debate generates 25% more ideas than pure, classic non-critical brainstorming.

brainstorming groups think of far fewer ideas than the same number of people who work alone and later pool their ideas

Lehrer counts criticism as part of the same exchange of ideas inherent in cross-pollination, and suggests that criticism is a vital part of the creative process for groups and for individuals.

Lehrer suggests that sleep and near-sleep are the times when the right hemisphere processes data, finding new patterns and making intuitive leaps. Sleep, dreams, meditation, and similar activities appear to promote insights; conversely stimulants reduce the chances of insight.

Bhattacharya’s studies indicate that flashes of insight are preceded by a period of alpha waves, starting at least eight seconds prior to the insight. Alpha waves are generated in times of relaxation, such as during showers, meditation, or calming repetitive activity like walks or bike rides.

Creativity is an attribute often desired more in theory than in fact. In practice it is often marginalized and discouraged in the harsh environment of the real world.