Turns out staring at a blank wall is a good thing, in fact it can make you more creative.

There are regions of the brain that activate when you arent focused on processing information called the default mode network.

It has been shown that your subconscious applies new information with existing information you already have at a time where you aren’t thinking about the problem head on in the frontal lobe, otherwise when the brain is in a state of rest, you are more likely to solve a problem. When your brain is actively thinking about the problem the brain goes into information overload and the is unable to make connections in order to solve tasks.

To get this part of the brain going, you really have to do as little as possible, even socialising is too strenuous. Sitting and doing nothing is preferred but if you must you can also activate these parts going for a walk.

And this happened only the other week actually with my partner. We went for a walk, 2 laps around Pop Brixton to be precise and by the last stretch of the second lap when we began to talk about our idea again we can up with a campaign in all of 5 minutes after rattling our brain all day.

Studies have shown there is a fine line between learning too much and learning too little however, so you must tread carefully before giving yourself that well earned staring at a blank wall for 30 minute creative break, otherwise you may just be staring at a blank wall for 30 minutes and not get a lot else from it.

So in summary perhaps when faced by a problem we can’t solve, we should actually stop and do nothing and let the Default Mode Network figure it out for us.

@CharlieLea5