For many people, a car is just a way to get from point A to point B. For others, cars are more meaningful, whether it’s the sheer pleasure of driving, taking a trip with friends and family, or a reflection of one’s personality. Cars can also serve another purpose – in a way you might not expect. Driving a car is a great catalyst for creative thinking to get big ideas.
How driving makes you more creative
Have you ever had an “aha” moment at an unexpected time when you were doing a routine activity? It could be taking a shower, cooking some food in the kitchen, brushing your teeth in front of the sink, or working out at the gym. I’ll clog along, and then bam! A great idea that comes to your mind.
Think of a beautiful way to decorate your home. If you are an artist, you may dream of seeing a painting or imagine a new song in your head. It might also be thinking of a solution to a problem holding you back or brainstorming new ideas for your business.
During my college days, to help pay for my tuition, I had a very boring job packing boxes on an assembly line in a warehouse. However, this was also one of the most creative times of my life. I wrote dozens of songs and sketched out plans to travel the world while I routinely cycled away on the assembly line.
It is no accident that your mind is most creative when it is busy with routine activities. The same applies when driving a car. When you’re in a vehicle, routinely traveling from point A to point B, your brain can think of amazing ideas. Furthermore, Aviva found that one in five people use the car trip to think. Also, during the pandemic’s early months, when people were driving fewer cars, one in four people lost the “thinking opportunity” that a car provides.
The science behind creative thinking while driving
There is an interesting scientific reason why people are more creative while driving. Dr.. Shelley Carson is the author of Your Creative Brain and a researcher and lecturer at Harvard University. I have studied the relationship between psychology, creativity, and neuroscience for more than two decades.
“I drive 50 miles from work to my home in South Boston. It probably takes about 20 minutes to get out of town, and that’s when I start to calm myself down,” Dr. Carson said. That’s when the ideas really start to filter and make their way through the filters.”
When performing non-routine and mentally stimulating activities, a part of the brain called the central executive network is more active. The central executive network is the conscious part of the brain that enables us to focus on an activity. It also filters out what it considers to be nonessential thoughts of the subconscious, which is called the default mode network. Also known as the imagination network, this is the part that does mind-wandering and creative thinking.
Dr. Carson explains, “When you drive on an empty road for an extended period of time, you go into an automatic state that lowers the volume on the central executive network. This frees up a lot of your information processing space just to let your mind wander. The thoughts that would normally be Filtering them contradict each other and reach what I call cognitive workspace, or conscious awareness.”
How to use car ride to boost your creativity
You can use the motor of the car to harness your creative potential. Next time you feel the need for some creative inspiration or have a difficult problem that you are struggling to overcome, head to your car. The best kinds of ways to think creatively are those that are quiet and have little or no traffic.
“Changes in the scenery provide new external stimuli in the cognitive workspace at the same time as internal stimuli, which is beneficial for creativity, as long as the scene does not take away your focus,” said Dr. Carson.
Gather information before you get in your car, then ideas will flourish while you drive
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It also helps in gathering all the information you need before starting your car. “Let’s say you’re writing a book, and you’re blocked. Find out about your problem as much as you can, and then take a break from it for a while before you go on your trip.”
It’s kind of like planting seeds in a garden. You are planting the seeds of information in your mind before you drive the car. Then, when you’re on the road, that information will grow and blossom into great ideas with a rush of creativity.
Plus, it’s easy to forget your creative ideas while driving. With that in mind, it’s a good idea to record them so you can remember them later. You can speak your thoughts into a recording device. You can also stand by the way to jot it down or write it down in a smartphone, laptop or tablet.
Before you take your next car ride, set your mind up for some creativity – and you just might come up with your next great idea.
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