I do my best writing away from screens and notebooks, usually while I’m out on a long walk in the countryside. The writing all takes place inside my head. However, I may tap out a quick reminder note in my phone if I’m worried that I’ll forget what my brain has spun.
I have
noticed that the most inspiring words and ideas show up as I near the end of my
long trek. Could it be due to the increased levels of oxygen hitting my brain,
I’ve wondered? Certainly, all that exercise seems to be sending my blood cells
marching more than they usually do.
It turns
out I’m far from alone in finding that I’m most creative when I’m walking.
Studies have compared the creativity levels of people while sitting versus
while walking, either outside or on a treadmill. In one series of three experiments,
81%, 88%, and 100% of participants demonstrated higher levels of creativity
when walking as compared to when sitting (Oppezzo and Schwartz).
And this boost
in inventiveness does apparently stem in part from the heightened action in
one’s veins and arteries, I’ve also learned. Walking may hike blood flow by
about 25%, feeding the brain more of its favourite fuel – oxygen and glucose
(Montago).
Of course,
after the walk, I do need to sit down before a computer screen and transcribe
my thoughts. The best time for doing that, I’ve learned, is early morning, when
there’s no risk of interruption from anyone for at least a good hour. The
absolute stillness of the house in that time allows me to focus in ways that I
find difficult throughout most of the rest of my busy day.
For me, my
creativity tends to calcify in front of a computer screen. However, give me
some fresh air, a long road flanked by open fields, and bird-song, and, while I
will never be a C.S. Lewis or John Milton, I certainly enjoy many more adventures
of the imagination than if I’d stayed home on my couch.
Michelle
Joy Teigrob is
an author, college instructor, mom of three, and wife of one. She grew up as a
missionary kid in Belize, Central America, the youngest of 10 children. In
addition to her twin’s death, she has since lived through the loss of two other
sisters. Michelle's new book, Joyfully Star-Mapping through Life's Dung
Piles, shares about her journey through her wrenching sadness. Visit www.michellejoybooks.ca to
learn more.
References
Oppezzo, M., & Schwartz, D. L. (2014). Give your ideas some legs: the positive effect of walking on creative thinking. Journal of experimental psychology. Learning, memory, and cognition, 40(4), 1142–1152. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0036577
Montago, Margaretha. (February 22, 2025). Does Walking Make You More Creative (and Better at Problem-Solving)?
DOI: https://margarethamontagu.com/does-walking-make-you-more-creative/#:~:text=Turns%20out%2C%20walking%20can%20kickstart,if%20you're%20just%20sitting%20around
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