This is a Test - Are You in Your Right Mind?
By John Wolf
Consider the follow illustration. Which way is the figure spinning? |
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This is a test to see how you use your brain to take advantage of right brain-left brain activitly to enhance your creative process.
If you see this lady turning in clockwise you are using your right brain. If you see it the other way, you are using left brain. Some people do see both ways, but most people see it only one way.
See if you can make her go one way and then the other by shifting the brain's current. BOTH DIRECTIONS CAN BE SEEN.
Experimentation has shown that the two different sides, or hemispheres, of the brain are responsible for different manners of thinking. The following table illustrates the differences between left-brain and right-brain thinking:
Left Brain |
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Right Brain |
Logical |
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Random |
Sequential |
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Intuitive |
Rational |
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Holistic |
Analytical |
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Synthesizing |
Obejctive |
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Subjective |
Looks at parts |
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Looks at whole |
Most individuals have a distinct preference for one of these styles of thinking. Some, however, are more whole-brained and equally adept at both modes. In general, schools tend to favor left-brain modes of thinking, while downplaying the right-brain ones. Left-brain scholastic subjects focus on logical thinking, analysis, and accuracy. Right-brained subjects, on the other hand, focus on aesthetics, feeling, and creativity.
Click on this: next column
This goes a long way to explain why a brilliant mind like Einstein didn't accel as a school room participant, but once on his own to express his creative side, came alive with amazing ideas - and he had the left-brain skills from school to fall back on.
The conflict comes for writers with the right-brain desire for creativity and the left-brain language skills needed to communicate those ideas. We are in luck, because there is a thing called the corpus callosum that is the nexus between the two hemispheres of our brain. One has to be diplomatic with ones self to ensure good shuttle diplomacy between the two spheres of influence. The power of positive thinking. A troubled person may have difficulty with this, unless you are truely evil - then the world will probably find out about you as your evil skills develop. Yikes!
The writer needs to develop ways to stimulate this natural multitasking talent. One approach is to use association like writing down a word or phrase that comes from a creative thought and then circling it, and then drawing a set of spokes around it and associate other words that come to mind. Circle them and continue the interconnections. This is good way to use your head to get passed writer's block. The creative right-brain is at an enpasse, let the left-brain do its thing and start listing. I find a quick outline of possible ideas that the plot can take breaks the ice. There is no committment like continuing typing on the main story. This pause to jump to the left-brain and just list things in an orderly fashion stimulates the right-brain to pick one and your off and running again.
This concept can be expanded by practicing ramdoness. John Cage came up with the idea of picking out words from your favorite book. Go to every tenth page and list the first full word on the page. Study the list and look for patterns. You can try several page/word combos to develop more patterns until your right-brain clicks and sees a creative path.
Another method is to doodle an image by randomly drawing lines that intersect like roads on a map. Throw in some facial elements like eyes, mouth, ears, nose, etc. Now, let the right-brain at it and study the creature you have layed out. Write down who it is and start developing a character around it.
Another approach is to use dreams or subconscious thought, by keeping a pad and pencil on the nightstand to capture thoughts when you wake up in the middle of the night or when you first wake. Use these ideas as a basis to analyze and find that starting point for the creative side to chew on. Don't expect a dream to provide the whole roadmap, it's just the list, the left-side doing its thing. When you see a pattern or a line of thought in the mist, take off with it.
You have probably heard of the idea that music develops minds. It has been especially noticed in young children as they develop. What's going on here? The playing is a skill of the left-brain. The musical emotion that the instrument provides stimulates the right-brain to develop a response. The two side working together making for an individual that can see problems and to create a solutions for them more easily with other activities, such as math. I believe that you can notice other activities in your daily lives that can be viewed in a new light by realizing, if you can approach the task at hand by using both halves of your intelligence capability, greater skill and creativity can be achieved. Writing is one of those skills where this is most useful.
The idea here is to do excersises like this to flex the old noggen and open your mind to better writing - cool eh? If you see the spin in both directions, you can write for the New Yorker, otherwise, keep your day job.
