(or at least that’s my excuse) . . .
A while ago I wrote a blog called Dachshund vs Straitjacket [to read press here]. Silly title as it may be it was about the creative mind [well mine at least] working best whilst walking, and the benefits of doing this whilst walking a hound.
I find movement untethers creativity from the shackles of to-do-lists, nagging worries and all the other stodgy thoughts that clog up the brain. When walking my mind is free to meander wherever it wants, and that this is where my best ideas come from.
Apparently it not just me researchers from the University of Utah have done studies which have proven walking does boost creative thinking, and that on one of their test groups the volunteers creative performance was improved by 50% after a four-day hiking trip. [To read full article press here]
However the University of Utah said nothing about talking to one’s self whilst walking. This is what I do. I think out story lines, and talk it out loud, trying out dialogue and sometimes even arguing with myself. Now this was all well and good when I had a dog to walk, as passers-by assumed I was talking to the dog. BUT when my four legged friend passed away three years ago, people I passed on my walks would speed up or cross the road and avoid eye contact with the strange woman who was talking to herself. I’m sad to say my walking habits changed and not to the benefit of my creativity.
Missing my creative walks, and after much debate and discussion I have found a solution, one which will stop me from having strange glares, when I'm talking on my rambles through the countryside.
Here is the solution . . .
