Thanks for this MIQ / night shift idea! You've inspired me to experiment with adding pre-sleep writing about my MIQ to my existing morning pages-esque routine. Exited to see how it goes. I'll let you know in a couple of months when my subconscious has given me all the answers.
Your post also has me thinking of all the ways to think. Dreaming (both day and night), talking, nothing, absorbing, doing without thinking, doodling, mind-mapping, writing, intoxicating…
Lastly, have you read about the 3-day effect? Interesting studies about how our minds rewire and are significantly more creative after 3+ days in the wild.
According to Michael Easter, who introduced me to the concept in his book, The Comfort Crisis (which I enjoyed), "the wild" entails spotty cell reception, no toilets, wild animals, and few other people.
Brilliant post. Very insightful! Ray Kurzweil has something very similar, have you read his ideas on this topic? Excerpt from his book 'Transcend' here: "I’ve developed a method of solving problems while I sleep. I’ve perfected it for myself over several decades and have learned the subtle means by which this is likely to work better. I start out by assigning myself a problem when I get into bed. This can be any kind of problem. It could be a math problem, an issue with one of my inventions, a business strategy question, or even an interpersonal problem. I’ll think about the problem for a few minutes, but I try not to solve it. That would just cut off the creative problem solving to come. I do try to think about it. What do I know about this? What form could a solution take? And then I go to sleep. Doing this primes my subconscious mind to work on the problem...I’ve come up with inventions this way (and spent the rest of the day writing a patent application), figured out how to organize material for a book such as this, and come up with useful ideas for a diverse set of problems. If I have a key decision to make, I will always go through this process, after which I am likely to have real confidence in my
decision. The key to the process is to let your mind go, to be nonjudgmental, and not to worry about how well the method is working. It is the opposite of a mental discipline. Think about the problem, but then let ideas wash over you as you fall asleep. Then in the morning, let your mind go again as you review the strange ideas that your dreams generated. I have found this to be an invaluable method for harnessing the natural creativity of my dreams."
Fantastic piece for all writers and workers to read!
Thank you!
Thanks for this MIQ / night shift idea! You've inspired me to experiment with adding pre-sleep writing about my MIQ to my existing morning pages-esque routine. Exited to see how it goes. I'll let you know in a couple of months when my subconscious has given me all the answers.
Your post also has me thinking of all the ways to think. Dreaming (both day and night), talking, nothing, absorbing, doing without thinking, doodling, mind-mapping, writing, intoxicating…
Lastly, have you read about the 3-day effect? Interesting studies about how our minds rewire and are significantly more creative after 3+ days in the wild.
Thank you Chris and happy to hear you're trying it out. Have not heard about the 3 day effect. What qualifies as "the wild"?
According to Michael Easter, who introduced me to the concept in his book, The Comfort Crisis (which I enjoyed), "the wild" entails spotty cell reception, no toilets, wild animals, and few other people.
Another brilliant post, nicely done :)
Thank you, Subodh 🙏
You really have your best ideas under the shower (or similar venue).
Shower power 🔥 (walks & naps for me)
Wonderful post! Makes me think of importance of rest. The best ideas come to us not at a desk, but on a walk, hike, stroll. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you, Bogumil!
So, so many good nuggets here! And, for the ground covered, a shockingly coherent whole.
Thank you, Josh! Much appreciated.
Brilliant post. Very insightful! Ray Kurzweil has something very similar, have you read his ideas on this topic? Excerpt from his book 'Transcend' here: "I’ve developed a method of solving problems while I sleep. I’ve perfected it for myself over several decades and have learned the subtle means by which this is likely to work better. I start out by assigning myself a problem when I get into bed. This can be any kind of problem. It could be a math problem, an issue with one of my inventions, a business strategy question, or even an interpersonal problem. I’ll think about the problem for a few minutes, but I try not to solve it. That would just cut off the creative problem solving to come. I do try to think about it. What do I know about this? What form could a solution take? And then I go to sleep. Doing this primes my subconscious mind to work on the problem...I’ve come up with inventions this way (and spent the rest of the day writing a patent application), figured out how to organize material for a book such as this, and come up with useful ideas for a diverse set of problems. If I have a key decision to make, I will always go through this process, after which I am likely to have real confidence in my
decision. The key to the process is to let your mind go, to be nonjudgmental, and not to worry about how well the method is working. It is the opposite of a mental discipline. Think about the problem, but then let ideas wash over you as you fall asleep. Then in the morning, let your mind go again as you review the strange ideas that your dreams generated. I have found this to be an invaluable method for harnessing the natural creativity of my dreams."
Thank you so much for writing this post!