The Canadian Bar Association’s July-August 2012 edition of National Magazine has an interesting PracticeLink article about creativity in your work.

The article references Jonah Lehrer, an expert on creativity and brain science, and author of Imagine: How Creativity Works.  Lehrer is quoted: “We think about creativity as a really rare gift, and that’s fundamentally wrong.  Creativity is a universal trait of human nature. In the end it’s about problem-solving, making new connection between old ideas, and that’s certainly relevant whether you’re a scientist or artist, and even if you’re a lawyer.”

The article provides some tips to increase the left- and right-brain connections for increased creativity:

• Think of your problem in pictures instead of words.
• Take care of yourself – exercise, sleep, proper diet are important to  your brain and work.
• Rethink the design of your workspace – does it foster task-driven work or open thought?
• Be careful when using precedents – it can be easy to get stuck simply following the pre-set map.
• Stop looking for an answer – Lehrer says, “Yes, sometimes we need to drink a triple espresso and sit in our cubicle, but sometimes that’s exactly backwards. Sometimes that’ll make it harder to find the right answer.  Sometimes our best ideas will only arise if we stop looking for them.”  Take a break, go for a walk, have lunch away from your desk.

Creativity lends itself to unique solutions, value-building, and strategic thinking – things we value at SCC Law.  How can you increase your creativity today?