“Left-brain” and “right-brain” are concepts that aim to differentiate the capacities related to facts and data, typical of mathematicians, engineers, doctors and lawyers, for example, from those related to creativity, inspiration and art. Thus, it would seem that the world is divided between two sides: Those who are active in the left-brain camp, live their lives based on formulas, measuring results and tracing logical paths of reasoning, and those who are active in the right-brain camp, produce forms, movements, colors, shadows and effects that generate subjective evaluations that are more qualitative than quantitative.
Fortunately, we all have the privilege of having both abilities. However, humanity led its productive structure towards little boxes that can be modulated, measured and counted: our office cubicle or failing that, the square space that we adapt in our house to work, a table measuring 1.20m by 0, 60cm, with a 0.36cmx0.24cm laptop stand in my case, a keyboard that is the width of my shoulders and a 15” screen on which I keep my eyes fixed most of the day.
Within that screen, squares of documents, spreadsheets, presentations and browsers that represent the activity I carry out throughout the day. They are also planned in another square full of cells, which is my base calendar that tells me what I will be doing in the next hours and days, whose view I can expand to the monthly view, full of colors that indicate the type of activity such as: marketing, administration or study, for example.
And then, if we have both capacities, what about our creativity?
The nature of my current job requires reinventing myself every day: I study the content, I prepare it, I present it, I format it for social networks, I add colors to it… And of course, I MEASURE it. And suddenly, the measurement gives me far from what I expected. And that’s when I wonder why that great, winning idea hasn’t come up to my mind yet. I haven’t done something different that would increase my audience or increase my sales. I speak from the perspective of a solopreneur. But this, at a business level (I worked 35 years in the corporate world) is no different. Self-questioning occurs at most, every month, suddenly every quarter, and most certainly every year; especially, if there was no profitability, growth or dividends.
Creativity for those of us who measure ourselves by a combination of measurement systems (units per hour, dollars per month, transactions per minute) goes beyond painting, playing an instrument or dancing. It is stimulated and developed – hopefully daily – by finding more effective ways to deal with an annoying customer, different strategies for reaching the market, developing a new line of business, etc. But suddenly, we feel so-so-down. How can I not think of something different? Why did my competitor make that move? What else could I think of?
Well, in some settings we have laughed with colleagues and friends about why we come up with good ideas in the shower, when we just woke up, or on a Sunday walk, where we had nothing to write down.
The solutions are definitive:
– Always carry a notebook and pen for the moment of lucidity
– Plan for spending time in spaces free of your desk boxes (hiking in the mountains, riding a bicycle, carpentry, etc.)
– Spend coffee time with colleagues, without a planned topic, just to cultivate the delicious art of conversation
And I must say it: WITHOUT the expectation of coming out with the brilliant idea. If it’s going to come out, it will come out; If not, we stay attentive with your notebook, for when our mind gives us the solution.
So our task is: to give more space to the “right-brain”, to inspire ourselves, create other strategies, products, solve a hiring problem, in short, to “de-square” the grid that we have (it is not bad, it frames us in the focus and discipline that allow us to achieve what we intend to) and frequently revolutionize our ability to progress, challenging our comfort zone and challenging the capabilities of those around us.