There is Movement in Creativity

I went to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art today for the first time since moving to the Bay area nearly six years ago. Personally, I always have some reservation with modern art - not all of it, mostly the mono-colored square that is hung on the wall claiming to offer spatial influence. I digress. Where I am particularly intrigued when it comes to more modern art are abstract pieces, especially sculptures. Today my friend and I walked into an exhibit by Ruth Asawa, an artist who created hanging sculptures from intricately coiling wires. In reading through the information cards next to some of her works, I realized something I never really gave credence to in the past - so much of abstract art is movement experimentation. It's purposeful exposure to variety of body and mind expression which is then transferred to some form of cavas or creative siphon.

The more you experiment, the more malleability your brain retains. Like our joints stiffen and lose mobility when we don't move them, the less variety your brain is exposed to has a similar effect. Variety exposure can look like a myriad of things: listening to a new band (I just met a lovely new human who has been sending me songs I've never heard, and even just with that I notice a small domino effect); talking to a new person (see previous bit); reading a new book, doing a new activity, visiting a new place, maybe even literally turning your body upside down for a literal different perspective. Further, as the brain regularly exposes itself to a new stimulus - even if the stimulus is seamingly small - the more movement can be seen in a creative output. Add in time and practice, and even the movement within with abstract work becomes more coordinated.

As I think "out loud" here, I realize that movement and creativity create their own dynamic feedback loop. Yes at times the loop will be quieter, and other times you won't be able to keep up with the flood of ideas (here is where I have started abusing my notes app).

From a physical perspective, movement has the same impact on our brains. The more regularly our bodies are allowed to move, even with just the simple act of walking, the more neuroplastic we keep our brains - allowing us to develop new perspectives, new ideas, connect in new and different ways with both the world and others around us.

To put it simply, don't stop moving.