Creative People More Engaged During Idle Time

Creative people enjoy their idle time, and it’s often when fresh ideas inspire them. Find out how a new study shows we need to find time to relax with our thoughts in this hectic, digital age.

I’ve been working from the cottage this week, keeping up with some urgent work, but otherwise taking it easy. I enjoy being idle in a natural setting, and some of my more active and practical friends sometimes find that (among countless other things) odd about me.

I seem to get happily lost in thought, with one idea drifting into another. I don’t know where my thoughts come from or why they inspire me to write and do other creative things, but I’m happiest when I sit still and let my mind wander.

Even during the pandemic, I often welcomed the solitude of the lockdown. I had a lot going on in my personal life during that period, and the “me time” gave me the chance to think things through and cope with challenges more effectively.

Mysteries of Our Inner Mental Lives

Dr. Jessica Andrews-Hanna is an associate professor in the University of Arizona’s psychology department. She’s been on a quest to probe the mysteries of our inner…