This document discusses how mindfulness can help creativity. It begins by defining creativity as looking at things differently than others. It then explains that our brains often operate on autopilot, limiting creativity. The document outlines how mindfulness involves presence, awareness, curiosity and kindness. It suggests daily mindfulness activities and exercises to get out of autopilot thinking, such as mindful eating, walking and listening. Regular mindfulness practice can strengthen cognitive flexibility and novel problem solving to enhance creativity.

1. Can Mindfulness Help Creativity
Shalini Bahl, PhD
Founder & Mindfulness Consultant

2. What Is This Talk About
Creativity
What stops us from being creative
How the brain works
Mindful Approach to Creativity
Mindful Activities
Daily Bootcamp
Try New
ThingsListenQuestion
FocusObserve
YES

3. WHAT IS
CREATIVITY?

4. Creativity means looking at the same
thing as everyone else and
THINKING SOMETHING DIFFERENT
~Albert Szent Gyorgi

5. Breaking rocks
Earning a living, or
Building a Cathedral?

6. Question
Observe
Listen
Explore
Connect the dots
Traits of Creative People

7. What stops us from being creative

8. The cup is full

9. Our brains run on auto-pilot

10. What percentage of your
daily decisions are made
by you consciously?
95%
75%
50%
25%
5%

11. Unconscious Mind
How much control do
you consciously have?
*95% of our behavior
is driven by the
unconscious mind
Conscious Mind
*Bargh and Chartrand 1999

12. A Quick Look at
How The Brain Works

13. What do you see?

14. What do you see Now?

15. What else is possible?

16. How did you do?

17. Stuck in Old Patterns
Object in
Outer World
Retina Sensory
Cortex
Initial
Learning
Later
Repetition
Generalization
to Partial
Stimulus
Generalization
to Partial
Stimulus
Figure of Neural Attractor Networks by
Dr. P.E. Sharp 2011

18. The Mindful Approach To Creativity
Mindfulness Can Help You Break Out Of Auto Pilot

19. Mindfulness is Being Present,
moment to moment, with
Awareness,
Curiosity and
Kindness
exploring what is possible...

20. Mindfulness is NOT about
Finding Bliss on top of a
Mountain

21. Mindfulness is NOT
Positive Thinking
Relaxation
A Religion

22. Triangle of Awareness
Breaking autopilot by bringing awareness to
body sensations, thoughts, & emotions

23. An Experiment
Mindful Eating
•Stop everything else
•Use all your senses
•Notice your natural inclinations
•Notice any thoughts, judgments,
or emotions
•Fully enjoy the meal
•Stop when you are full

24. 1.Daily Activities
1.Brushing your teeth with full care
2.Enjoying the shower
3.Mindful eating
2.Environment
1.One deep Breath at traffic lights
2.Mindful Walking
3.Making one new observation each day
3. Interactions With Others
1.Being fully present with clients
2.Mindful listening
3.Expressing gratitude
Mindful Activities To Break Auto-pilot:
Practice at least 1 from each category

25. Strengthening the
Mindfulness Muscle
“Only through mindfulness
training can we possibly
hope that our awareness
will be strong enough and
reliable enough to assist us
in responding in a balanced
& imaginative manner when
we are stressed.”
~ Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn

26. Research Findings:
Mindfulness & Brain Plasticity
*Cognitive Flexibility
Novel Problem Solving
Not limited by past
experiences
**Learning
Memory processes
Perspective taking
*Greenberg J, Reiner K, Meiran N (2012) “Mind the Trap”: Mindfulness Practice Reduces Cognitive Rigidity. PLoS ONE 7(5)
** Holzel et al (2011), “Mindfulness practice leads to increases in regional brain gray matter density,” Psychiatry Research:
Neuroimaging, Volume 191, Issue 1, 30 January 2011, Pages 36–43

27. Mindfulness Training
Daily Bootcamp:
Awareness of Breath
•Fix the duration starting with 1
minute that you can commit to
•Fix a time you will practice daily
•FIx a space you will not be
disturbed
•Sit in a comfortable and dignified
position with a straight back
•Eyes lowered or closed
•Breathe naturally
•Bringing attention to breath
•Experience the breath in your belly
rising with in breath and falling with
out breath
•Every time the mind wanders come
back, gently but firmly to the breath
•Be kind to yourself as you give
every breath full care & attention

28. Building the Creativity Muscle
Daily
Bootcamp
Mindful
Activities
Think
Differently

29. Create Your Life
✓Build A Cathedral
✓Empty Your Cup
✓Daily Mind Bootcamp
✓3 Mindful Activities
✓Approach Life With ACK
✓Don’t forget FUN!!!

30. IMAGE CREDITS
slide 1: BraidCreative.com
slide 8: NewAgeSelfHelp.com
slide 20: Zebra paperclip on Flickr
slide 24: Psychology Today
slide 27: George Milne
others: istockphoto.com

31. CONTACT
Email: Shalini@TheMindfulnessConnection.com
Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/shalinibahl
Twitter: https://twitter.com/shalinibahl
Slide Share: http://www.slideshare.net/ShaliniBahl
Post Your Questions Here: MindfulQNA.com