What is it: Neuroscientists have put musicians into an MRI machine and watched their brain as they played, using a tiny keyboard, a composition as opposed to playing improvisationally. In doing so, they hoped to better understand the nature of creativity. What they found was that creating improvisationally, the musicians first switched off their inhibition circuitry, then switched on their self-expression circuitry, and finally opened up their sensory awareness.
Why is it cool: Aside from the fact that the article directly references Miles Davis and John Coltrane, the two baddest-ass musicians to ever walk the planet, it’s fascinating that new experiments with the latest technology are confirming that the things we often try in our own efforts to be creative (or get respondents to be creative) are exactly the right things we should be doing.
Where to find it: here!
Submitted by: John Cucka