Wellbeing

Yes, Routine Is The Answer To Creativity

Forget the stereotype of the freewheeling artist. It turns out routine is the key to creativity.

By Lara Robertson

Wellbeing

Forget the stereotype of the freewheeling artist. It turns out routine is the key to creativity.

By Lara Robertson

American novelist Patricia Highsmith ate bacon and eggs for breakfast every morning. Former US President Barack Obama had a wardrobe full of identical suits. And you’re probably familiar with journalist and author Hunter S. Thompson’s infamous, drug-addled daily routine, starting at three in the afternoon. It may seem counter-intuitive, but establishing habits for the more mundane aspects of your life can actually help boost creativity.

In The Power of Habit, Charles Duhigg argues that establishing routines for the necessary aspects of your day-to-day life, like sleeping, eating and exercise, can actually help create more space in your brain for more important thoughts.