The Art of Concentration

Having written about the four challenges that hinder creative thinking, I want to move on to look at some things that will help us to think creatively.

The first is concentration - the ability to focus and give attention to the big idea. Deresiewicz writes “It means gathering yourself together into a single point rather than letting yourself be dispersed everywhere into a cloud of electronic and social input.”

He goes on to say, “It’s only by concentrating, sticking to the question, being patient, letting all the parts of your mind come into play, that you arrive at an original idea. By giving your brain a chance to make associations, draw connections, then a new idea can take you by surprise.”

For myself, I know that the early part of the day is when I function at my best in terms of concentration. This means that my schedule must reflect this, especially when I am looking at important issues. I find the challenge is not the isolated occasion but to consistently and regularly put quality thinking time in my diary. 

The Art of Concentration

Having written about the four challenges that hinder creative thinking, I want to move on to look at some things that will help us to think creatively.