Part 1: The Bladder.
Before we consider this important and often underrated organ, we should head north and take a look at some of the problems facing the brain in today's frenetic society.
We make life difficult for our brains; we bombard them up with the minutiae of daily life then ask them to do something simple like 'be creative' and then wonder why they seem reluctant to oblige us. I think being creative is 'something simple'. It is building new patterns, new ways of looking at facts and ideas to construct the new 'thing' that is required. Forming patterns is what the brain is about - all those waves of electricity ebbing and flowing, pulsing and surging - and we need to ensure that the formation of those patterns is not impeded.
For 20 years I worked in a software support group for a very large American computer firm. The systems were huge with users logged in from all parts of the world. If the systems needed maintenance we had to find ways of doing things without disrupting those users. The need to be creative was a daily requirement but the stresses and strains of corporate life seemed to be at odds with the creative process.
We drank lots of tea and coffee and gradually I noticed a curious thing; when I went to the loo with a jolly full bladder and just let it go, minutes later, back in the office, new ideas would start to pop up that helped solve many of our support problems.
At first I did not associate the creation of new ideas with the emptying of the bladder as it seems such an unlikely notion. But gradually, over the years, I found that the 'bladder method' worked for me on very many occasions.
The bladder's 'secret' relates to relaxation, of course. It seems that if you can relax the mind and the body sufficiently, the fat pipe unblocks somehow and allows the brain to do what it is good at, to create new patterns out of which come new ideas.
This technique of 'build up pressure - release pressure' is already well known in the field of relaxation therapy, especially for the muscles. Similar techniques such as sex could also be used but may cause problems with your partner if you suddenly shout "Eureka" in their ear after the pressure is released. I only propose the 'bladder method' as it is a low-risk technique you can practice alone.
There you have it, 'The Creative Bladder', a technique that has been tried and tested over a period of 20 years in a high-pressure corporate culture and found to deliver good-quality solutions to critical corporate needs. The following approach is recommended:
Three Steps To A Creative Heaven - Fill your mind with the facts and background relating to your need / problem.
- Fill your bladder with something - probably not an alcoholic drink. Obviously, treat your bladder with due respect and don't overfill it
- Wait until you really want to go, and then go! Stand or sit (according to preference) then just let go. Think of nothing other than the sheer enjoyment of the moment. Don't force anything, just relax.
When you return to your workplace, just continue working normally. The ideas will come in their own sweet time. This is a skill and like all skills it will take time and practice to perfect. I believe that by using this simple technique you will increase your creativity considerably and gain a lot more enjoyment and fun from your work. Be creative! Go for it! Go for a pee!
The 20th century gave us the slogan 'Dig for Victory'. I think the motto for these competitive times could well be 'Pee for Creativity'.
'Part 2: The Elbow' will follow at some future date.
Adrian Butt
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