People stranded across Europe due to volcanic ash can harness their creativity in their idle time, according to an expert.
R Keith Sawyer, PhD, an associate professor of psychology, both in Arts and Sciences at Washington University, insists idle time is needed to become more creative in personal and professional lives.
He said: "Idle time allows people to think of their problems in new ways. People talk about the 'aha' moment emerging when you are doing something else.
"Creative people work hard but they also work smart. There is a certain way they structure their work habits. They structure their day so they alternate between hard work and time off. Researchers call it idle time."
He further explained: "No one is born highly creative.
Psychologists studying creativity have discovered that it is based on cognitive processes we all share. Creativity is not the result of some magic brain region that some people have and others don't. You have to work hard to be a more creative person. You have to be diligent."
Sawyer, author of 'Explaining Creativity: The Science of Human Innovation', emphasized that creative people have a knack of doing multiple projects.
He said: "When they are working on one thing and they get stuck, they shift to another project. That creates potential for unexpected connections between the projects.
"They might read a book, play a board game or take a walk. These are times where distant analogies can happen - meaning something on the board game might provide an idea regarding the current project. Something in a book might connect two ideas together. A walk might allow for viewing of new concepts.
"Many people don't take their vacation and they end up rolling over all of their off time. If I were a senior manager, I would make everyone take all of their vacation time. Time away from work is essential for recharging the batteries, so to speak, and to help people think more creatively on the job. People need freedom in their schedule for idle time."
