Don't just think - create a right-brain file

In a culture that places a high value on taking a left-brained, analytical approach, many of us are only tapping into part of our brain's potential. We completely miss out on the right-brained, intuitive, flash-of-brilliance-out-of-nowhere potential each of us have.

Of course, it's easy to pay lip service to expanding our approach to encompass a fuller range of our brain's potential, but how do you actually do it?

Michael Melcher over on The Creative Lawyer has an interesting approach he calls creating a right-brain file. As he puts it, "it's a way of thinking without, well, thinking."

What you put into your Right-Brain File is anything that tickles your fancy. It could be an article, a photo, a travel brochure, an email, an overheard snatch of dialogue. My Right-Brain File consists mainly of articles, but that’s just me. What you put into your Right-Brain File might excite you, it might intrigue you, it might make you boil with envy, it might just make you say, “huh.” There’s something there, you’re just not sure what. And the key is: don’t think about it. Just put it in the file.

So far so good. The key is to resist the urge to analyze and just toss it in there. And then...

Later, once your file has grown, take a look at what you’ve collected. What do you see? Any patterns, inspirations, insights?  What you have is a record of what your right brain—the intuitive, associative, non-logical part of you—has noticed. It’s been noticing things, even if you haven’t been able to put words around it. Indeed, sometimes avoiding putting words around your impulses is one of the best ways to let them develop.

Another way to think about it - one that keeps your left brain in the loop so it doesn't rebel - is that all this is really doing is gathering data from the right brain that your left brain doesn't have immediately available. Once it has the data, your analytical side can group and sort and analyze and pattern-recognize to its heart's content.

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by Curt Rosengren, Passion Catalyst

Comments

[Angela Chen Shui]

Curt,

This post smoothed right in with a Friday night, Saturday morning music and art vibe last night...

Wrote a post about that, incl this post but forgot to comment. ;-)

Blessings, Thanks and continue Being Who You Are,

Angela

http://www.SoulSelfHelp.com/soulmate

[Kim-Free Website]

Very nice article.I will definitely use my right brain after reading your blog.Thanks for sharing this post.

[Curt Rosengren]

Angela, I'm glad it fit your groove. Thanks for the post. :-)

Thanks Kim, I'm glad you liked it.

[Hildy Gottlieb]

Thanks for this, Curt. I have always shoved ideas and creative stuff in various files. I've scribbled notes that end up in piles of junk. But I never thought about it in this very organized (dare I say left-brained?) way. I will start tonight! Thanks.
Hildy