Romancing the Creative Brain Avoiding Burnout and Block · 2018-07-18 · Downward Stress Spiral...

Romancing the Creative Brain

Avoiding Burnout and Block

© 2018 Rosanne Bane, [email protected]

Remember...


© Can Stock Photo / peshkova

Stress is the New Normal

Expectations

Demands

Pressure to produce

Be creative NOW!

Be creative ALWAYS!


© Can Stock Photo / Elnur

Freewrite

7 minutes

Keep your hand moving

No one else sees this

What expectations and demands –

your own and others – do you have

difficulty keeping up with?


Talk it Out

Tell your partner what you’re

comfortable sharing about the

demands and expectations you

deal with

3 minutes each

Switch when you hear the whistle


No Wonder…

24-7 availability across

multiple platforms and

devices

PLUS writing

PLUS a personal life

Create expectations

that no mere human

being can meet


This Is Not You Failing!

You do NOT need more:

more will power, discipline, ambition

or talent



You do NOT need:


or talent

a new time management system or

more hours in the day



You do NOT need:


or talent

a new time management system or

more hours in the day

to give up frivolous things like sleep

and spending time with your family

and friends


How You Turn This Around

You DO need:

to know how your brain reacts to

chronic stress



You DO need:


chronic stress

to understand what’s going on in

your brain when you want to write,

but can’t or don’t



You DO need:


chronic stress

to understand what’s going on in

your brain when you want to write,

but can’t or don’t

a plan for choosing conscious,

informed brain responses


You Don’t Have a Brain!

© 2018 Rosanne Bane [email protected]

You Have a Brain System


Your Brain Is Like Lincoln’s Cabinet


David Eagleman


“Most of what we do and think is not under

our conscious control…

“Your consciousness is like a tiny stowaway

on a transatlantic steamship, taking credit

for the journey without acknowledging the

massive engineering underfoot.”

David Eagleman

Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain

Who’s Driving?

Each team member has

its own specialties and

priorities

Some team members

jostle for a chance to

drive the bus


Brain Stem


Limbic System


Cortex


RAS Toggle Switch

When we are stressed or threatened, the Reticular Activating System (RAS) flips the limbic brain on and the cortex off

When we relax, the RAS flips the limbic brain off and the cortex back on


Limbic System Takeovers

You cannot:

think clearly, logically or creatively

access the prefrontal cortex’s executive functions to:

form goals and devise plans

anticipate outcomes

motivate yourself or monitor your behavior

You can scream and run away!


Limbic System vs. Cortex

Limbic System

Reactive – involuntary

reactions

Essential in physical survival

situations

Faster than Cortex (survival

can’t waste time)

Cortex

Reflective – able to choose

responses

Essential in creativity and

problem-solving

Slower than Limbic System

(deliberation takes time)



Limbic System

Freeze instinct: paralysis to

hide from threat

Fight instinct: physical,

emotional & energetic

lashing out OR deeply

trained fighting

Flight instinct: run/withdraw

Cortex

Conscious pause to assess

situation & consider options

Conscious engagement to

collaborate, cooperate or

compete

Conscious retreat to reflect,

research, create, explore



Limbic System

Goal: survive

spacspspaespace

Constrictive: pull in, avoid

risks, rely on tried-and-true

reactions

Failure is death

Cortex

Goals: mastery, autonomy,

purpose, creativity

Expansive: willing to explore,

take risks, experiment with

possible alternatives

Failure is acceptable, even

desirable


Cortex Doesn’t Know When

It’s Not Driving the Bus


Chronic Stress Rewires Your Brain


Being a Pro Helps… Sometimes

Writing habits and routines

allow you to continue

working during Limbic System

Takeover

You might be able review

notes, research, proofread

But you can’t work creatively


Being a Pro Doesn’t Always Help

Pro or not, chronic stress causes:

Exhaustion

Sleep disorders

Anxiety and self-doubt

Impaired memory and creativity

Loss of agency (powerlessness)

Lack of motivation

Social withdrawal


Being a Pro Doesn’t Always Help

Thinking you’re immune or

you have to handle constant

stress makes you more

susceptible to Downward

Stress Spiral


Downward Stress Spiral

More time in survival mode =

increased activity in Limbic

System



More time in survival mode = increased activity

in Limbic System

Increased Limbic System activity

= stronger connections among

neurons in Limbic System




in Limbic System

Increased Limbic System activity = stronger

connections among neurons in Limbic System

Increased Limbic System activity

= decreased activity in Cortex




in Limbic System

Increased Limbic System activity = stronger

connections among neurons in Limbic System

Increased Limbic System activity = decreased

activity in Cortex

Decreased Cortex activity =

weaker connections among

neurons in Cortex



More time in survival mode = increased activity in Limbic System

Increased Limbic System activity = stronger connections among neurons in Limbic System

Increased Limbic System activity = decreased activity in Cortex

Decreased Cortex activity = weaker connections among neurons in Cortex

Makes Limbic System Takeovers more likely, which intensifies the Stress Spiral


Stress Spiral

Limbic System seizes control

Things you would shrug off if not chronically stressed trigger more frequent and intense Limbic System Takeovers

Harder to use Cortex executive functions to stop the stress spiral

Limbic System Takeover becomes default state


Assuming You Failed Makes It Worse

Without the cortex’s ability to reflect,

we can’t question if expectations

are realistic

Unrealistic expectations and

perceived failure trigger Lateral

Habenula


Habenula


Lateral Medial

Habenula Effects Motivation

Lateral Habenula = Brake Pedal

“Don’t go there! Avoid that!”

Dopamine suppressed

Lack of energy, focus and

willingness to try

Depression – chicken or egg?


Habenula Effects Motivation

Medial Habenula = Gas Pedal

“Go! Try it! Do that again!”

Dopamine released

Increased energy, focus and

willingness to try

Pleasure


Avoid Slamming the Brakes

Lateral Habenula is triggered by:

Unrealistic expectations & demands

Perceived or anticipated failure

Rewards that are less than

anticipated

Goals that are too big, too far away

or focus on the final result instead of incremental progress


Escape Stress Spiral of Creative Death

Remember it’s physiological

We cannot will ourselves out of a

Stress Spiral

We can escape with conscious,

sustained effort – but NOT the

kind of effort you expect


Original Death Spiral

Early aviators coined “death

spiral” to describe what

happened when pilots were

disoriented by poor visibility

Toni Wall Jaudon, The Atlantic


Escape Death Spiral

Pilots who followed instincts

crashed

Pilots had to ignore instincts to

stop the in-and-down turn

Pilots who learned to trust

instruments that contradicted

their kinetic sense survived


Escape Stress Spiral of Creative Death

In a Stress Spiral of Creative Death,

we are absolutely certain we must

work longer, push harder, keep

fighting and keep going

When we lose sight of horizon, we

can either:

Follow instincts into downward

spiral to creative death

Or refuse to follow our instincts


Avoid the Crash

Stop doing what feels right and necessary to the Limbic System

If you’re driving yourself to keep working, the solution is to NOT work

If you’re immobilized, do something that is not writing-related


I Know, I Know

“I can’t stop!

I have too much that HAS

to get done.”


Think You Can Get it With that Angle?


© Can Stock Photo / kencor

Better Brain Responses: 3 Habits

Habit is a well-myelinated

neural pathway

Habits sustain you even

during Limbic System

Takeovers

3 Major Habits


Better Brain Responses: Self-care

Optimize brain function and enhance creativity

Sleep

Exercise

Meditation

Attention / Focus

Play


Better Brain Responses: Process

Creative play for the sake of play

Outcomes and results are unimportant, surrendering expectations is primary

Enhances creative energy, relieves stress, increases dopamine and brings insight


Better Brain Responses: Process


I Know, I Know

“Are you kidding me?

I’m not sure I can take

time for all that Self-care.

I certainly don’t have time

to waste goofing off!”


Denise Jacobs’s Story


Let’s Practice Process

Keep it fun!

Messy is okay;

striving for perfection

is not.


Personal Process Play Plan

Brainstorm possible ways

to play for Process

Select 4 intriguing options

Put appointments in your

calendar

Get necessary supplies


Better Brain Responses: Product Time

As long as your approach works, don’t mess with it

Includes anything that moves a project toward the final product

Evaluate not according to how “good” the outcome is, but by whether you put in the time you committed to


15 Magic Minutes

Set the bar so low, you can’t help but walk over it

Commitment to no more than 15 minutes a day

Don’t have to stop after 15 minutes

Can set Targets beyond 15 minutes


Commitment: By God, I will…


Target: Something to Shoot For


Fabulous! Equally Fabulous!

Word Counts Can Slam the Brakes

Remember Lateral

Habenula is triggered by

rewards that are less than

anticipated or perceived

failure

Unmet word counts can

feel like a failure or a less-

than-expected reward


Better Brain Responses: 3 Habits

Start small and build on

your success

Don’t rush to increase time

Reserve time for 3 Habits in

calendar

Celebrate daily progress to

keep Lateral Habenula

disengaged


Caveats

Burnout or depression?

Or both?

Burnout or hibernation?


Resources

BaneOfYourResistance.com/RWA2018

(includes PowerPoint and links)

RosanneBane.com

[email protected]


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Romancing the Creative Brain Avoiding Burnout and Block · 2018-07-18 · Downward Stress Spiral...

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