Albert Einstein was known for playing the violin when he couldn’t figure out a mathematical problem. At first glance, these two activities seem unrelated. How could playing an instrument help with solving a math problem? But Einstein himself said that it was a crucial element to coming up with a particularly elusive solution. He called the idea combinatory play and said it was “the essential feature in productive thought.” Combinatory play is the act of waking up one form of creativity by practicing another.
This isn’t just something for Einstein and math geniuses. It can be a huge boon to writers and other creatives. If you’re having trouble writing, try doing something else: drawing, painting, making music, writing poetry, taking photos. It doesn’t really matter what it is—the key is that it’s low pressure compared to writing. Often, when we struggle with writing, it’s because we’re putting so much pressure on ourselves. Will anybody like our book? Is it any good? Will an agent/editor/book buyer want this story? We spend so much time on one book that it’s hard not to place all our hopes and dreams on that story. And I don’t think it’s a bad thing to care deeply about your book, but when it goes too far, it can keep us from writing. We end up self-editing and doubting ourselves before the words are even on the page. It may even be subconscious, which is sometimes the hardest problem to solve.
By participating in a low-stakes activity, it puts our ego on the back shelf. When we mess up at the new activity, it’s much easier to say “Well, I never said I was a painter/web designer/knitter, so of course I’m not going to be very good at it.” It releases us from unrealistic expectations and allows us to just create. Once those creative juices are flowing, they almost always translate back to our “normal” form of creativity too. We’ve woken up our inner muse, and it often doesn’t care what form it takes; it may have gotten up because of random doodling, but now it’s ready to go with your novel.
Incorporating combinatory play into your writing life also helps stretch your brain. Our brains love routines and familiarity. That’s because, in a biological sense, these things often mean safety. We’ve done it before and we’re still alive, so let’s keep doing it! Why risk changing? But, of course, not changing means your creativity is becoming stagnant and dying. To create something new, we have to take risks. When we take up a new activity, it forces our brain out of its rut and makes us think outside the box. This is key to fostering creativity.
You could wait until you’re slamming your head against writer’s block before picking up a different activity, but the best thing to do is to incorporate other forms of creativity into your writing life regularly. Marathon runners don’t only train by running; they also cross-train to build up other muscles, which ultimately makes them better runners. In the same way, by regularly practicing different forms of creativity that help alleviate pressure and encourage you to branch out, your writing brain will benefit the most in the end.
What other creative hobbies do you do? How does it help? Let me know in the comments!
Featured image by Carl Heyerdahl