Holidays really do help us innovate

November 11, 2010

Over the past several years scientists have discovered that creativity is not only a characteristic of the individual, but can change depending on the context. Change the context, say by going on holiday or to an art gallery for for the day, and you can increase creativity considerably.

In a new paper from Indiana University, scientists have demonstrated that increasing psychological distance so that a problem feels farther away can actually increase creativity. In a 2002 journal article, Gerhard Strauss-Blasche of the University of Vienna showed that vacations slow down our perception of time, taking the edge off the feeling that everything is always coming at us in rapid-fire sequence. Deliberately mindful vacations can help us to innovate.