Level up your brain power.
The Art of Thought
by Graham Wallas
Psychology
TL;DR
This book breaks down the creative process into four main stages: first, you stuff your brain with all the info (Preparation); then, you ghost the problem and let your subconscious do the heavy lifting (Incubation); suddenly, a lightbulb goes off (Illumination); and finally, you check if your brilliant idea isn't actually trash (Verification). It's all about optimizing your brain's workflow to churn out bangers, not just by working harder, but by working smarter and knowing when to step back.
Action Items
Pick one problem you're facing and spend 30 minutes just gathering all the info you can, no judgment, no filtering. Just dump it all in your brain's inbox.
When you hit a wall on something, literally walk away. Go make a snack, scroll social media for 15 minutes, or just stare out the window. Give your brain a break.
Keep a notepad or your phone handy. When a random good idea or solution pops into your head, immediately jot it down. Don't let that fleeting genius escape!
Take one 'brilliant' idea you've had recently and try to find one flaw or challenge in it. Or, explain it to a friend and ask them to poke holes in it.
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Key Chapter
Chapter - The 'Aha!' Moment: When Your Brain Finally Gets Its Shit Together
You know that feeling when you've been staring at a problem for hours, ready to throw your laptop out the window, and then you go for a walk, and BAM! The answer just hits you? That's the 'Illumination' stage, baby. It's not magic; it's your brain finally connecting the dots after you gave it some space. Think of it like your brain's Wi-Fi signal finally kicking in after a long buffering session. The key is understanding that sometimes, the best way to solve something isn't to force it, but to step away and let your subconscious do the heavy lifting. It's about trusting the process and knowing when to chill so your brain can surprise you with a genius download.
Key Methods and Approaches
Brain Stuffing
(AKA: Preparation)
Description:
Shoving all the relevant info into your head before you even think about solving anything.
Explanation:
Imagine your brain is a TikTok algorithm. You gotta feed it all the trending sounds, dances, and memes related to your problem. The more raw material you give it, the better it can remix something new. Don't skimp; gather everything, even the weird stuff. It's like prepping for a massive group project by actually doing your research instead of just showing up.
Examples:
Reading every article, watching every YouTube video, and scrolling through every Reddit thread about a new skill you want to learn.
Before writing a paper, collecting all your notes, sources, and even random thoughts in one chaotic document.
If you're trying to fix a broken gadget, watching multiple repair videos and reading forums, even if they seem slightly off-topic.
Today's Action:
Pick one problem you're facing and spend 30 minutes just gathering all the info you can, no judgment, no filtering. Just dump it all in your brain's inbox.
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