The Power of Rest: Unlocking Creativity with Neuroplasticity

Creating something brilliant is a two-step process — first you gather the dots, and the second part you connect them.

The more unique the connections you can make, the more respected you are.

Thus, neuroplasticity — the ability of the brain to reform itself in response to new conditions or information.

This is necessary when you learn new things, try to create stuff, need healing from a trauma, etc. It is easy to associate the brain’s development with active physical or mental activities but rest plays a vital role in this process.

When you rest through activities like sleep, meditation, mindfulness, or simply taking breaks from mentally demanding tasks, you promote relaxation, reduce stress, and allow the brain to enter a state conducive to neuroplastic changes. You leave room for your subconscious to work on the task without forcing things.

This is the secret behind the discoveries of many creative geniuses. A simple example of this is Elias Howe’s invention of the sewing machine.

So if you’ve been sprinting at a task with little headway, maybe you just need to simmer down and let your brain create new neural networks.

This applies to effective learning too — in the first part you gather as many dots as you can; in the second, you rest, sleep, and let your brain completely relax to connect and ignite those neural paths.

To recap:

Plastic means adapting; taking on a new form and structure. It is the opposite of elastic which is something returning to its initial shape and size.

The neuro connotes the central nervous system; of which the governing part is the brain.

So neuroplasticity is the ability of the brain to restructure itself in response to changing conditions.

The brain is plastic and can be stretched to accommodate new experiences and come up with creative ones. But it needs enough rest to work its magic.