Creativity and Memory

Creativity and memory are linked in several interesting and influential ways.  Memory looks back at what has been while creativity looks forward and creates what will be.  Yet the two intertwine and play with each other to define the world that we experience.  Creative thinking plays a part in how we recreate our memories and memories add essential fuel to what we create.  Let's consider what some of the consequences of this may be.

Creative thinking has been shown to improve both our short term and long term memory.  Creativity draws heavily on both  so we exercise that part of our mind in doing so.  By thinking creatively we can also come up with various techniques to aid our memory.

But does it work the other way round?

I believe the answer is partly yes and partly no.  Sometimes having a good memory gives you the ability to have more ideas and resources to draw upon to concoct your ideas.  But sometimes a poor memory might be productive as well.  For instance, there may be a known working solution to the problem at hand.  If you forget about this and cannot recall it then you are forced to think about a solution and this offers the opportunity for you to arrive at a different, possibly better creative solution.  Or you may misremember the solution and inadvertently create a new solution that works better.

We live in a grey world, not a black and white nirvana. 

What are your opinions regarding memory and creativity?  Join in the discussion and leave a comment below.

You're on your way to becoming a Highly Creative Person.