Have you ever wondered why you are told, as a writer, to always keep a notebook handy? The reason is simple; your best ideas will most likely come to you when you least expect them to, maybe while you are taking a shower, or just before you fall asleep.  An idea can even come to you when you are not even thinking of your next writing project. So, how could this be? The answer is simple; your brain is created to work that way. When you are not engaged in goal-oriented activities or activities that use the cognitive side of your brain, you are in a relaxed and rested state of mind.

According to Dr. Michael D. Greicius, a region of the brain “consistently show(s) greater activity during resting states than during cognitive tasks.”

To put it simply, it has been found that the brain is very active when a person is carrying out mundane chores, which we regard as muscular, such as walking, cooking and even falling asleep. The part of your brain responsible for this mode of thinking? The default mode network. The default mode network – or the DMN – involves several interconnected regions of the brain, such as the posterior cingulate cortex, the medial prefrontal cortex, the angular gyrus, the hippocampus, to name a few. Researchers have found that there is a surprising amount of brain activity when a person is supposed to be resting. Further research also showed that certain parts of the brain were more active during periods of daydreaming than when you require more attention for goal-oriented tasks such as heavy concentration.

So, I hear you ask, what does this have to do with creating my next novel?

Consider what happens when you go for a walk or take a bath. Your mind ordinarily wanders since you don't have to focus on what's going on. So you are able to activate a part of your brain that can lead to amazing insights, and therefore great creative ideas.That is the reason some say daydreamers are more innovative.

Brain researcher Marcus Raichle says, “Many researchers believe that creativity is associated with daydreaming or spontaneous thoughts about interesting problems. Personally, I do a bit of that; it is one way we work things out.”

If allowing our DMN to take over the reins more often leads to daydreaming, which then leads to possible creative breakthroughs, why don’t we do it more? The problem today is that we live in a fast-paced world, where everyone is striving to complete that to-do list, and does not have the time or interest in sitting in a park and daydreaming. We are so focused on reaching those goals, we are not allowing the creative part of the brain to kick in. So try to exercise a little each day, even if it is for just fifteen minutes. Take the stairs instead of the lift. Learn not to rush. Take a few minutes every day, maybe while you have your first coffee, and allow those thoughts to flourish.