Jason Steed
Owner & CEO
My Gratitude Practice for Wiring Creativity
Thank Goodness for our Prefrontal Cortex
From one creative to another, I’ve found an unlikely yet effective gratitude-receiving practice that boosts my creativity. Note how I said “gratitude-receiving” rather than “giving gratitude.” No doubt that any form of gratitude is enriching and beneficial, but I want to speak directly to a type of gratitude practice proven to best light up the creative centers of our brains. It’s sort of a practitioner’s approach to a transcended topic, nevertheless, I’ll share an easy formula, inspired by a Huberman Labs podcast, that I’ve found to be quick and reliable tool for my own grounding, centering, and creative readiness.
First off, I’m not personally very consistent with any type of gratitude practice. But I really dig the science behind anything that can elevate my brain above it’s hardwired state of static safety. I know as well that we have to work against the atrophy that will stagnate us in our careers if we let it. So, for those who like the idea of putting up a good fight in the name of an evolving mind, these few tips may be worth a try.
Here’s a quick scientific framing: Gratitude is a mindset that activates our prefrontal cortex. Our brains’ prefrontal networks are the source of many of our enlightening attributes, one of which is creativity. The richest form of gratitude benefits occurs when you a) receive gratitude, and b) construct a story. The combination of those two elements by far outweighs both the biological and psychological boosts from more common practices like giving gratitude or even dwelling on a list of things you’re genuinely grateful for (source: Frontiers Psychology). The process of receiving gratitude simply has more effects on our prefrontal neural networks. There are many scientific studies that support this, and from where much of my idea structure comes.
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“The richest form of gratitude benefits occurs when you a) receive gratitude, and b) construct a story.”
Try it out…Write your Own Snippet
Write your own short and sweet gratitude-receiving outline. Your formula boils down to the two components I mentioned above: Receiving gratitude in the form a story. Heather reminded me just today that it matters less whether your story involves you or if your story is completely about somebody else. As long as you can intimately relate to those strong emotions of struggle, rescue and gratitude, your brain can resonate equally to either scenario. So, just simply start by finding a gratitude-receiving story that matters to you.My Own Gratitude Practice – Life of Pi
For my gratitude practice, I like to recall a few powerful scenes from the 2012 movie Life of Pi. Piscine (or “Pi” for short) is the story’s protagonist, an Indian youth stranded on a lifeboat following a horrific accident. In my own interpretation, Pi is also the antagonist, battling a wild tiger who was stranded alongside him. In the end, Pi comes to a deep understanding of an unexpected codependency between the tiger and himself. Their months-long and life-threatening journey gradually intensifies Pi’s self-fulfillment from receiving gratitude, culminating in the tiger’s poignant pause before he steps from Pi’s care back into the wild. Total sidenote: For all of you typography enthusiasts, check out the ending credits. Heather and I researched and found the matching font for our design library. ;-]
Gratitude can Help Fill your Own Creative Well
As creatives and business leaders, we get to do great and meaningful work. A lot is expected of us, and we don’t have a limitless supply of on-demand energy, focus, and creativity. I believe mindfulness is a powerful way to refuel, allowing us to craft campaigns with greater intention. I lean on other tools in my own life to fill my creative well such as my time with Heather and our kids, trail running, music, and photography. Whatever your tools may be, you might find success in a similar model as what I’ve shared above, with a time commitment of only 2 or 3 minutes a day.
You might find other great resources and advocates for gratitude in their professional spaces: A short list includes Jenny Haase, Dr. Julie Hanks, B.J. Warnick, and Jody Moore. Enjoy the benefits of receiving gratitude, and be grateful for the journey!