>I've never been able to switch on the "creative" mode at will -- other than
>by going to sleep, an activity that isn't encouraged in most office
>situations. How do others accomplish this?
In the good ole days before I damaged my body so badly that I couldn't do it
any more, I used to run for perhaps a half hour a day, round and round a
sportsfield so I didn't need to watch what I was doing, and go into a daze.
If I was writing a novel or having trouble with a theoretical issue, I'd
begin by `muttering' something about it to myself, but this would swiftly
turn into decerebrated babble. At the end I'd cool off, jog home, take a
hot shower, and halfway through the shower know the answer (or *an* answer)
to the problem. I can still do it, but not as effectively as when my
awareness went out of the loop due to sheer punishing physical effort; these
days it sometimes takes terminal dithering and anxiety before the lid pops.
But it's still a lovely feeling when it does...
Damien Broderick