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Activating your right brain for creativity and innovation

Your brain has two sides. Each side controls certain body and thinking functions. The left sides of the brain is in charge of analytical thinking and logic. It takes you through well-ordered steps and makes you the genius.

The right side operates in images and impressions, rather than number and words. Creativity originates in the right brain.

Right-and left - brain comparisons

Left Brain				Right Brain

Seeks one right answer			Explores, seeks, examines from many viewpoints
Recognises words			Recognises facts or objects
Processes on stimulus at a		Processes whole clusters of  
time at lightning speed			Stimuli all at once
Orderly sequences of thought		Grasps complex wholes
A focus on parts			Takes in whole picture
Logical					Dreams
Linear thinking				Makes sense by discovering workablepatterns
Organises into units			Can connect part of the world into freshpatterns
Governed by rules, plays by rules	Follows few rules
Draws on learned, fixed codes		Can deal with new information where no
		 			learned programme is available
					Organised Good for creativity, innovation,
					decisionmaking, problemsolving
Can recall complex sequences		Thinks in complex images
Best in implementing			Best in initial orientation of a task
Programmes after set up

Split brain theory

In 1981, Roger Sperry was awarded the Nobel Prize for his proof of the split brain theory. According to Dr. Sperry, the brain has two hemispheres with different, but overlapping, functions. The right and left hemispheres of the brain each specialise in distinct types of thinking processes.

In general, in 95% of all right-handed people, the left side of the brain not only cross controls the right side of the body, but is also responsible for analytical, linear, verbal, and rational thought. (In most left-handed people, the hemispheric functions are reversed).

How balanced is your workday? (The usual answer in about 70% left-brain and 30% right-brain).

Here are two simple activities for balancing brain function:

1. Walking: There is very dynamic action involving both sides of the brain when walking-and you tend to become more creative.

2. Breathing: Research has shown that you can trigger the non-dominant side of your brain by closing off the dominant side of your nose and breathing through your non-dominant side for up to five minutes. (When in need of a right-brain infusion, try pressing your right nostril shut and breathing through your left nostril).

Whole-brain problem solving

Creative problem solvers understand that both hemispheres of the brain (both thinking processes) are valuable.

The trick lies in knowing which function best supports a particular phase of the problem solving process.

Left: Logically defines the problem

Right: Generates creative possibilities and alternative solutions

Left: Pragmatically evaluates ideas to determine which are applicable

Right: Persuades others by sharing your vision and commitment.

Left: Prepares a strategic plan for gaining support and implementing the solution.

In the idea generation phase, right-brain functions become most helpful. Have you ever struggled to solve a problem and found the answer "popped" into your head while you showered or upon waking? That is because it was released from left-brain control and turned over to you right-brain insight.

1. Mr. Zoysa Manager "creative world" says that his right side of the brain works when having a bath.

2. Mr. Cooray of the same organisation gets his best ideas when running.

3. A marketing representative likes to "sleep on it," telling himself he'll have fresh ideas in the morning.

4. A salesperson tells jokes and laughs her way for new insights.

None of these people is aware they are shifting brain hemisphere function. All of them simply know (from trial and error) how to get the results they need.

Brain profile

Dr. Kobues Neethling, a South African scientist invented the brain profile. Having conducted several research studies on the four quadrants of the brain, he determined the left as the right brain's preferences or strengths fall into two definite categories.

He identified the right side of brain in two sections which he termed as R1 and R2, and the two sections of the left side of the brain as L1 and L2. The person who has a strong preference in the L1 quadrant seeks preciseness, wants accuracy, is strong in analysing, processes logically, looks for facts, good in memorising, like to quantify and good in comparing.

The person who has a strong L:2 quadrant is good in planning, respects timeliness, prefers organised environments, supports proven structure and systems, likes order and stability, attends to detail, officers security and safe keeping, likes traditional and reliable ways, prefers controls and sticks to habit.

The person who has a strong preference in the R1 quadrant looks for alternatives, brings ideas together, like to explore, likes flexibility, seeks opportunity to experiment, wants variety, prefers the whole picture and technical details, enjoys being involved with more than one thing at a time, likes changes and trying out new things.

The person who has strong preference to the R2 quadrant is collaborative, shows empathy, cooperates, likes to interact, feels focused, tries to reach consensus and understanding and is emotionally sensitive.

Left hemisphere

Recent scientific research shows that the two hemispheres of the human brain mediate and process different kinds of information and handle different kinds of tasks and problems.

The left hemisphere specialises in verbal and numerical information processed sequentially in linear fashion. It is the active, verbal, logical, rational and analytic part of our brain.

The right hemisphere is associated primarily with those activities we consider to be creative. It is the intuitive, experimental, nonverbal part of our brain and it deals in images and holistic, relational grasping of complex configurations and structures. It creates metaphors, analogies and new combinations of ideas.

Normally we all use 70 per cent of the left brain and only 30 per cent of the right brain.

However, when you are experiencing positive emotions such as happiness, joy, satisfaction, enjoyment, feeling healthy (free from stress) the combination changes.

You use around 60 per cent of your right brain and 40 per cent of your left brain.

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