#152: Do something new to stay creative...

I recently learned about something called the Ventral Striatum, in our brains. This accidental discovery led to the understanding of why we get bored.

Have you ever been excited to have a job, watch a movie, or write in a particular genre, but then eventually, a year or two later, you're begging for a bullet to the head when faced with those same activities?

Well, it turns out that our trusty Ventral Striatum (VS) plays a significant role in this all-too-familiar scenario. It's part of our brain that controls the flow of dopamine—a neurotransmitter responsible for our feelings of pleasure and reward.

The first time you engage in a new activity, let's say watching a movie or acquiring a new skill, your VS unleashes a torrent of dopamine. Let's say, it’s a whopping 100 units. That rush of pleasure makes you want to go back for more. But here's the catch: the next time you repeat the same activity, your VS decides to be a bit more reserved, releasing only 70 units of dopamine.

Now, imagine this pattern repeating itself ten times. By the time you reach the tenth go-around, your VS is barely scraping the bottom of the dopamine barrel, leaving you feeling unenthused and, dare I say, bored. For creative minds like authors, this phenomenon often manifests as the dreaded writer's block, making it even more challenging to find inspiration.

Personally, I've been grappling with this issue for months, watching my motivation wane as the resistance to familiar tasks grew stronger. It felt like an uphill battle I couldn't win.

But fear not, my friends, for there is hope on the horizon!

After much soul-searching, I stumbled upon a brilliant strategy to outsmart my Ventral Striatum—I decided to master an entirely unrelated skill. The idea was simple, as long as I engaged in something new and exciting, my brain would be content with tackling everyday chores, and the drudgery wouldn't feel so overwhelming.

My chosen path to rejuvenation was to make art on Procreate. I embarked on the mission of making mindless images and calling them art. A labor of love that consumed hours of my days. To my amazement, this endeavor worked wonders for my focus and creativity when it came to writing. If you're curious, I’ve posted some here.

But here's the key takeaway—it's not so much about what I was doing but rather the fact that I was embracing something new. By venturing into uncharted territory, I was able to reignite my passion and keep the flames of inspiration burning brightly.

The next time, you find yourself trapped in the jaws of boredom, seek out new experiences, explore untrodden paths, and indulge your curiosity. By doing so, you'll be able to navigate the ebb and flow of dopamine in your Ventral Striatum, ensuring that your creative spirit never runs dry.

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This morning, at the gym class we did the ‘Nutbush Dance’ during warmup to honor Tina Turner. Along with the whole world, I am saddened by Tina Truner’s death. What a woman! What a life! She was simply the best.

Nutbush is one of the classic dances that Australians have adopted as their own. It is played in music festivals, pubs, school carnivals, camps, and gyms. Back in July last year, 4000 boot scooters kicked the red dirt to establish a new world record for most Nutbush dancers.

Thanks, Tina, for giving us so much and leaving a legacy so big.

That’s all from me this week.

Neera Mahajan