Research Question
Taking a Closer Look at Ritual
One of my favorite metaphors for creativity is a lightning storm, and my favorite depiction of this metaphor is described by Howard Gruber and Sara Davis in their essay “Inching our way up Mount Olympus: the evolving-systems approach to creative thinking”. In this essay they state that “a bolt of lightning is by no means a unitary event… there is a period of preparation in which electrical charge is built up.” (243) Yes, there is the proverbial bright strike, but there is also the interactions that lead up to the electrical discharge - the strike is part of the larger storm.
The imagery of the lightning storm and strike can be physically seen in the brain as it goes through the processes we've discussed. As the brain works through a problem requiring creativity it goes through various stages: the problem enters the left brain, is eventually shifted to the right brain, and the problem is then solved in a flash of inspiration provided by an unexpected connection. However, as we already know, scientists have been able to see the release of gamma waves in the brain 30 milliseconds before the problem is solved. While this may not be a long time it does support the idea that inspiration is part of a larger process.
The larger creative storm can also be seen in the preparations of the creator. This preparation includes forming skills through study and practice as well as each artist's’ ritual or routine before creating - if they have one. Twyla Tharp, one of the most well known modern choreographers, writes in her book The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life,“The routine is as much as a part of the creative process as the lightning bolt of inspiration, maybe more” (Tharp, 7). The building of skill and the development of routine are like the clouds being charged in the storm, creating the potential for the lighting strike. They do not ensure there will be a strike, but rather increase the chances.
I find these two creative storms - one in the brain and one performed by the creator - interestingly similar. Each storm starts with the need to solve a creative problem. This “problem” is not necessarily a problem as we are used to defining it. The “problem” may be the traditional question of how to compound chemicals to create a medical breakthrough or how to get from point A to point B, but it can also be the question of how best to express oneself through a chosen medium. The creator then goes through their ritual or routine - provided they have one - before creativity, just as the brain goes through its own preparation for insight. This is significant because as Twyla Tharp asserts, both from her own experience and that of others, that ritual helps to make something comfortable and therefore builds confidence, and gives the impression of control over the uncontrollable. This removes outside stress from the brain allowing it to focus on the creative problem at hand. This is similar to the brain’s release of gamma waves just before the lighting strike. Gamma waves are associated with the highest levels of meditation which even at its most basic is a method of relieving stress.
Out of this comparison and recalling Gilbert's thoughts on the unpressured artist I found myself questioning if the presence of ritual has an affect on the ability to create or at least on the likelihood of creating at any given time.
Understanding Ritual
Ritual is an interesting thing. Although many of us do it without thinking, ritual is often classified as superstitious or outdated. In the Oxford Dictionary ritual is simply "a series of actions or type of behaviour regularly and invariably followed by someone." and although it is frequently associated with religion or ceremony, for our purposes it does not need to be. A ritual can be anything. It can be pouring yourself a fresh cup of coffee before working on a project. It could be making sure you desk is neat before beginning the day. Everyone has rituals that work for them. Some people even ritually avoid ritual. These people seek out new places and experiences or are always changing how they do things.
The importance of ritual is that it creates a space where you feel safe enough to begin creating. Although the space itself may have not changed the ritual helps create a sense of calm that feels like you've closed a door on the noisier parts of life. This calm can be similar to the calm of a relaxed shower. When the brain is calm it releases alpha waves like those released in the highest levels of meditation. In one study on solving creative problems detailed in Imagine: How Creativity Works a Zen Buddhist meditator had extreme difficulty with each question until he began meditating. Then he was able to solve each question easily.
In my study I looked for evidence of ritual in the habits of five dancers in my college's dance department.
