The ping pong principle of creative distraction
And how doing something else can help unlock creativity
When I was a kid we had one of those ping pong tables that folds up so you can play by yourself.
It was a gift to our family from my father’s old workplace, and while I’m pretty sure my parents would have preferred something (anything!) else, my brother and I were thrilled.
Thus did the sound of ping pong become part of the family soundscape, for better or for worse. Bad enough when the two of us were playing, but maybe even worse when it was a solo game, the sound relentless.
There’s something about hitting that little white ball over and over again that becomes almost meditative, even as it drives the rest of the family just a little bit crazy.
It’s one of those relaxed and unfocused activities that seems to give your brain a rest but which is sneakily opening the door to a different kind of thinking. It’s a weird combination of disengagement and engagement at the same time, and one that is the perfect environment for boosting a little creative thinking.
A different kind of thinking
Years later, I’ve found myself recreating that same dynamic in my music studio, though with much fluffier equipment. I have a big, round, fluffy ball that’s meant to be a sloth.
My daughter and I are champion slothball players. We can bounce it back and forth for ages, one hand, two hands, you name it. I also throw it back and forth with my younger students (and sometimes the older ones, too) when they need a bit of a boost.
And I’m hopeful that I’ve even managed to convince one of my very young students that my daughter and I are olympic slothball champions…
They think they’re just having fun but, really, I’m priming them to do a bit of sideways thinking. We play slothball for a bit and then I’ll slyly get them singing or answering questions at the same time, or coming up with their own suggestions for how to do something or for what to do next.
Our brains are actually wired for this kind of thinking. When we’re focused on a task, our central executive network is in charge. You can think of it as being more analytical, task-driven, and serious.
But when we let our minds wander or sneakily distract them by doing something else (like throwing a fluffy ball), the default mode network kicks in. That’s where unexpected ideas and connections can surface.
And what’s even better is a combination of the two, which is what I’m aiming for in my music studio.
Creative distraction
Choosing to do something else that seems entirely unrelated to what you’re creating or doing can be hard, though. It can feel like a waste of time or too big of a distraction, or it can simply be difficult to wrench ourselves away from thinking we have no choice but to keep going, even if it’s driving us crazy.
But next time you’re creating something and feeling stuck, don’t push harder. Instead, give yourself permission to let go. Permission to hit that ping pong ball, go for that walk, sing that song, play with that cat, or whatever it might be that suits you best.
You might be surprised at the way your thinking changes, even after just a few minutes.
And who knows? If you practice hard, you might be invited to join us at the next Slothball Olympics. We could use a bit of competition.