Monday 29 April 2019

"Creativity peaks in your 20s and 50s"

From the BBC:

If you've ever wondered why your mind is a hotspot for new ideas in your 20s, it could be that you're experiencing the first of two creative peaks.

New research from Ohio State University found that our mid-20s is when our brains first become fertile ground for innovation.

The study looked at previous winners of the Nobel Prize in economics. It found that those who did their most groundbreaking work in their 20s tended to be "conceptual" innovators. So basically they had a light bulb moment and acted upon it.

But don't panic if you've gone past your mid-20s without a flicker of an idea - some of us won't hit our inspirational stride until our mid-50s.


The headline might as well say: "having kids at home stifles your creativity", which I suspect explains most of it. As lovely as kids are, you have to always go for the safe and steady options while they are in your care. Give me two more years and I will once again be the creative powerhouse I once was (if I ever was, which is debatable).

5 comments:

Matt said...

In my late 40s and we don't have kids but have noticed a drop off in brain power versus when I was in my 20s.

Might be wishful thinking and it wasn't that I was clever back then - more arrogance of youth.

I guess I'll see in a few years time if it comes back...

Rich Tee said...

In your 20s you want to change the world and you don't really recognise any obstacles.

In your 50s you don't care what anybody thinks of you anymore, and you realise you only have limited time left.

All things that would motivate creativity I think.

Mark Wadsworth said...

M and RT, fingers crossed!

A K Haart said...

After the kids come the grandkids and more safe and steady options.

Mark Wadsworth said...

AKH, that's not quite the same level of commitment, and might explain why creativity falls again in your sixties....