‘The Writer’s Brain’ on Productivity vs. Creativity: Part One

Welcome back to another special edition of The Writer Files called “The Writer’s Brain,” a guest series with neuroscientist Michael Grybko, and in this episode we’ll dig into the inextricable link between productivity and creativity, and the Catch-22 so many writers face as a result. 

This all began when Michael and I started a conversation about why we need to rethink our definition of productivity.

As busyness, the cult of productivity, and multitasking seem to take over our lives, it’s easy to forget that the origins of the word productivity comes from the Latin, productivitas.

Translation: creative power.

Creativity — a topic Michael and I have discussed at length — is the beating heart of change, progress, and innovation, but our work-life scales are bending dangerously toward more busywork, distraction, inefficiency, and overall dissatisfaction.

Truly scaling creativity requires productivity, so a balance must be struck between the two. Writing is a great example of this push and pull in the human brain.

Luckily, research scientist Michael Grybko returned to the podcast to help me find some answers from the perspective of neuroscience.

If you’ve missed previous episodes of The Writer’s Brain you can find them all in the show notes, in the archives at writerfiles.fm, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you tune in.

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In Part One of this file Michael Grybko and I discuss:

• How neuroscience views the complex interplay between productivity and creativity
• Why writers often struggle to finish longer projects
• The great irony of the “10 year overnight success”
• How memory plays such a big part in productivity
• Why so many writing instructors prescribe “life experience” for great writing
• How always on, open concept workspaces can actually hinder both productivity and creativity
• And the close study of musicians, artists, and the pitfalls of mapping creativity in the brain

The Show Notes:

• ‘The Writer’s Brain’ on Productivity vs. Creativity: Part Two
• The Best of 'The Writer's Brain' Part One: Creativity
• The Best of ‘The Writer’s Brain’ Part Two: Empathy
• The Best of ‘The Writer’s Brain’ Part Three: Storytelling
• The Best of ‘The Writer’s Brain’ Part Four: Writer’s Block
• The Best of ‘The Writer’s Brain’ Part Five: Fake News
• The Writer s Brain on Impostor Syndrome: Part One
• Productivity vs. Creativity, the Content Creator’s Catch-22
• Rethink Your Definition of Productivity to Squash Uninspired Filler
• How to Outsmart Writer s Block with Neuroscience
• Mapping Creativity in the Brain:
  New research sheds some light on the neuroscience of improvising – The Atlantic
• This Is Your Brain on Writing
• Kelton Reid on Twitter
• Please click the donate button to support the podcast with a secure PayPal donation

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