Sometimes the most productive thing to do is... leave the room

Changing your surroundings can change your thinking - and never more so than for A Level and IB students getting ahead of the game with their NEAs, HLEs or EEs.  (And if those acronyms mean nothing to you, enjoy your summer.  Coursework-free!)

For those with work to do, there’s something about being away: away from the usual desk; the to-do list stuck to the back of your door; the slightly-too-cold cup of coffee that lets ideas loosen and rearrange themselves.  I’ve spoken to students about this: the essay that wouldn’t quite land, the paragraph circling the same point.  And then, boom - a breakthrough in the garden, in a café, or mid-sentence in a completely different city.

Back in the day when I was writing my MA thesis, I spent hours doing lengths in the municipal swimming pool - flower-capped octogenarians to the left of me, rogue plasters to the right - drafting whole sections in my head while tumble-turning like an increasingly competitive Olympian in the fast lane.  I’m not saying chlorinated water is essential for inspiration, but there’s something about rhythm, movement, and distance from the desk that lets your brain breathe.  Sometimes we try so hard to focus that we forget to let ideas find us.  (And yes, there’s plenty of science behind boredom sparking creativity if you need further justification.)

I’ve been rereading Professor Rob Pope’s work on creativity - especially his belief that original thinking often comes from shifting between perspectives.  He suggests we generate our best ideas when we allow the mind to move: physically, emotionally, intellectually.  And what better way to start that shift than to literally change your location?

So, to the parents of sixth formers: here’s your permission slip.  Let them move.  Let them walk (dog optional).  Change the view.  Change the backdrop.  Trust that creative thinking will follow.

And if your thespian, analyst, or budding essayist is heading into Year 12 or 13, or working on A Level or IB coursework, consider this not just a luxury, but a strategy.  Take the text somewhere new and see what it tells you (and if that’s an island beach cafe, so be it). 

Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is… leave the room.