The Gear • July 2015
Seven ways to recharge your creativity in flight
While you could spend your next long-haul flight making your way through hundreds of hours of movies, TV and audio entertainment, why not get your creative juices flowing and step off the plane fully recharged, says tech journalist Daniel Bennett
Bring on the noise
If you need to get creative, a little noise can help. An experiment published in the Journal of Consumer Research found background noise of a busy restaurant helped people solve puzzles faster than total silence. A good pair of noise-reduction headphones, such as the Parrot Ziks (£299), will snuff out loud noises, while you can create a lifelike 3D scene with the help of an app like White Noise + (£1.30).
Get some shut-eye
Lucid dreamers, ie. people who take control of their dreams, solve complex problems faster than the average Joe, according to University of Lincoln research. It seems this little understood sleep phenomenon could recharge your creative spark, which is where the Aurora Headband (£195) comes in. It uses flashes and sounds to jumpstart a lucid dream while you sleep. Alternatively, if you don’t think you can pull off the Inception look on a plane, the Dream:On app (free) can help, too.
Put pen to paper
Brain-imaging studies have found that writing the old-fashioned way engages more parts of your brain than typing on a keyboard – and will help you form stronger memories. A smart pen such as the Livescribe (from £129.95) will give you the best of both worlds, saving your notes as digital files and letting you attach voice memos to your text.
Be mindful
Meditation can relieve anxiety, improve attention and even help you grow more grey matter. In a study, people who meditated were able to think of more novel uses for household objects than people who’d never tried it before. Try the Headspace app (free 10-day trial available) for starters.
App up
Inspiration can strike at any time, so it’s a good idea to get your smartphone or tablet loaded with the right tools. For musicians there’s none better than the Korg Gadget (£26), which will turn your iPad into an all-in-one production studio. For budding videographers there’s Replay (free), which will make you look as if you’re on your way to Cannes. And for scribblers, there’s Paper (free), the closest you can get to a virtual Moleskine.
Get instrumental
The verdict’s out on whether listening to music boosts your creativity (the so-called ‘Mozart effect’), but playing an instrument can make you smarter. Take time out with a virtual instrument to cultivate what psychologists call ‘divergent thinking’ (that’s original thought to you and me). The iGrand (£14.99) app lets you tinkle the ivories on a touchscreen, while Guitarism (£3.99) teaches you the basics and simulates dozens of effects and guitars.
This article has been tagged Technology, Travel Tips