The power of awe: your brain's secret weapon for creative breakthroughs

Claire Bridges, founder of Now Go Create and now podcast host, dives into the world of neuroscience and how awe can help our brains to think more creatively.

I've stood at the edge of the Grand Canyon, breathless and dizzied by nature, covered in goosebumps despite the sun. I've felt the rush of blood to my head at concerts, singing at the top of my lungs surrounded by strangers turned momentary soulmates.

As the late neuropsychologist Paul Pearsall put it: "No matter how good or bad our brain considers whatever is happening to be, it is feeling more completely alive than we thought possible before we were in awe."

I’m sure you’ve experienced them too – the spine-tingly moments that make us feel simultaneously tiny and completely alive. 

Whether it's belting out lyrics in a stadium crowd or gazing at stars light years away, these are known as awe-experiences, and they’re creative rocket fuel.

I recently chatted with Dr. Ben Martynoga, a neuroscientist specialising in creativity and cognition, for my Now Go Create podcast. He revealed that awe is more than just an emotional response. It changes the way our brain processes information and allows us to think more expansively.

So, how does it work, and can we use awe to improve brainstorming, innovation, and creative work?

How awe affects the brain

Ego deflation: Research from UC Berkeley shows awe essentially puts your self-importance on mute. As Ben explains on the podcast, it "quietens down the ruminative self-important voice of the default mode network, where our inner critic resides." Translation: less "me, me, me," more "us, us, us."

Mental elasticity: Awe cranks up cognitive flexibility, making your brain more willing to connect seemingly unrelated dots - essentially the definition of creativity.

Memory supercharging: That dopamine rush you feel? It's not just making you feel good; it's cementing new neural connections that help your brain retain complex ideas.

Awe-hacking your creative process

The brilliant part? You don't need to climb Mount Everest to experience these benefits. Writers Jake Eagle and Michael Amster call it "microdosing on awe" - finding wonder in everyday moments rather than waiting for those rare Grand Canyon experiences.

Here's how to try to get more awe into your creative arsenal:

Environment remix

Tired meeting room = tired ideas. Try these creative nudges:

• Explore the Art Emotions Map (a Google project) to find paintings specifically curated to trigger different emotions, including wonder and awe (I loved Entry of the Bride by Meytens).

• Use rich visuals to warm up brains and encourage awe before you demand creativity – think National Geographic Photographer of the Year images or grand architectural designs that can inspire expansive thinking.

• Go one step further and invest in some office VR to really go somewhere else. Astronauts experience the "overview effect" when seeing Earth from space - a profound perspective shift that permanently alters their worldview. There are some brilliant immersive travel, space and ocean VR experiences on Oculus, Google Play and others.

The awe walk technique

Stanford University researchers discovered a 60% creativity boost from walking.

Take it further and challenge yourself to curate an ‘awe walk’ for your group – a deeply intentional stroll where you notice details with fresh eyes.

As nature writer Rachel Carson suggested, ask yourself: "What if I had never seen this before? What if I knew I would never see it again?"

Intellectual awe injection

Sometimes, our ideas play it safe because our thinking is too timid, hampered perhaps by a poor brief or lack of vision. Try:

• Starting meetings with examples of mind-expanding scientific breakthroughs to seed ambition

• Get out of the echo chamber, invite speakers or guests from wildly different disciplines or experiences

• You can also encourage team members to share moments of awe, personal experiences or stories that sparked inspiration. Think for yourself about a moment when you experienced awe. Did it change your thinking? How can you bring more awe into your daily life?

From inspiration to application

Consider how brands have weaponised awe for remarkable campaigns. Lockheed Martin's "Field Trip to Mars" transformed a school bus into an immersive Martian expedition through VR windows. The children's faces - transitioning from boredom to wide-eyed wonder - tell the story better than any metrics could.

Ask how you could elicit a sense of awe in your customer or target audience.

The awe advantage

Awe is the antidote to jaded thinking and indifference. As American philosopher Howard Thurman noted: "Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that because what the world needs is people who have come alive."

Sounds like a pretty awesome rallying cry to me.

Claire Bridges is founder of Now Go Create, and host of the weekly Now Go Create Podcast. Ready to dive deeper? Catch the full episode with Dr Ben Martynoga here or wherever you get your podcasts.