At the risk of sounding like a complete lunatic, I'm going to share a secret with you...
I solve a LOT of my design problems while I sleep!
(among other things)
(among other things)
OK- for those of you that did NOT hit the delete key, let me explain...
Over time I perfected this technique almost to a science (my roomate's might disagree, calling it an obsession). My routine was to go over whatever I was studying (or struggling with) one more time just before closing my eyes, so that I literally "primed my brain" as I fell asleep. That meant no chit-chatting in the dark with the roomie, and no drifting off to sleep with music. And the results were nothing short of amazing (unless of course I had TWO tests to study for in the same evening). And you know what? Today there's actually quite a bit of medical evidence to suggest that even though our bodies may be sleeping, our brains continue to "work on" whatever we have "fed it with" prior to falling asleep, kinda like the ultimate multi-tasker!
So here's the deal...even though I'm no longer cramming for exams, I still put my brain to work on a regular basis while I sleep. Whether I'm having trouble resolving a design issue, struggling with the wording in my pattern instructions, or simply trying to come up with a tactful response to a less than tactful email, it's truly amazing how often I get the answers I need after I sleep on it.
And believe it or not, the original ideas for some of my best designs actually came to me in my sleep. As a matter of fact, I keep a pad of paper, a pencil & a flashlight on my nightstand for the express purpose of recording them immediately.
And LOOK! ... I found out that I'm in good company!
In her book, "The Committee of Sleep," dream researcher Deirdre Barrett, Ph.D., recounts stories of celebrities and historical figures who've successfully mined their dreams for gold.
Billy Joel: The singer/songwriter says he often dreams musical arrangements; he's gone so far as to say, "I know all the music I've composed has come from a dream."
Frederick Banting: This Canadian doctor dreamed a way to isolate insulin and therefore, make diabetes treatable.
Paul McCartney: In 1965, the 22-year-old Beatle dreamed the melody of the song "Yesterday." Upon waking, he immediately sat down and played it on the piano.
Any thoughts?
And as usual, if you've enjoyed this post, we invite you to pass it on to others in any way you see fit.
Thomas Edison often slept with heavy objects in his hands so that he would drop them when he fell asleep and wake himself up. He said all of his best ideas came to him just as he was falling asleep or waking up.
ReplyDeleteIt's funny, because we just talked about this in my quilting class about a week ago. I'm with you and Tom. All of my original quilting designs and ideas for my books have come to me at those times. Like you, I deliberately focus on those things as I'm drifting off to sleep.
That's pretty cool, Diane. I hadn't heard that about Edison, but it's great idea (not sure hubby would appreciate it though!) :)
ReplyDeleteI'm glad I'm not the only one who finds this helpful!
I am a firm believer on "sleeping on it". About 16 years ago, I felt that I could no longer deal with some things going on in our church. After a tumultuous meeting on a Sunday night, I came home to try to sleep. I did a great amount of soul searching, crying and praying. The next morning, I woke with a peace and a plan that I could not have come up with alone. I made one phone call and resigned all my responsibilities and my membership of committees, etc. (Baptist churches have LOTS of committees!) After hanging up the phone, I felt a relief, a renewed direction and a determination. An hour later, I received a call from a friend that opened a door that would confirm that I had made all the right decisions. I still stay in touch with some friends that I have from the church, but I have not been back into the toxic atmosphere that permeated that church.
ReplyDeleteAnother good thing that comes from "sleeping on it"- is that it can often prevent us from saying the things that can terminate relationships, business or otherwise, right?
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing!
:)
This happens to me quite often. If I'm writing, an idea comes to me and I wake myself up and write it down. Many years ago, when I was in college, I'd go to sleep not knowing how to solve a particular problem, wake up, sit down and write out the answer within minutes. I know I'm not alone, but I didn't realize it was so common!
ReplyDeleteYou know they say, that your brain KNOWS how to do these things, but that in our concious state, we overrule our brains ideas as illogical, impractical, impossible etc. I find it fascinating! :)
DeleteThanks for sharing!
I have come to believe that when we are sleeping we are making a closer connection to our truth and our true selves, without all of the barriers and skepticism that our waking mind creates. We're "in the flow", as they say.
DeleteWell put indeed! Love it!
DeleteI find myself "dreaming" solutions to sewing challenges at night. One of the best purses I ever made (except of course for SKDs!) was designed in my sleep. I made it up the next day, and it was a real winner. The brain is a marvelous thing!
ReplyDeleteI had a wonderful wallhanging idea while under nitrous oxide at the dentist. Sleep of a sort.
ReplyDeleteI think that counts! :)
DeleteI totally agree with all of the above comments and your post. I keep a pad and pen beside me on the bedside table and if I wake up at night, I write down whatever I'm thinking about. I have written a few short stories, blog posts, letters and solved several problems too this way. I used to study this way too but I never put it in writing and I never heard anyone say anything about it either. I just assumed other people did this too.
ReplyDeleteThat's great Linda! You know I always thought NO ONE else did this. I was always a little frightened that folks would think I was delusional, so I never really told anyone (except a roomate or two!) :)
DeleteAs always, a very provocative post. Recent medical evidence confirms your insights. In my experience, my thoughts, when directed to a situation or problem before sleep, though not always solved by sleep, gain clarity with sleep. I try to focus on a single specific element of a design or process and hope for the best. May I just say that sometimes this is counter productive for me. I am a notoriously terrible sleeper. For example, last night, about 3 hours, that's all. The reason? I was listening to a radio program and reading a book. The subject of the radio program was a large, probably fresh waster lake, under the continent of Antartica. Three known countries are currently drilling through the ice cap in an attempt to tap this lake, presumably under high pressure. The goal is to tap it, let the pressure release a large column of water through the drill hole, where it will freeze. Wait a year, then go back and take samples of the ice for study. Multiple divergent opinions about these projects predict everything from medical miracles to catastrophe. Try to sleep on that one!
ReplyDeleteThanks for commenting Corrine, but you know,,, now that I think about it, I don't think I've ever solved a World issue by sleeping on it- I sure am glad i don't have to, huh? hmmm...
DeleteI do that LOTS! If I get totally confused about something, I simply set it aside and "sleep on it" for a day or two (maybe longer). The answer eventually comes either in a dream or a "waking dream". Especially when it comes to my crafting and sewing.
ReplyDeleteBut, I find that as I get older - I use it for more than a few major life decisions as well. And it has done me well, so far. Think I will use it both ways.
Thanks for commenting CharliAnn and I think you are SO right. I think I could have prevented myself what turned out to be silly or even serious mistakes, if I could have slowed myself down enough to let my brain think through the issue by sleeping on it. :)
Delete