A Surprising Fact About Late Night Creativity

You know those ideas that pop into your head late at night?  Maybe you're trying to sleep and your mind starts wandering with your Midnight Muse.  Perhaps you write best at night or that's when you have the most time.  Your mind races with ideas that you know you need to write down before they're lost.  Why in the world does my writer's block lift when I can't sleep?  Science has an explanation!

According to Business Insider's "10 Surprising Facts About How Our Brains Work," a sleepy brain is more creative:

If you’re tired, your brain is not as good at filtering out distractions and focusing on a particular task. It’s also a lot less efficient at remembering connections between ideas or concepts. These are both good things when it comes to creative work, since this kind of work requires us to make new connections, be open to new ideas and think in new ways. So a tired, fuzzy brain is much more use to us when working on creative projects.

Great news, writers!  Those late nights when you lose sleep to write have a productive purpose.  Next time your spouse questions your midnight dates with written word, don't be afraid to tell them that's when you're at your best... science has your proof.

Alabama Snow

An evening white with snow
the weather channel shows.
Hurry, hurry! Please prepare!
Water! Blankets! Bread!

The shelves in stores are bare
the streets are dark and dead
A flake of snow is falling
and friends and kin are calling.

Exciting! Dreadful! Scary!
The people are warm and wary.
Reports on television warn and show
excited children want to know.

Morning shows a flurry came and went without a flake to stick
perhaps we southern people act a little quick.


It's been cold down south a lot lately... can't say that I like it! We don't do well with cold down here.