We’ve all been there—sitting in class when your professor decides to assign you a creative problem solving assignment. “Problem solve—but do it creatively,” he says.
Now while you may be thinking, “what does that mean,” or “I’m not creative,” grab yourself a glass of wine—or three—and get to it.
Alcohol is believed to be a key factor in aiding the creative process, according to the Fabbs Foundation Web site.
During a study conducted by Dr. Jennifer Wiley, a cognitive psychologist, and her colleagues, they found that at .07 blood alcohol, people were worse at working memory tasks, but better at creative problem solving tasks, according to the site.
“That’s because the alcohol helped study participants access remote ideas, ideas that develop through association, not linear analysis,” according to the site.
While, as students, we emphasize focus and order when it comes to problem solving, this study suggests that loosening up and being somewhat unfocused may benefit the creative process.
“Innovation may happen when people are not so focused,” said Wiley. “Sometimes it’s good to be distracted.”
“I absolutely feel more creative when I’m drunk,” kinesiology junior Kerstin Halstead said. “I mean, you can talk to anyone—obviously come up with stuff for conversation.”
“I feel like drinking would make me more creative, but only to a certain point,” Halstead said. “Like, if I drank too much, I don’t think it would help.”
Some students at MSU feel that drinking may help them come up with ideas for papers or aid in finding inspiration for an art class, but not when it comes to finding ways to solve math or chemistry problems.
Other students feel that drinking is an absurd idea when it comes to trying to be creative.
“I do not—at all—feel more creative when I drink,” psychology senior Stacy Hillock said. “I mean, I just don’t think that way when I drink.”
“Alcohol just loosens people up and dials down our attention control, our capacity to choose what one pays attention to and what one chooses to ignore,” according to the study.
So, while sipping a glass of wine or a pint of beer may help enhance that creative problem solving, remember a little goes a long way, and getting too drunk may defeat the purpose.
But, hey, next time you write a paper—open that bottle of wine or crack open a beer, and enjoy every sip without feeling guilty.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at MSU chapter.