Creativity

Close-up of hands holding clear frogspawn with visible black eggs in a natural outdoor setting.
CREATIVITY

A filmmaker’s never-realised ideas become an exploration of self-doubt

Directed by Cameron Nicoll

Black and white drawing of stylised smoke or clouds rising from the ground in swirling patterns.
THE SELF

Why bad doodles can reveal more about you than good drawings

For Marion Milner, ‘not being able’ is a valuable state – one that allows for new and unexpected forms of learning

by David Russell

Black and white photo of a person sleeping on a train with their head on a blanket near a window with a blurred view outside.
SLEEP AND DREAMS

The brain’s twilight zone: when you’re neither awake nor asleep

Neuroscientists are demystifying this in-between state, uncovering its role in memory processing and its creative potential

by Célia Lacaux

Abstract painting of a vibrant landscape with trees, buildings, and a river in bold geometric shapes and colours.
CREATIVITY

A key part of creativity is picking up on what others overlook

We all constantly filter a flood of details coming in. This process helps explain what gives some brains a creative edge

by Madeleine Gross

A wide empty road with buildings on either side under a blue sky filled with fluffy clouds.
CREATIVITY

Your 10-step plan for achieving a creative breakthrough

We often think of Aha! moments occurring by fluke, but there are evidence-based ways to make it more likely they will occur

by Nick Kabrél

Silhouette of person standing before an orange light, creating a glowing halo effect on a neutral background.
PAINTING AND SCULPTURE

Toxic materials become sculptures of light and air in this artist’s hands

Directed by Anika Kan Grevstad

Photo of a paint colour swatch booklet with various shades of blue, yellow and neutral tones in rectangles.
CREATIVITY

How to use ‘possibility thinking’

Have you hit an impasse in your personal or professional life? Answer these questions to open your mind to what’s possible

by Constance de Saint Laurent & Vlad Glăveanu

Photo of a young child in a classroom sitting at a table playing with a padlock, with blurred shelves and children in the background.
THINKING AND INTELLIGENCE

Innovative three-year-olds expose the limits of AI chatbots

New experiments show that very young children are better at solving creative puzzles than ChatGPT and other AI models

by Shayla Love

Photo of two people partially obscured, with sunlight streaming through a window behind them and a thumb in the foreground.
PHOTOGRAPHY

How to take better photos

Anyone can learn the principles that are essential to capturing quality images. Follow these tips and see the difference

by Paul Pope

A hand-drawn pie chart titled “Why I Do Not Read Lips,” with segments like “Honey, it’s not game night – no charades please,” “Too much eye contact, I have my limits,” and “Olive juice my ass.”
CREATIVITY

This artist’s clever work moves Deaf culture from the margins to centre stage

Directed by Chiemi Karasawa

Abstract, surreal artwork featuring distorted shapes and figures in soft colours with a dreamlike, fluid appearance against a dark background.
CREATIVITY

Human and machine worlds converge into dizzying, dreamlike visual art

Directed by Robert Seidel

A person in a yellow jacket skipping stones at the beach during sunset, with calm water and rock formations in the distance.
PLAY

All you need to know to start skipping stones like a pro

With the right attitude, stone skipping is a rebellious act that will leave you feeling like you have glitter in your veins

by Julie Benda

Photo of three men smiling and holding a large inflatable globe in a room with various boxes and jars.
CREATIVITY

A life of splendid uselessness is a life well lived

Like the fertile soil of a well-kept garden, a life of splendid, utter uselessness yields abundance beyond our immediate aims

by Joseph M Keegin

Hand-drawn cinema facade with film listings. One person in red is entering through the door. Building exterior has detailed brickwork and a tree.
PHILOSOPHY OF ART

Is the concept of originality in art a bit, well, unoriginal?

Directed by Drew Christie

Black and white photo of a woman typing at a desk with a poster of Mao Zedong and framed art on the wall.
MEMOIR

Learn the art of journaling and archive your life

Journaling is an art and a daily practice that allows you to write your life and find your way, one sentence at a time

by Sarah Boon

Photo of a man admiring a large stained glass artwork with vibrant blue and yellow hues depicting various figures and animals.
BEAUTY AND AESTHETICS

Beauty is not an ornament to the good life, it is at its heart

Why does the hand want to draw what the eye sees as beautiful? Why do we respond to beauty by creating the beautiful?

by Nick Riggle