The Shower Effect
Your think tank might be closer than you know...
I’ve noticed a pattern. When I’m stuck on a plot twist, tangled in a stubborn essay paragraph, or feeling like the poetry valve has rusted shut, some of my best breakthroughs don't arrive at my desk, but in the shower. Hot water, steam, white noise… and suddenly, I’m solving character arcs, rewriting headlines in my head, or, in this case, coming up with an essay about how that happens in the first place.
It’s not a new experience for me. Back when I programmed music for radio stations and streaming platforms, I’d often emerge from the shower with a new idea for imaging, or a smoother way to schedule transitions. The bathroom had better acoustics and better ideas than my corner office (a corner office without windows--but that's another story).
And I’m not the only one. Someone recently told me they’ve had their most inspired writing sessions 35,000 feet in the air. On airplanes. I haven’t experienced that personally, but it made me wonder: Is it the same kind of phenomenon as shower creativity?
Turns out, science backs this up. Cognitive neuroscientists say that the shower—and similar “mindless” environments—can quiet the prefrontal cortex just enough to let your brain wander freely. You’re relaxed, slightly distracted, and not staring at the problem head-on. That combination is a recipe for creative insight. Psychologists call it the "default mode network"—the part of the brain that lights up when you're not focused on the outside world, but instead reflecting, daydreaming, or drifting.
A 2019 study from the University of Virginia found that people had more creative ideas when they were doing undemanding tasks like showering or walking. Researchers think it's because these tasks don't require much active attention, allowing subconscious thoughts to bubble up. (Source)
So maybe it’s not the shower specifically. Maybe it’s what the shower does to us. It removes us from devices, deadlines, and distractions. The same could be said for plane travel. You’re stuck in a seat, offline (mostly), and lulled by the hum of the engines—no meetings, no errands, nowhere to go. Your brain, finally unbothered, starts to play again.
That might explain why other places spark that same creative lift: long solo drives, walks in nature, doing dishes, folding laundry. Anywhere you’re physically occupied but mentally free.
Maybe creativity isn’t about forcing yourself to write harder, push faster, or “grind.” Maybe the best ideas show up when we stop trying so hard to have them. When the mind has a little room to breathe.
There are those creative types who will tell us that certain recreational drugs can accomplish the same thing. There's certainly a whole group of musicians, i.e., the Beatles, who found new musical expressions through LSD. Not to mention the wilder poets and storytellers of literature past.
I don't know if I'm ready to expand my mind quite that much. For now, I'm going to stick to more down-to-earth creative boosters that also let me wash my hair.
So next time you’re creatively stuck? Don’t double your screen time. Take a walk. Or a flight. Or just… take a shower.
Sources:
Zedelius, C. M., & Schooler, J. W. (2019). The Richness of Inner Experience: Relating Styles of Daydreaming to Creative Processes. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 148(12), 2134–2153. https://doi.org/10.1037/xge0000560
The Heart of Innovation (Idea Champions): "20 Reasons Why Many People Get Their Best Ideas in the Shower" https://www.ideachampions.com/weblogs/archives/2010/08/20_reasons_why_1.shtml
Psychology Today: "Why Your Time in the Shower Is Vital to the Rest of Your Day" https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/think-act-be/201507/why-your-time-in-the-shower-is-vital-to-the-rest-of-your-day