A Less Intact Box

illustration by Aaron Michels

Scientists at the Karolinska Institutet, one of Europe’s largest medical universities, have managed to show that the ability to form divergent thought and find many different solutions to a problem is similar in healthy, highly creative people and in people with schizophrenia.

“Thinking outside the box might be facilitated by having a somewhat less intact box,” says associate professor Dr. Fredrik Ullén about his new findings.

The research used divergent psychological tests and looked at dopamine D2 receptors and the flow of information from the thalamus of the brain. See the full article for more science-y goodness.

Perhaps the two little characters from the other day were onto something when they said there was no box?

Discovered via DoseNation.
Image credit: Aaron Michels

There is No Box

If you’ve ever been charged with creative projects or problem-solving, someone has likely told you to think outside the box. The phrase has become such a cliche, I can’t imagine it actually really inspires anyone. I stumbled upon this lovely and humorous video by Joseph Pelling featuring excitable little characters that explore, destroy and reinvent the box. I love the quirky illustration and the one-up dynamic between the two characters.

outside the box from Joseph Pelling on Vimeo.
Discovered via Pikaland: The Illustrated Life

Related: A post I wrote on Surviving a Creative Crisis on the Wise Elephant blog.