{"id":128336,"date":"2024-08-05T11:37:26","date_gmt":"2024-08-05T15:37:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=128336"},"modified":"2024-08-15T11:41:24","modified_gmt":"2024-08-15T15:41:24","slug":"benefits-of-daydreaming","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/benefits-of-daydreaming\/","title":{"rendered":"The Benefits of Daydreaming\u2014Spark Your Creativity"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What are the creative benefits of daydreaming? Why should you think about past experiences?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Daydreaming is more than something that students do during class. According to Wired to Create, <\/em>daydreaming is actually an important exercise in creativity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keep reading to learn how daydreaming can help you discover new insights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Daydreaming<\/strong> and Creativity<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

What are the benefits of daydreaming? In their book, the third characteristic that Kaufman and Gregoire say creative people share is the habit of daydreaming. Daydreaming is when you explore your thoughts and let your mind wander<\/a> as opposed to consciously directing your attention<\/a> to one particular thing<\/strong>. Daydreaming may take the form of fantasizing about certain scenarios, exploring memories, imagining the future<\/a>, contemplating certain experiences or emotions, and so on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The authors explain that daydreaming is critical for creativity because it gives our task-focused mind (the one used in flow) a break and allows us to process the experiences and information we\u2019ve gathered. The enhanced understanding about our lives and ourselves that we gain during this processing state allows us to come up with unique ideas<\/a> and insights that we share through creative expression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: While the authors say daydreaming gives our brains a break, Gawdat asserts in That Little Voice In Your Head<\/em><\/a> <\/em>that, rather than resulting in creativity, letting your mind wander usually results in rumination and suffering<\/a>. This is because when the task-focus network of our brain is turned off, our thoughts are naturally drawn toward negativity. And while focusing on negative experiences might help you grow from them, Gawdat argues that this isn\u2019t usually the case\u2014instead, we get stuck in an obsessive cycle of rumination and regret over things beyond our control. Since we have no power over them, they cause us to suffer rather than inspire us to take action.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Further, say the authors, thinking about past experiences may help you uncover new meanings and insights about humanity or life. They explain that when we develop these insights, we often feel the need to share them with others. Creative expression, like art or writing for example, is how we do so. In other words, developing new insights ignites our creative drive.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: In The Artist\u2019s Way<\/em><\/a>, <\/em>Cameron recommends writing morning pages<\/em> every day<\/a> to facilitate the process of mind-wandering as creative tinder. Morning pages<\/a> is a directed mind-wandering exercise\u2014every morning right after waking up, you write three full-length pages about everything and anything that enters your mind. This \u201cmind dump\u201d increases creativity in two ways. First, it releases any concerns you may start the day with so you have a better mood and fewer burdens that stifle creativity throughout the day. Second, you\u2019ll often uncover hidden yet meaningful ideas and feelings in your pages that spark creative insights that may otherwise go unnoticed.)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What are the creative benefits of daydreaming? Why should you think about past experiences? Daydreaming is more than something that students do during class. According to Wired to Create, daydreaming is actually an important exercise in creativity. Keep reading to learn how daydreaming can help you discover new insights.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":128513,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,9],"tags":[1569],"class_list":["post-128336","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lifestyle","category-psychology","tag-wired-to-create","","tg-column-two"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Benefits of Daydreaming\u2014Spark Your Creativity - Shortform Books<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Daydreaming is often frowned upon. However, Wired to Create says that there are many benefits of daydreaming for creatives. Learn more.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/benefits-of-daydreaming\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Benefits of Daydreaming\u2014Spark Your Creativity\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Daydreaming is often frowned upon. However, Wired to Create says that there are many benefits of daydreaming for creatives. Learn more.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/benefits-of-daydreaming\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Shortform Books\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-08-05T15:37:26+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-08-15T15:41:24+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/wordpress.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/woman-daydreaming-at-desk.webp\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1069\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"599\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/webp\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Hannah Aster\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Hannah Aster\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/benefits-of-daydreaming\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/benefits-of-daydreaming\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Hannah Aster\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/f39f52830e4f7039a16e45d12354542f\"},\"headline\":\"The Benefits of Daydreaming\u2014Spark Your Creativity\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-08-05T15:37:26+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-08-15T15:41:24+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/benefits-of-daydreaming\/\"},\"wordCount\":476,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/benefits-of-daydreaming\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/woman-daydreaming-at-desk.webp\",\"keywords\":[\"Wired to Create\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Lifestyle\",\"Psychology\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/benefits-of-daydreaming\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/benefits-of-daydreaming\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/benefits-of-daydreaming\/\",\"name\":\"The Benefits of Daydreaming\u2014Spark Your Creativity - Shortform Books\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/benefits-of-daydreaming\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/benefits-of-daydreaming\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/woman-daydreaming-at-desk.webp\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-08-05T15:37:26+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-08-15T15:41:24+00:00\",\"description\":\"Daydreaming is often frowned upon. However, Wired to Create says that there are many benefits of daydreaming for creatives. Learn more.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/benefits-of-daydreaming\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/benefits-of-daydreaming\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/benefits-of-daydreaming\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/woman-daydreaming-at-desk.webp\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/woman-daydreaming-at-desk.webp\",\"width\":1069,\"height\":599,\"caption\":\"A cartoon image of a woman daydreaming at a desk, clouds are above her head\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/benefits-of-daydreaming\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"The Benefits of Daydreaming\u2014Spark Your Creativity\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Shortform Books\",\"description\":\"The World's Best Book Summaries\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Shortform Books\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/logo-equilateral-with-text-no-bg.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/logo-equilateral-with-text-no-bg.png\",\"width\":500,\"height\":74,\"caption\":\"Shortform Books\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/f39f52830e4f7039a16e45d12354542f\",\"name\":\"Hannah Aster\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0302cb2690b70a21639bc6873e587f42d39d02385b7e59d8efd0d3e000ae7681?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0302cb2690b70a21639bc6873e587f42d39d02385b7e59d8efd0d3e000ae7681?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Hannah Aster\"},\"description\":\"Hannah is a seasoned writer and editor who started her journey with Shortform nearly five years ago. She grew up reading mostly fiction books but transitioned to non-fiction writing when she started her travel website in 2018. When she's not writing or traveling, you can find Hannah working on home reno projects, crafting, or taking care of plants.\",\"knowsAbout\":[\"Graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor's degree in English and minors in professional and creative writing\"],\"jobTitle\":\"SEO Team Lead\",\"worksFor\":\"Shortform\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/author\/hannah\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"The Benefits of Daydreaming\u2014Spark Your Creativity - Shortform Books","description":"Daydreaming is often frowned upon. However, Wired to Create says that there are many benefits of daydreaming for creatives. Learn more.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/benefits-of-daydreaming\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"The Benefits of Daydreaming\u2014Spark Your Creativity","og_description":"Daydreaming is often frowned upon. However, Wired to Create says that there are many benefits of daydreaming for creatives. Learn more.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/benefits-of-daydreaming\/","og_site_name":"Shortform Books","article_published_time":"2024-08-05T15:37:26+00:00","article_modified_time":"2024-08-15T15:41:24+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1069,"height":599,"url":"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/wordpress.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/woman-daydreaming-at-desk.webp","type":"image\/webp"}],"author":"Hannah Aster","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Hannah Aster","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/benefits-of-daydreaming\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/benefits-of-daydreaming\/"},"author":{"name":"Hannah Aster","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/f39f52830e4f7039a16e45d12354542f"},"headline":"The Benefits of Daydreaming\u2014Spark Your Creativity","datePublished":"2024-08-05T15:37:26+00:00","dateModified":"2024-08-15T15:41:24+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/benefits-of-daydreaming\/"},"wordCount":476,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/benefits-of-daydreaming\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/woman-daydreaming-at-desk.webp","keywords":["Wired to Create"],"articleSection":["Lifestyle","Psychology"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/benefits-of-daydreaming\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/benefits-of-daydreaming\/","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/benefits-of-daydreaming\/","name":"The Benefits of Daydreaming\u2014Spark Your Creativity - Shortform Books","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/benefits-of-daydreaming\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/benefits-of-daydreaming\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/woman-daydreaming-at-desk.webp","datePublished":"2024-08-05T15:37:26+00:00","dateModified":"2024-08-15T15:41:24+00:00","description":"Daydreaming is often frowned upon. However, Wired to Create says that there are many benefits of daydreaming for creatives. Learn more.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/benefits-of-daydreaming\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/benefits-of-daydreaming\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/benefits-of-daydreaming\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/woman-daydreaming-at-desk.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/woman-daydreaming-at-desk.webp","width":1069,"height":599,"caption":"A cartoon image of a woman daydreaming at a desk, clouds are above her head"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/benefits-of-daydreaming\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"The Benefits of Daydreaming\u2014Spark Your Creativity"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/","name":"Shortform Books","description":"The World's Best Book Summaries","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"Shortform Books","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/logo-equilateral-with-text-no-bg.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/logo-equilateral-with-text-no-bg.png","width":500,"height":74,"caption":"Shortform Books"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/f39f52830e4f7039a16e45d12354542f","name":"Hannah Aster","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0302cb2690b70a21639bc6873e587f42d39d02385b7e59d8efd0d3e000ae7681?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0302cb2690b70a21639bc6873e587f42d39d02385b7e59d8efd0d3e000ae7681?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Hannah Aster"},"description":"Hannah is a seasoned writer and editor who started her journey with Shortform nearly five years ago. She grew up reading mostly fiction books but transitioned to non-fiction writing when she started her travel website in 2018. When she's not writing or traveling, you can find Hannah working on home reno projects, crafting, or taking care of plants.","knowsAbout":["Graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor's degree in English and minors in professional and creative writing"],"jobTitle":"SEO Team Lead","worksFor":"Shortform","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/author\/hannah\/"}]}},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/woman-daydreaming-at-desk.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/128336","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=128336"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/128336\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":128607,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/128336\/revisions\/128607"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/128513"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=128336"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=128336"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=128336"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}