This summer’s heat has driven many of us to take long, luxurious showers, and one scholar who studies the mind says that could lead to some creative breakthroughs.
“When your mind wanders, your thoughts are relatively unconstrained, and so they meander between many different topics," says University of Virginia Professor Zachary Irving. "By allowing you to explore a broad range of topics, you can hit upon things that might seem, at first irrelevant, but end up being the crucial insight that you needed to make progress on ideas that you are stuck on or to come up with ideas that are genuinely novel.”
Irving is a philosopher and a psychologist who has written about what he calls the shower effect.
“Moderately engaging activities – things that aren’t too hard or too easy, can lead to a form of mind wandering that facilitates creativity, and so we called this the shower effect.”
Publication of his work prompted a call from Lush – a British and Canadian company that makes cosmetics and bath products.
“They suggested maybe we could work together. We could study creativity in a creative workplace, or maybe we could make some soap.”
He wasn’t so sure about that until he met the product experts at Lush and began to think about how scent, color and texture could free the mind from tedious or obsessive thoughts – clearing the way for creative ideas. Together they produced a video about the campaign they called the Power of the Shower.
“Have you ever been showering when suddenly – pow – an inspired idea pops into your head. That’s what researchers like me call the shower effect.”
They devised a three-step process beginning with a product that could shock users. It’s called Dark Angels Face and Body Cleanser, and it’s made from charcoal and mud.
“You want something that’s intense enough to sort of interrupt you if you are bringing your worries into a shower. It’s this completely black product that’s very gritty and so it’s just really weird to put on.”
Next, Professor Irving and his collaborators at Lush created what they hope is a relaxing shower product called Sleepy Gel.
“It’s purple, and it smells of lavender, and it’s just like very silky and thick and viscous, and so it’s just like really soft on your skin.”
After its application, they hope the user’s mind will wander until a yellow goo called Not Sleepy Shower Balm is applied.
“As soon as you put water on it, it explodes into foam. You’re awakening to the insight of the morning sun.”
Irving enjoyed coming up with this three-step ticket to eureka, and he’s now a devoted shower taker:
“Before this collaboration showers were always very utilitarian for me. You get in. You get out. Waste as little time as possible, but there is so much more of an experience that you can have here!”
Irving notes that you can also have aha moments while walking, working out, gardening, doing dishes or going for a ride. He’s quick to add that scrolling on a cell phone is not the same as letting your mind meander.
