Movement Unlocks Creativity
Have you ever noticed how your best ideas arrive not when you're forcing them - but when you're walking, showering, or just pacing around the house?
Mine often show up on the final stretch of road as I’m cycling into the studio.
It’s not a coincidence.
Movement unlocks creativity.
The ancient Greeks swore by it. So did Virginia Woolf, who took long, solitary walks through London as part of her writing rhythm. Steve Jobs famously held walking meetings, believing they fostered freer, more honest conversation - and better ideas.
Today, many business coaches run their 1:1 sessions outdoors instead of across a desk or screen. The most popular activity in my creativity workshops combines drawing and physical movement.
Why does it work?
A 2014 Stanford study confirmed that walking boosts creative thinking by up to 60%. The researchers found that walking, even indoors on a treadmill, enhances “divergent thinking” - our ability to generate multiple ideas and connect unexpected dots. Movement doesn’t distract from thought - it catalyses it.
Creativity lives in the body as well as the mind.
Modern neuroscience backs what many have long intuited: movement engages different areas of the brain. It reduces stress hormones like cortisol, increases blood flow to the brain, and—through bilateral movement (like walking, swimming, or dancing)—stimulates communication between both hemispheres. This supports intuition, problem-solving, and ideation.
It’s a powerful reminder that the brain is part of the body - not separate from it.
One practice I love that taps into this connection is Street Wisdom—a global non-profit that transforms ordinary city streets into spaces of insight. Through guided "Walkshops", participants slow down, tune in, and walk with a question in mind. Often, the answer arrives not from thinking harder, but from noticing more.
If you’re navigating a challenge or looking for your next creative spark, here’s a few things to try:
➜ Take a 10-minute walk without your phone. No agenda, no podcast. Notice what draws your attention.
➜ If you feel stuck on a project, take it for a walk. Pose a question in your mind, then forget it. See what arises.
➜ Invite a friend or colleague for a walking conversation instead of a sit-down coffee. Notice how it shifts the energy.
Creativity is not just a mental state.
It's a full-body experience.
