I honor health as the first muse, and sleep as the condition of health. Sleep benefits mainly by the sound health it produces; incidentally also by dreams, into whose farrago a divine lesson is sometimes slipped. —Ralph Waldo Emerson
I didn't sleep much last night. That may be why this quote captured my attention. It is true that when I'm tired, I struggle to produce any creative work. It's not the lack of ideas or inspiration, honestly. I remember days of profound tiredness or lousy health in which I had majestic intuitions. However, the lack of energy didn't allow me to go beyond that. Those intuitions never took any form. They vanished as if they never came in the first place.
Dr Lisa Feldman Barrett says that our brain is a phenomenal and relentless predicting machine. It continuously makes predictions on what is going on and what is going to happen. This intricate process is not just for survival, but also for creativity, a testament to the brain's multifaceted nature.
To make these predictions, our brain uses three inputs: signals from our body, inputs from the surroundings and memories from past experiences. If I'm tired or unwell, my brain may be too preoccupied with my survival to heed the call of the muses. This is why prioritizing health is crucial for nurturing creativity.
If you're going through a dry patch of creativity, it may be worth getting some sleep.