Brushwork

How often do you brush your teeth? Once a day? Twice a day? Floss, mouthwash, perhaps a coconut oil pull? It is widely acknowledged that brushing your teeth routinely is an important aspect of dental hygiene. I, however, am not a dentist. I’m not here to critique your teeth.

I do have a particular interest in how the brain works. The brain thrives on novelty. One of the most important elements of learning is based on this concept. Is the brain excited to make sense of some new idea or information that doesn’t fit neatly into what it already recognizes? Brain health depends on constantly learning and learning is stimulated by novelty.

I am using “learning” in a very broad sense. You can learn from books, or from podcasts. You can learn from conversations with interesting people or gain knowledge from an experience, especially if it’s not part of your normal routine. On a biological level, the definition of learning neatly summarizes the major role that the nervous system plays in the body - “the acquisition of knowledge and skills”. In a literal sense, your life depends on the ability of your brain to acquire knowledge and develop skills. The quality of your life also depends on whether and how much you choose to learn.

One of the best ways to introduce novelty to your brain is by adding creativity to your life. You don’t have take painting classes with Bob Ross or consider yourself “the creative type” to make this happen. You do have to acknowledge one very simple, but very profound fact:

being creative is a choice that can be made with every thought, every word, and every action.
 

Piece by piece, choice by choice, and day by day, you have a chance to create something for yourself, of yourself. Remember, it’s on you: no one is going to live creatively for you.

So start small. Take a different way home, try cooking without a recipe, cross your legs the other way. Read some poetry, tell the truth, or see what happens if you pay attention to your breathing for 10 seconds. Have you ever tried brushing your teeth with the opposite hand?

Brushing your teeth lefty might not change your life overnight, but it’s a start.