We often have our most creative moments when we’re not actively writing—like when we’re in the shower, out on a run or hike, or while folding laundry—and there's science as to why. Through Jennifer Chesak's research on the brain, while she was writing The Psilocybin Handbook for Women, she learned the science about how we tap into our creativity and do our best work. The short answer: it's our brain's default mode network. The DMN is a resting-state network of brain regions that work in concert to form our interior world. But often when we want to use it the most—when we're hammering away on our laptops, for example—it's not active. In this workshop, you'll learn about the DMN, when it's activated and when it's not, and how to tap into it for enhanced creativity. Plus, you'll learn exercises for activating your DMN and using it to boost your writing, whether you draft fiction, nonfiction, or highly technical projects.
Jennifer Chesak is the author of The Psilocybin Handbook for Women. She is an award-winning freelance science and medical journalist, editor, and fact-checker, and her work has has appeared in several national publications, including the Washington Post. Chesak earned her master of science in journalism from Northwestern University’s Medill. She currently teaches in the journalism and publishing programs at Belmont University, leads various workshops at the The Porch, and serves as the managing editor for the literary magazine SHIFT. Find her work at jenniferchesak.com and follow her on socials @jenchesak.
