Outcome 

The workshop gives participants concrete tools and insight into how to work systematically with creativity in their daily work. Through a combination of theory and practice, participants will challenge habitual thinking and work patterns, strengthen their imagination and develop an even stronger ability to think in new ways. The result is a deeper understanding of how creativity can be fostered and used purposefully in research leadership, including when identifying new connections across research fields and developing the foundation for future joint research ideas

Workshop structure 

The workshop consists of a morning session that focuses on creativity and how the brain works, and an afternoon session where participants are introduced to the concept of biological well-being with special emphasis on how high workloads affect the brain, the body, the nervous system and creativity. The workshop concludes with a reflection on how insights from the workshop can be integrated into daily work and the wider organization. 

Part I: The creative brain 

What actually happens in the brain when we get a good idea, and why are some people more creative than others? The first step towards working more creatively is an in-depth understanding of what creativity is and the mental processes behind it. This part of the workshop takes a scientific approach to creativity and reviews what decades of research tell us. Participants will not only gain an understanding of what creativity is as a concept, but also its connection to how the brain retrieves knowledge from memory and forms creative associations that can make new scientific breakthroughs possible. We will also examine why the very same mechanisms that control our thought processes, and help keep us sane, can inhibit creativity. Most importantly, participants will learn how to "trick" the brain into working more creatively through the deliberate use of creative techniques and training. 

Part II: Biological Well-Being for High Performers 

Creativity cannot easily flourish in a high-demand work environment. Many leaders and researchers experience a high workload, and symptoms such as elevated blood pressure, poor breathing habits and sleep problems have become increasingly common. These are signs of a nervous system on high alert. In this part of the workshop, we examine how it is possible to maintain the intense academic work ethic, often accompanied by long hours, insufficient recovery and chronic strain, while establishing a healthy biological balance and building resilience. 

Participants are introduced to the concept of Biological Well-Being, and we explore how the body's stress responses are directly linked to our cognitive capacity: how mental load narrows the space for new thinking, and how calmness and restitution are prerequisites for creative surplus. As a central part of the afternoon, participants are guided through a breathwork session, where they learn simple but effective techniques to regulate the nervous system and achieve a state of calm and mental clarity through the breath. 

Scientific Foundation 

The workshop is a condensed version of our recognised eight-week academic programme, held at universities in both Denmark and Canada. The research behind the programme has been subject to scientific investigation and documentation, which can be found in the scientific publication Applying the NeuroScience of Creativity to Creativity Training. The work has also been described in a more accessible format in Forbes Magazine Ukraine, in connection with our application of the programme in Ukraine. 

Morten is co-founder of the Copenhagen Institute of Neurocreativity (CINC) and is a neurobiologist with a PhD in the neuroscience of creativity. Morten is internationally known for his research on creativity and is particularly acknowledged for having shown that pre-conscious memory formation is a crucial factor in creativity and one of the most important aspects for successful creativity training. Besides his academic research he develops methods to apply neuroscience research to creativity training. Morten works with applying his research findings to business, design, and innovation strategy through various cognitive exercises and techniques. As such his expertise lies within converting neuroscience research to creative practice and making people more creative and better problem solvers.