Skip to main content

Boost Creativity with Movement, Brainstorm Session

Creating new ideas is easier than you think

Part of the Career Tools Series
Chris Hildreth, center, with camera, talks with Duke men's basketball head coach Mike Krzyzewski during a photo shoot for the team. Photo courtesy of Duke Photography.
Chris Hildreth, center, with camera, talks with Duke men's basketball head coach Mike Krzyzewski during a photo shoot for the team. Photo courtesy of Duke Photography.

When Chris Hildreth feels stuck, he gets moving.

For years, running has not only helped to loosen his muscles, but his creativity as well.

“You let your mind go and begin to think beyond the actual act of running,” said Hildreth, director of Duke Photography who takes seven-mile runs through Duke Forest and Eno River State Park. “My mind will begin to delve into the complexity of a photo shoot and by the time I’m done, I’ve figured out most of what I have to do or at least what my next step should be.”

A Stanford University study released in April found that physical acts as simple as a walk have the ability to boost creativity by 60 percent over staying sedentary. Walking – regardless of environment – produced twice as many creative responses to the study’s participants.

“There has been lots of scientific interest in the link between cognition and exercise,” said Esther Granville, manager of health coaching with LIVE FOR LIFE, Duke’s employee wellness program. “The connection comes from exercise stimulating blood flow to the brain, so more oxygen is available, which helps our brain work better.”

For faculty and staff across Duke, getting up and out to formulate the next great idea can be as simple as stepping outside.

The trail along the outside edge of East Campus forms a loop of about 1.6 miles, which takes about 20 to 25 minutes to walk. On West Campus, visitors to Sarah P. Duke Gardens can traverse plants and flowers on five miles of trails.  A walk from the Davison Quad, outside the Sociology-Psychology Building, through West Campus to Towerview Road is about a quarter-mile.

For some, boosting creativity is easy as setting aside time to let a brain wander. Hildreth and the Duke Photography staff find that clearly defined brainstorming sessions lead to successful ideas for tough photo shoots.

Each year, Hildreth partners with Duke Athletics colleagues for a special photo session with the men’s basketball team to highlight themes. Last year, a “Fast and Furious” theme meant to highlight the up-tempo speed of Duke’s players.

duke basketball
After a brainstorming session, the Duke Photography staff came up with the idea for this "Fast and Furious" theme poster for 2013.

“We’ll pick a time and sit down as a group for a no holds-barred conversation to discuss angles of view, camera platforms, types of lenses and lighting,” Hildreth said of his staff’s brainstorm sessions.

Together, the Duke Photography staff discussed the theme and how to illustrate it. They came up with an idea to have all 14 players run toward the camera as a group and individually, capturing motions mid-stride. The result showed the team edited together, sprinting toward the viewer with motion blurs and background lines to emphasize speed.

“Setting aside time to brainstorm is as important as scouting locations and other pre-shoot work,” Hildreth said.