Sally-Ann O’Dowd on the Connection Between Creativity and an Active Lifestyle

With so many recent studies highlighting the strong relationship between physical activity and creative thinking, perhaps it should come as no small surprise that a look back at the habits of history’s most imaginative and thoughtful figures seems to support the ideas espoused by neuroscientists like Wendy Suzuki. As the author of a recent article discussing the neurological benefits of aerobic activity, Suzuki's article describes how regular exercise combats stress, improves memory and the ability to focus, and, of course, enhances creative thinking and imagination.

While teaching at the Lyceum beginning around 335 B.C.E., Aristotle preferred to lecture while walking along the covered walkways and colonnades found throughout the grounds of the school. This had long been the teacher’s preference when discussing matters of philosophy, perhaps indicating an innate understanding of the role physical activity plays in provoking creative thought.

Of course, one does not need to look back many thousands of years to find anecdotal evidence supporting the relationship between aerobic exercise and creativity. Bob Marley, the iconic reggae musician and activist, deeply believed that playing soccer or engaging in some other form of physical activity -- a practice he refers to in the song, “Lively Up Yourself” -- was necessary to stoke his creativity and imagination prior to a performance or a writing and recording session.

Given the strong anecdotal evidence as well as the wealth of research now so widely available, it seems that creative professionals are beginning to take steps to ensure they have ample opportunity to stimulate their creative mind through some form of physical activity. It’s no wonder, then, that when the opportunity arises, more and more creative professionals are relocating to places -- South Florida being an obvious example -- in which the climate is far more conducive to year-round physical activity.

Sally-Ann O’Dowd, a marketing/PR consultant and the founder of Sally On Media, is one such example. After enduring the cold winters of New York City, Ms. O’Dowd recently relocated to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where she no longer has to wait for the warmth of summer to arrive to pursue her passion for open-water swimming.

Instead of crowded lap pools during the winter and dense Hamptons traffic during the summer, Ms. O’Dowd is now just a brief jaunt from the year-round warmth of the Atlantic Ocean along Florida’s Southeastern coastline. Since Ms. O’Dowd needs “nothing more than a laptop and a WIFI connection to build a brand,” her newfound proximity to the ocean has not only improved her open-water swimming; it’s also had a profound impact on her creativity as a marketing and PR consultant.

Like Aristotle, Marley, and other creative-minded individuals, Ms. O’Dowd had an innate sense that her productivity was improved following an open-water swim. Perhaps that is why when a neuroscientist like Suzuki publishes findings highlighting the potent relationship between creativity and physical activity, creative-minded individuals like O’Dowd knowingly nod their heads as they begin to develop a better understanding of what drew them to climates -- such as South Florida’s, of course -- in which year-round activity is so clearly encouraged.