Think Green!

We are fast approaching Earth Day, and that means it’s a great time to think green! Without a doubt, green thinking is good for your Mama Earth – but did you know that it’s good for your mind’s elbow, as well?

Four fabulous psychology researchers found that the color green actually boosts creative thinking!

Here’s how the study went down –

A group of subjects were given two minutes to generate possible uses for a tin can. But just before the researchers said “Go!” half were shown a white rectangle. The rest were shown a mysterious and magnificent green rectangle. After the tin can two minutes, the results were tabulated – and wow! Those subjects who saw the mysterious and magnificent green rectangle came up with more interesting and imaginative answers!

The scientists went on to find that green also trumped red, blue, and (big surprise) grey. Funny, they never mentioned whether the green rectangle was actually a $100 bill…

I, for one, could generate A LOT of tin can uses for a Franklin.

Anyway, if you’ve been wondering how to increase your personal score on a tin can use test, now you know.

But before you run out to Sherwin-Williams and shell out green to buy some green for your office makeover, you may actually want to get out of your office altogether.

Another study at another university had subjects come up with a word (tape, for example) that related to a set of clue words (measure, video, and worm). Some subjects had to perform this task while sitting inside a 125-cubic-foot box. The rest of the subjects did the task while sitting next to the box.

As you can probably guess, those sitting and thinking “outside the box” came up with more creative solutions – 20% more, in fact.

Clearly, these study summaries can mean only one thing –

Nobody, but nobody, has more fun doing research than my old peeps in the field of psychology…

Making the world a better place, one tin can and tapeworm at a time.

PROMPT: Get out of the box and get under a green tree today! See what happens to that fabulous idea-generating brain of yours. And while you’re at it, write, paint, or compose something for your Mama’s Earth Day. She’ll love it. After all, a big chunk of EARTH is A-R-T!