Since it is the end of the year, I have a gift fro you.

Did you know your intercultural creativity and brain capital depend on your ability to rest?

Yes, you read that right. Rest isn’t just a nice bonus—it’s a vital brain-building strategy.

Happy holidays!

In the book I AM CREATIVE: Preventing Dementia and Building Capital, we see Shawn doing something revolutionary: sitting quietly. He’s not checking emails or organizing his sock drawer. He’s simply allowing his brain’s Default Mode Network (DMN) to activate. This powerful network lights up when you’re not focused on a task—like when you’re daydreaming, strolling aimlessly, or just letting your thoughts wander (preferably without panic or a to-do list in hand).

The DMN is like your brain’s behind-the-scenes creative team. It reviews your memories, connects experiences, and mixes it all together like a mental smoothie—delivering those sudden flashes of insight you swear came out of nowhere.

Spoiler: they didn’t. Your brain was hard at work while you were folding laundry.

The best creative thinkers use downtime to their advantage. They know that giving the brain space to rest can spark fresh solutions and new ideas. Kids especially benefit from unstructured time to reflect and explore their inner world—skills they’ll carry into adulthood.

So how do we harness this superpower?