Q 25 How Can Doctors Become More Right-Brained & Creative?
“How can a doctor become more right-brained and creative?”
Doctors can be right-brained!
Doctors are often considered people who use their left brain more than their right brain. The left brain is associated with logical and analytical thinking. However, the right brain is associated with artistic and creative abilities.
I’ve talked about having hobbies and having a work-life balance in many of my previous posts. Often, I’ve recommended not just doctors but people in 9-to-5 jobs to use their creativity. This is especially for those people who use little to no creativity at work.
Ask doctors to create a PPT on the same topic and you see a variety of colors, ideas and styles. It’s so evident that they’re all talented and have a creative side to them. I feel engaging the creative right brain is cathartic, especially if you’ve had a trying day at work.
THE EVIDENCE FOR RIGHT BRAINED DOCTORS
Dr. Caroline Wellbery and Dr. Rebecca McAteer of the Georgetown University School of Medicine published an essay in the journal Academic Medicine.
They proposed a curriculum for an eight-week “arts observation seminar” which encompassed poetry, photography, and descriptive writing,.
I say we don’t need any research. Take a look at Tess Gerritsen. She’s the author of the famous Rizzoli & Isles books and is a pathologist. Other authors like Ilene Wong, a surgeon and anesthesiologist, Carol Casella, have taken to writing books. Like me!
Then there’s Scott Carle, an occupational physician who paints and you can even watch him paint one of his masterpieces live. Another painter is Dr C Michael Gibson, an interventional cardiologist, who finds time to crate beautiful artwork. I follow him on Twitter and he’s such a talented and passionate physician who’s funny and smart.
Chip Thomas, a physician, has been an exceptional photographer. His photographs of the Navajo nation are deep and arresting. Victor Wahby is a musician and Founder & Maestro of the Medical Musical Group Orchestra. Dr Mark Seraly sculpts and his pieces are very sought after in the art world. These are just a few example of people who are creative and practicing doctors.
So how can you engage your right brain?
Doctors and the right brain
FIND WHAT YOU LOVE
Before you start thinking what you should take up. Look back at your own life. An art class, or photographs, something that you loved. All of us took minor classes during our junior years in school or college. It could have been a sport. Don’t think what can make me more money. Think what is it that I love to do and go for it. This is something you could do everyday without ever getting bored of it. I can write and create stories everyday and I would never be bored.
FIND WHAT FULFILLS YOU
You could do a lot of things you love but in addition to that does it fulfill you. Fulfillment is a feeling where you feel you’ve achieved your purpose in life. I like playing the piano but writing and hosting my podcast fulfills me. It makes me believe that this is why I’m here on this planet. I was born to do this.
FIND WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY
Right-brained activity could be as simple as going fishing. Does it makes you happy? Does it bring a smile to your face? When you do it, do all your worries melt away and does excitement tingle your skin?
CUT OUT EXTRAS
Cut out the extra crap in your life. We spend hours on mindless television or long commutes. Are there any time wasters in your life? Cut them out and use that time to focus on this new creative activity that you love. At one point of time I was watching, three hours of TV per day! 
