Why Late Hours Are Ideal For Creativity

Why are nighthawks productive?

Picture it like this: everyone carries around a round waiter tray. This tray is what holds your creative capacity. When you wake up, your mind is sleepy and the tray has nothing on it, like this:

You slowly add to the tray while your mind adjusts to awakened thinking. The first things you put on the tray are the sound of your toothbrush against your teeth followed by the squeak of the faucet head and a wash of water. Then you say hello to your housemates whose hair still in place from its messy resting position on a pillow. The interaction goes on the tray. You have your bowl of oatmeal. This taste goes on the tray. So you have a bathroom, five bedheads, and steel cut oatmeal on your tray and you haven’t even changed out of your pajamas. Quick change, and on your tray you have a bathroom, five bedheads, oatmeal, and a denim jacket on your tray. Throughout the day, every encounter, every stimuli is added to your tray. By the end of the day, you have collected many sights, smells, tastes, sounds, and feels.

Got it?

Now it’s dark. It’s late. People consider the day to be over. You look at your collection of sensations, and you unload it into a bottomless memory vault you keep in the bottom drawer of your dresser. Once again, your tray looks like this:

You have an clear tray like you did in the morning, but your mind is fully activated. Before you had tangible items thrown onto your tray. Now, you have the freedom to place whatever you can imagine on the tray. No distractions. No outside stimulation. You can refer to the memory vault for inspiration without having to carry it. While other people cycle through stages of unconsciousness, your mind exponentially creates.