Not all distraction is creative—and not all focus is productive
A recent study investigates how intentional and unintentional mind wandering relate to creativity and attention across different contexts.
Creative recovery needs better distinctions than simply “focus” or “rest.”
The Story
A 2026 study by Berna Altunisik and Andrew Jarosz examines mind wandering, attention, and creativity using multiple measures across two experiments. The research is interested in the difference between freely moving thought, intentional wandering, and unintentional distraction.
That distinction matters for creative practice. A walk, shower, or quiet pause may create space for associative thinking, but constant interruption is not the same thing as productive incubation. The context and the kind of attention involved both matter.
A gentle Studio Wensday experiment: separate idea-generating time from notification-heavy time. Protect a short period for deliberate wandering, then return to the work with one concrete question rather than expecting inspiration to arrive on command. ([pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42647960/))
Studio Wensday Angle
Creative wellness is less about maximising focus than shaping different modes of attention.