Are you all right? Or are you split between right-brain and left-brain thinking?

Just for fun (no, it’s not Friday), I took one of those on-line quizzes. 15 questions. I came out with 8 answers for the left brain, and 7 for the right. So, what does that make me?

Confused.

Several research articles say the differences are largely over-stated, but we still persist in thinking we have to be one or the other. We think of artists (musicians, writers, painters) as being right-brained and CPA’s and Lawyers as being left-minded.  But what about the CPA’s and Lawyers who are artists in their off-duty hours? Or writers who are sharp when it comes to negotiation of contracts? Any musician will tell you music entails a lot of math, and visual arts require linear logic and a sense of perspective. Accountants say numbers are an art form, and engineers see beauty in design.

It’s not a bad thing to be balanced.

I’m thinking an author probably uses the right-brain to conceive ideas. The ‘what if’ factor gives a general overview of the whole story, and you use your imagination to pull the idea from thousands of others that are flashing through your mind. But then you need the left-brain to kick in with the details. How could you cause the conflict? What issues would the hero have to overcome? Where is this most likely to happen? Who would likely be the ally or enemy? When would the story be likely to take place (this last one is sometimes an issue when using modern technology, or the lack of it)?

All these questions have to be carefully considered and logically and accurately dealt with.

Sometimes our non-writing lives stifle our creativity. Writers’ block, perhaps? We can’t let go of the busy-ness of our lives to let the ideas flow. Do you, like me, struggle with compartmentalizing your thoughts, so that the creative part and the business part get equal time?

When I’m at work, I have to let the left-brain stuff take priority.  Then when I get home, the checkbook needs balancing, the bills need to be paid, I have to answer correspondence, and by the time I get back to the world I was creating, it’s either wandered off somewhere or I’m too tired to focus on it. The left-brain wins.

But, boy….when I’m in my right mind, the fun person inside of me gets ripping. The story flows, the characters are talking to me, the make-believe world is expanding – all excited to be let loose. The next thing I know, I’ve written until the wee hours of the morning, and…uh-oh…I’ve got to get up at 6 for work. Point for the right, but I will pay for it!

Retirement beckons like a siren, tempting me with time to focus on more writing projects. I wonder- will I be tempted to create a business-like atmosphere as a challenge? Maybe one of these days, I’ll have the best of both worlds. I’m looking forward to it.

Do you favor your left or right brain? Do they struggle with each other? Or have you found a compatible balance?