Perception is the process our brains use to make sense of ambiguous signals using past experiences. But our brains have evolved to be as energy-efficient as possible. Repeated exposure to the same experiences leads to more efficient, but smaller neural responses. Familiar surroundings allow the perception centers of our brain—the frontal cortex and visual cortex—to form shortcuts.
In most cases this is useful, but imagination and visual creativity are essentially perception in reverse, sharing many of the same neural pathways. Repeated exposure to the same sensory information reduces your ability to imagine new solutions to existing problems.
To Jumpstart Your Imagination, Bombard Your Brain with New Experiences When you focus your attention on new external stimulus, you are reconfiguring the neural pathways needed for creating new mental imagery. The more novel the new experiences are, the greater the likelihood that they will lead to new insights.