It’s time to update how we think about brainstorming.
For decades, brainstorming has been the go-to method for generating ideas. “Suspend judgment.” “Every idea is a good idea.” “No criticism allowed.”
These rules have been etched into the creative playbook for as long as most of us can remember.
But what if the brain doesn’t work like that?
What if the creative process is actually more dynamic, more rhythmic, and far more intelligent than we’ve been giving it credit for?
And what if we could design brainstorming to better reflect how our brains actually work?
A new article published in Communications Biology (2025), titled “Dynamic switching between brain networks predicts creative ability,” may just change how we approach creativity forever.
It confirms something I’ve seen in my workshops for over 20 years: that the magic of creativity comes not from separating imagination and evaluation—but from switching between them.
Let’s unpack this—and explore what it means for how we brainstorm, create, and ultimately unlock our genius.
The Two Modes of the Brain: DMN and CEN
Modern neuroscience has identified two key brain networks central to creativity:
The Default Mode Network (DMN)
This is your imagination network.
It’s active when you’re daydreaming, remembering the past, imagining the future, or playing with possibilities.
It’s what I call Ball Mode—loose, fluid, open.
The Central Executive Network (CEN)
This is your focus network. It’s active when you’re analyzing, planning, prioritizing, or problem-solving.
This is what i call Box Mode—structured, grounded, evaluative.
For years, these two networks were thought to be in opposition.
Creativity was framed as a DMN-only affair, with CEN kept at bay.
That’s how traditional brainstorming developed: open the gates, let the ideas flood in, save the critique for later.
But this new research shows that the most creative people aren’t the ones who suppress judgment—they’re the ones who can dynamically switch between DMN and CEN.
Why This Changes Everything
The research found that creativity isn’t a solo performance by your imagination network.
It’s a duet—a back-and-forth conversation between dreaming and directing, between openness and focus.
In my language, it’s the iterative dance between Box Mode and Ball Mode.
That insight has profound implications for how we brainstorm.
If we ask people to “stay in Ball Mode only” (i.e. no judgment, no evaluation), we’re asking them to operate on just half of their natural creative capacity.
Worse still, many people get stuck in overthinking or self-censoring because they haven’t been given permission—or the tools—to move between modes.
Switch Thinking: Designed for the Brain’s Rhythm
This is why I created Switch Thinking.
It’s a simple, practical method that mirrors how your brain works.
It’s about moving intentionally between Box Mode and Ball Mode using a set of seven creative switches, all backed by the science of the DMN, CEN, and the Salience Network (which decides when to switch between the two).
At the heart of Switch Thinking is the 2-Minute Switch—a short burst of focused exploration using one switch (such as Perspective or Emotion), followed by a switch in mode (e.g. Ball to Box), and then a reflection or connection step.
Rather than long, messy, open-ended brainstorming sessions, this approach invites you to:
Switch into Ball Mode (e.g. imagine, play, dream)
Switch back to Box Mode (e.g. evaluate, sort, refine)
Then connect the two
It’s structured and spontaneous.
Serious and playful.
Exactly like the brain at its best.
So What’s Wrong with Traditional Brainstorming?
Let me be clear: brainstorming isn’t broken. It’s just outdated.
It assumes that creative thinking is best when judgment is turned off. But the research says otherwise.
Here’s the tension:
If you never evaluate, your ideas can be chaotic, disconnected, or irrelevant.
If you only evaluate, your ideas never leave the ground.
But if you switch, you get the best of both.
Let’s take a simple example:
In Ball Mode, someone suggests: “Let’s build a treehouse meeting room!”
In Box Mode, another teammate asks: “What’s the purpose of that idea?”
Back in Ball Mode, someone says: “It’s about creative energy. What else gives us that?”
And in Box Mode again: “What if we designed a mobile brainstorming cart with creative props?”
You see what happened there?
Ideas were refined in real time—by switching modes, not shutting them down.
A New Rulebook for Brainstorming
If you’re a leader, facilitator, teacher, or coach, here’s what you can do to bring your brainstorming into alignment with brain science:
1. Encourage Dynamic Switching
Let people flow between wild ideas and quiet reflection. It’s not “all ideas are good,” it’s “ideas grow through switching.”
2. Introduce the 2-Minute Switch
Set a timer. Try one switch (like “What if?” or “Switch Perspective”) for 2 minutes in Ball Mode. Then pause and evaluate in Box Mode. Keep it fast and playful.
This can be done by the individual then discussed with a partner then the bigger group.
3. Use Prompts That Match Each Mode
Ball Mode: “What’s a crazy solution?” or “What if a child designed it?”
Box Mode: “What are the top 3 most useful ideas here?” or “What’s realistic for this quarter?”
4. Let AI Help You Switch
Use AI tools to suggest variations, explore angles, or refine.
AI is great at accelerating and amplifying Ball Mode—and reflecting back to you in Box Mode.
The Bottom Line: Brainstorming Needs to Switch
The brain is not designed to stay in one mode for long. It thrives on movement.
Creativity isn’t a single state—it’s a switching system.
And your ability to switch between modes, perspectives, emotions, and goals is the source of your everyday genius.
So the next time you’re brainstorming, don’t shut down judgment.
And don’t shut off imagination.
Invite them both. Then switch.
That’s where the magic lives.
*note this post was written by me and ChatGPT (trained by me in Switch Thinking).