Coffee and Creativity

Last night I skipped the usual cup of coffee I enjoy during our home-group Bible study. Even though I had reduced the caffeine level in the mix I placed in my coffee maker, I did not want to have a sleepless night. I decided I’d have my cup of coffee for breakfast. I slept well, but thoughts I had while waking up caused me to choose a cup of decaf tea instead of coffee. 

I was enjoying the warmth of my down comforter (and postponing my exit from bed) when this little phrase popped into my mind. “Everything is permissible, but not everything is beneficial” I immediately recognized those words from Scripture and knew how they applied to me.

I could have that cup of coffee for breakfast if I wanted to. It was a permissible pleasure, but would it be a beneficial pleasure? That depends on what I want to do. Caffeine, like adrenalin, energizes me and makes me feel euphoric, but it does not, as I used to believe, facilitate creative thought. A state of high arousal suppresses creative thought; a state of low arousal enhances it.

I’m glad I choose the decaf tea this a.m. because I am making some headway on my writing. I will have my cup of coffee when I plan some activity that will engage my muscles, such as vacuuming floors.