So... Last week I had a doctor's appointment. I got to the office on time and darn Murphy & her law, I sat in the waiting room for 45+ minutes waiting. Well, it gave me some forced (and well needed I suppose) downtime so I browsed through some magazines. Parenting, Baby, some car magazine, a 6 week old issue of People, some health & fitness one, and Prevention. Some of this stuff was interesting but not 45 minutes worth. I did see an article in Prevention that I had to write myself a note to go back to... 

The article was called "Houseplants Can Reduce Stress, Fight Toxins, and Even Boost Creativity". Apparently plants create a calming environment. Prevention reported that Texas A&M University did a study & found that women who worked in a room with plants and a bouquet of flowers came up with 13% more ideas than the women who were working in a room with abstract sculptures. They said "plants are a mood booster" & that when you're in a good mood there is more dopamine... and that is the hormone that "controls the flow of information throughout the brain."

http://www.prevention.com/houseplants/?searchType=slideshows

Some thought seeds...

University Research Indicates Flowers and Plants Promote Innovation, Ideas

The Impact of Flowers and Plants on Workplace Productivity Study

(The Impact of Flowers and Plants on Workplace Productivity Study at Texas A&M was conducted by Roger Ulrich, Ph.D.)

Plants hold a lot of power...

Texas A&M researchers found that people who kept a vase of colorful, blooming flowers on their desks, generated more creative ideas. And in a separate study of typists, those with flowering plants nearby were less stressed and more productive. They key is to have a flowering plant because you need some greenery to get the maximum benefit.

So yeah, spring is right around the corner so bring home some flowers & plant-life & paint them. (no, mojitos don't count no matter how many mint sprigs are in there... or do they? ah the tangents... Let's do our own study... Does plantlife in a cocktail have an impact on fine creativity like the greenery in the A&M study?)